On October 30, the donation ceremony of Dr. Jean Augustin Bussiere’s bronze bust was held in the southern wing of Jardin Bussiere.
The 50-centimeter tall bronze bust of Dr. Bussiere was created by French sculptor Nacèra Kaïnou in 2023, who is also known as the creator of Victor Hugo’s bronze statue in Yuanmingyuan Park. Alain Labat, Vice President of the New Franco-Chinese Institute in Lyon, France, presented the bust to the China-France Friendship Group of the National People’s Congress on behalf of the institute in May 2024. The friendship group brought it back to China and donated it to Jardin Bussiere.
Sino-French Cultural Exchange Base in Jardin Bussiere
Located in the Western Hills in the suburb of Beijing, Jardin Bussiere is a private residence built a century ago by Dr. Bussiere from France. Carrying the history of Sino-French communication in culture, education, and ideas, the private villa stands as a tangible cultural heritage for people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Since its opening to public in 2015, the villa has served as a channel for tourists to learn Chinese and French cultures while preserving cultural relics in an effective manner. Meanwhile, thanks to a series of Sino-French cultural exchange activities centered around Jardin Bussiere, the connotation of both cultures has been further enriched. The friendly stories between Chinese and French people that unfolded here in the first half of the 20th century have been passed down through generations, serving as the bonds of Sino-French friendship and the bridge of mutual learning between both civilizations.
Jean-Louis Bussiere, son of Dr. Bussiere, addressed the ceremony via video. “I would like to thank the Chinese people again for the friendship and commemoration given to my father. Properly placed in Jardin Bussiere, the bronze statue now represents a symbol to promote peaceful development and friendship between France and China,” he said. Nacèra Kaïnou, the sculptor, also sent a congratulatory letter to the event, expressing her honor to create a statue for Dr. Bussiere and her yearning for Jardin Bussiere.
The delegation of French middle school students attended the ceremony and sang the Chinese song titled “Singing and Smiling” as well as the French song “Last Dance”. The event was hosted by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education and co-organized by Beijing Language and Culture University.
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(Edited based on information from the WeChat Official Account of Haidian District “haidianxinwen”)
