Located about a hundred kilometers south of Paris, Montargis, a city steeped in history with indelible marks, is distinguished by its solid links with China.
A century ago, it was an important center of the Chinese Work-Study movement, in which famous revolutionaries such as Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Cai Hesen, Chen Yi and hundreds of other young people came to study and work. in France, they completed their training in organizational techniques and Marxist theories.
–In Montargis, many places where Chinese came to learn and have lived and worked attest to the vitality of the Work-Study movement, now part of the city’s cultural heritage.
In front of Montargis station, Deng Xiaoping square is identified by a bilingual plaque in French and Chinese and a large sculpture bearing the inscription Work-Study – One hundred years was erected on the occasion of the centenary of the program.
–In his office, Benoît Digeon, the mayor of Montargis, keeps a scale model of the bronze statue. This monument “Tells the story of this movement and of these young people who were the best students in their province. They were the intellectual elite of China and came to France to seek a way to advance their country ”Mr. Digeon told Xinhua News Agency in a recent interview. And he added: “They found ideas in Western literature, in the works of Karl Marx, but perhaps also in contact with the inhabitants of Montargis and the reality of local businesses. “
More than a dozen panels like the one in Deng Xiaoping Square have been installed in recent years to allow residents and visitors to better understand this aspect of the city’s past. About 1.5 km from the station, in the Durzy garden, a tourist sign is somewhat different from the others in that it includes a black and white photo.
–In this group photo taken in Montargis in July 1920, members of the Nouveau Peuple association are posing. From July 6 to 10 that year, the young Chinese called a meeting during which the method to adopt to “transform China and the world” had sparked a heated debate. And it was precisely during their discussions that the idea of ”founding a communist party” was proposed.
For Jean-Louis Rizzo, French professor of history, “The theses of Montargis were a little the ferment, the embryo” of the Chinese Communist Party.
We leave the Durzy garden and, two hundred meters further, at 15 rue Raymond-Tellier, is the building which housed some of the Chinese students, the majority of whom came from Hunan, a province in central China. With the help of the Hunan authorities, this building was transformed into a historical museum of Franco-Chinese friendship, it opened in 2016.
–On the first floor are exposed a work card of Deng Xiaoping when he worked at the Hutchinson factory and his residence permit, obtained because of his status as a student-worker in Montargis.
Sixteen-year-old Deng Xiaoping arrived in France in October 1920. In February 1922 he moved and settled in Montargis. His life then began a major turning point.
–Through frequent meetings and exchanges with other Chinese students, Mr. Deng began to take an interest in Marxism and to sharpen his understanding of the world and social circumstances of China, which prompted him to to probe more deeply into the future of the country and his own aspirations, the young patriot that he was ultimately transforming himself into a communist of unwavering faith. In the late 1970s, he initiated the policy of reform and opening up in China, leading the country into a new era, that of modernization.
–According to Wang Peiwen, director of the historical museum of Franco-Chinese friendship and teacher of Chinese in several secondary schools in Montargois, the documents on display allow visitors from all over the world to discover the history of the Work-Study movement, tinged with “red”. Chinese ”under the seal of Franco-Chinese friendship. They also serve as a “cultural bridge” promoting understanding between China and foreign countries and giving them the opportunity to better deepen their mutual relationship.
“The Work-Study movement has been presented for several years in local schools such as the lycée en Forêt. I believe that in the future, these new generations will become a major force for Franco-Chinese friendship ”, we loveme Wang, who is considering organizing various activities to attract more young people.
(Xinhua)
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