Chinese and French musicians share stage at centuries-old opera house

A concert pairing Chinese and French performers opened on Monday evening at the Zhengyici Opera House, one of Beijing's oldest surviving theaters. The event, titled "Melodies of Architecture: China-France in Harmony," formed part of the reception series of the 2026 Beijing Culture Forum and of a wider program on architectural heritage conservation and regeneration, following on from a China-France visual dialogue held last year. Officials from the cultural and diplomatic circles of both countries, along with architects, artists and members of the public, gathered to explore — through music — what cultural heritage can mean today.