2026 Suzhou Jinji Lake China-France Culture & Art Week to open tomorrow

The 2026 Suzhou Jinji Lake China-France Culture and Art Week will be held in Suzhou from October 10 to 19. This year's edition will include original symphonic music, musicals, operas, literary readings, Chinese and French cuisine, and classic films, offering a Sino-French cultural feast for residents and visitors alike.

 

 

File Photo/苏州工业园区发布 (WeChat ID: sipacnc)

 

Opening Performance

 

Symphony Concert "SI YEOU KI" 

 

Time: 7:30 p.m., October 10 (Saturday)

Venue: Grand Theatre, Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre苏州文化艺术中心大剧院

 

 

Composed and conducted by Laurent Petitgirard, Perpetual Secretary of the Académie des Beaux-Arts of France, the work blends Western symphonic technique with the cultural core of an Eastern myth. It is a key annual China-France exchange project of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

 

Closing Performance

 

French-Language Original Musical "La Dame aux Camélias"

 

Time: 7:30 p.m., October 18 (Sunday)

Venue: Grand Theatre, Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre苏州文化艺术中心大剧院

 

 

The production brings together the creative team behind phenomenal French musicals, the director winning the French Critics' Award, the stage design team from the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, and a host of powerful vocalists.

 

Supporting Activities

 

Exhibition of Sino-French Cultural Landmark Paintings

 

 

A 12-meter scroll completed jointly by 20 artists and students, depicting six representative landmarks of Paris and six of Suzhou. Merging the cityscapes of both places, it will be displayed on the opening day.

 

"La Dame aux Camélias" Global Premiere Flash Mob Series

 

 

The flash mob series will be staged at landmark spots including the Sino-French Love Wall中法爱墙, the Suzhou Eye Ferris Wheel苏州之眼摩天轮, Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art苏州当代美术馆, and the Flying Sculpture金鸡湖景区-飞翔雕塑, creating an opening celebration across land, water, and air.

 

Long Line Long View — Contemporary Fiber Art Exhibition

 

Time: September 20, 2026 to February 21, 2027

Venue: Jinji Lake Art Museum苏州金鸡湖美术馆

 

 

The exhibition showcases fiber artworks by more than 50 artists from China, France, Germany, Sweden, and South Korea.

 

2026 French Literature Reading Week

 

 

The event will be held in Jinji Stations金鸡驿09金鸡驿05-李公堤东驿站, the lakeside plaza of the Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre苏州文化艺术中心, libraries, citizen service centers, and bookstores, with nearly 20 themed activities.

 

French Art and Film Program

 

 

Time: 2 p.m., October 11

Venue: Dadao Comedy Theatre苏州大道喜剧院

 

The program features a high-definition screening of Cyrano de Bergerac and connects classic screen masterpieces with renowned stage works for an immersive, high-quality French audiovisual feast.

 

Suzhou Coffee Festival 

 

 

Time: October 15 to 18

Venue: Central Plaza, Phase IV of Ligongdi李公堤四期文化创意街区-中心广场

 

The festival features World Brewers Cup champions and their teams, gathering around 20 champion-level baristas and more than 100 contestants. Activities include lakeside live music, a "coffee flavor map" stamp rally, and supporting ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) environmental initiatives, creating a new urban lifestyle of "coffee + culture & tourism + commerce."

 

File Photo/Suzhou News

 

Suzhou Jinji Lake China-France Culture and Art Week has been successfully held for four consecutive editions. It has featured a series of distinctive exchange events, including the exhibition Rencontre avec Montmartre, check-in events at the Sino-French Love Wall, the exhibition More than Versailles, and dialogues between Chinese and French museums. These have allowed Suzhou residents to experience authentic French culture at their doorstep, while showcasing to French audiences the charm of Suzhou and a vibrant, innovative, and artistic Suzhou Industrial Park.