What kind of scene would it be when the festive sounds of Lunar New Year drums echo through a typical French town? In Triel-sur-Seine, a Seine riverside town not far from Paris with a population of less than 11,000, a Spring Festival celebration spontaneously organized by local French residents is even livelier than Christmas.
At the heart of this grand event is a Frenchman named Fred and his martial arts troupe “Dragon Bleu” (Blue Dragon). A fan of Chinese culture who has practiced Chinese kung fu for 42 years, Fred not only founded a martial arts school but has also, for ten years, paid out of his own pocket to host large Spring Festival celebrations in his hometown every year.
On the day of the event, the town’s streets are strung with red lanterns, and dragon and lion dancing teams weave through the crowds, accompanied by fireworks shows and dazzling kung fu performances that attract a huge gathering of residents. According to Ms. Li, a local Chinese resident, preparations start as early as the previous October. All 150 members of the martial arts troupe are fully involved, personally taking care of almost everything—from costumes and props to program choreography. The local government is also highly supportive, providing police for crowd and traffic control and approving the fireworks displays.
The Organizer Once Trained at Shaolin Temple
Fred’s love for Chinese culture began in 1984. Not only does he hold a professional martial arts certificate, he also obtained a diploma from the Shaolin Temple Martial Arts School and has led his team to Henan’s Songshan Shaolin Temple and Shandong several times for exchanges and study. The martial arts troupe he founded has become a bridge connecting Chinese and French cultures, and he even once led a famous French TV crew to China to film a kung fu documentary.
For Fred and his team, the annual Spring Festival celebration is more than just a performance; it is a tribute to the spirit and heritage of kung fu. After the story of this small French town spread online, it touched countless netizens, who have left messages of blessing: “Happy New Year, world in harmony!”