PARIS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition on ancient Chinese culinary culture opened on Thursday at the China Cultural Center in Paris, attracting around 100 visitors from local cultural, artistic and academic fields.
The exhibition, titled "10,000 Years of Culinary Journey: Chinese Culinary Culture through the Lens of Digital Technology", is divided into four sections focusing on ancient Chinese cooking methods, culinary utensils, banquet traditions and the cultural life of literati.
Featuring more than 30 pieces or sets of culinary utensils, the exhibition incorporates digital presentation methods such as animations and virtual reality to offer an immersive experience of ancient Chinese culinary culture.
The exhibits range from simply shaped pottery basins dating back to the Neolithic Age and a bronze roasting rack from the Han Dynasty to exquisite porcelain plates and jade cups. Laurent, a visitor to the exhibition, said he was impressed by the variety of utensils in different materials and forms once used in ancient Chinese kitchens and at dining tables.
"This allows visitors to understand the evolution from the ancient people's early attempts at cooking to the development of systematic banquet etiquette," he said.
Zhu Xiaoyun, deputy director of the China Cultural Center in Paris, said that in China, eating has never been simply a matter of taste. "Chinese cuisine expresses our relationship with nature, the seasons, family and rituals, as well as our appreciation of the beauty of diversity," she said.
During the exhibition period, Wang Yueqian, curator of the exhibition and a research fellow at the National Museum of China, will give a special lecture, offering a deeper interpretation of the development and significance of ancient Chinese culinary culture from the perspective of cultural relics.
In addition, the exhibition will feature special screenings of the food documentary A Bite of China, taking audiences to China through the camera and introducing the country's diverse ingredients, cooking techniques and regional flavors.
Jointly organized by the China Cultural Center in Paris and the National Museum of China, the two-month exhibition will run through Nov. 10. ■