At the invitation of the Chinese Embassy in France and China's permanent delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe (CDPPAT) dispatched by the China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd. (CAEG) gave a performance titled "My Dream" at the headquarters of the UNESCO in Paris on September 24 to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Those in attendance of the show included Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye, French friendly people from various social sectors, foreign diplomats in France, high-level UNESCO officials, and foreign permanent representatives to the UNESCO.

As a major supportive program of "Dancing China" under the "Inheritance and Development of Fine Traditional Chinese Culture" project, the show "My Dream" opened when Jin Guanghui, a visually impaired Chinese artist presented a piano piece titled "My Country". Noting that he was glad to get together with all attendees and commemorate the 75th founding anniversary of the PRC, Lu said that Chinese and French athletes have scored outstanding performance at the recently-concluded Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympics Games and that he would convey heartfelt congratulations to the successful organization of the high-level sports events as well as athletes of the two nations.

Ambassador Lu stressed that the year 2024 is a major year for China's reform and opening-up and the further development of China-France relations and that the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to France has injected fresh vitality into bilateral relations as this year is the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. He introduced that the two countries will hold various celebration activities to mark the important occasion and hoped that France will continually carry for the legacy of late French President Charles de Gaulle and play a vital role in the positive and healthy development of China-Europe relations as a major state, economic powerhouse and civilization backbone.

Ambassador Lu said that the outstanding performance of Chinese athletes at the Paris 2024 Paralympics Games has come on the back of the Chinese government's huge support and consistent investment toward the cause of disabled people, adding that the show given by Chinese arts delegation of people with disabilities has provided the audience with an opportunity to enjoy excellent performance and learn more about Chinese disabled artists' strong determination and optimism.

Tai Lihua, head of the CDPPAT, said that she was conferred with an award of Artist of Peace as a representative of the performing art troupe at the UNESCO's headquarters 17 years ago. During the past decades, the CDPPAT has undertaken its mission, carried forward the dream, given performance in 103 countries and regions, and supported public welfare affairs at home and abroad with its performance income. Performers from the CDPPAT have always striven for the realization of their dream over the past years and they have used their tonight's show to narrate beautiful stories, speak about their beautiful dream with music, and convey the vision of peace and friendliness with special arts.

Subsequently, artists from the CDPPAT performed dances such as "Green Seedlings," "Picking Weeds," "Paper Fan Scholar," "Endless Dancing Steps," "Impression," and "Love of Heaven and Earth," piano solos of Achille-Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune," "Hungarian Dances No. 5," a Jinghu solo of "Deep Night," an Erhu ensemble of "Gallop of Ten Thousand Horses," a saxophone solo of "Flying to the Moon," a solo of "When the Baby Comes," and a French song "Hymn to Love". The performance reached its climax with the dance "Thousand-Hand Guanyin," earning great applause and cheers from the audience.

On September 23, Ambassador Lu met with Deputy General-Manager of the CAEG Zheng Xiuquan and the CDPPAT delegation. He said that the Chinese Embassy in France has attached great importance to the CDPPAT delegation's performance in France and hoped that the CAEG will send more excellent Chinese performing art troupes to France to promote the popularity of Chinese culture and arts in France and Europe.

Before the performance, guests from various countries enjoyed artistic work by students with disabilities from the Special Education Art School of Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts at the meeting room of the UNESCO headquarters and personally engaged in the making of paper-cut and wheat-straw painting. Some of exhibited pieces were produced by hearing-impaired performers, who graduated from the school in 2023.

Following the conclusion of their performance at the UNESCO headquarters, the CDPPAT delegation will hold a public performance at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and visit the Paris School for the Deaf for exchanges.

The "Dancing China" overseas tour project was launched in 2018 and is designed to produce first-class programs, build first-class theaters, and focus on mainstream media as well as audiences. Over the past years, it has brought three high-quality shows, which include the dancing performance of "My Dream" from the CDPPAT, "National Color: 12 Zodiac Animals" from China Oriental Song and Dance Troupe, and "Silk Road Flower Rain" from Gansu Provincial Song and Dance Theatre, to North America, South America, Oceania and Europe and held tour performance in dozens of cities in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and France, fundamentally promoting cultural exchanges between China and other countries and the popularity of fine traditional Chinese culture abroad.