Chengdu IFS and Paris Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee Launch OPERATION PANDA
Joint cultural initiative designed to celebrate Christmas
CHENGDU, China and PARIS, Dec. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chengdu International Finance Square (Chengdu IFS) and Paris Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee today launched OPERATION PANDA in Paris - celebrating Christmas in their first joint operation since the two neighbourhoods established an international partnership in May. A grand opening ceremony was held today in Saint-Germain-des-Pres with strong support from Chengdu Municipal Government, Jinjiang District Government, and the 6th District Government of Paris. At the local traditional Christmas market, a special display of wood cabins with a panda motif was presented as a warm gift from Chengdu to Paris. As an important element of OPERATION PANDA, a panda art work, specially created for the event by world renowned French contemporary artist Richard Orlinski, was officially unveiled at the ceremony. Its presence at the Christmas market not only injects the unique appeal of Chengdu into the romantic Christmas atmosphere of Paris's Rive Gauche, but also heralds a new chapter of cooperation and friendship between the two cities.
Chengdu IFS and Paris Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee signed their international parthership agreement in May to advance in-depth exchange in art, culture, commerce and joint tourism promotion. As a prelude to a new phase of cooperation in 2018, OPERATION PANDA echoed Chengdu's ongoing "Romantic Rive Gauche, French Christmas". Through this partnership, the people of these two cities are experiencing a special Christmas with unique features, as well as facilitating the delivery and exchange of fine arts and culture.
Operation Panda Program:
* From December 1st 2017 to January 7th 2018, sales of Panda plush toys will be organized at the Saint-Germain des Pres Christmas market. 100% of the profits will be donated to the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in central Paris.
* On 13th December, French artist Richard Orlinski unveiled an artwork specially created for Operation Panda, symbolizing the friendship and values at the core of this new international partnership. The art work will then embark on a journey: from December 13th 2017 to January 7th 2018, it will be exhibited at the Christmas market; from January to May 2018, it will be exhibited at ZooParc de Beauval; and in June 2018, the art work will take part in the 2018 Parcours Saint-Germain, before being donated to the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital.
* Jinjiang District, Chengdu and Paris Saint-Germain-des-Pres: Two Rive Gauches Bridged by Culture and Art
With a population of 16 million, Chengdu boasts rich investment opportunities and an ideal development environment, making this vibrant city a key global trade hub. As Chengdu's core district, Jinjiang is a prosperous business area with a long history and serves as the bellwether of Chengdu's expansion and development.
"Chengdu is the new fashion, cultural and economic capital of China: it is surprisingly attractive. Its relaxed and elegant lifestyle is very close to the Rive Gauche spirit of Paris. This collaboration will allow us to better value the rich cultures of our two peoples. Their 1,000-years-long stories, delicate balance between fashion and lifestyle, and the parallel history of Jinjiang and Saint Germain deserve to be celebrated, and I truly rejoice in this new friendship," said Monique Mouroux, General Secretary of the Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee.
"As a popular destination and Western China's leading urban complex, Chengdu IFS is spearheading the promotion of international fashion and arts - so it was natural for us to partner with the Saint Germain Committee and the 6th District Government of Paris to implement our international cooperation. We hope these cultural events will allow the French people to discover a city which is not known well enough, yet has exceptional cultural and economic attractiveness," added Christina Hau, General Manager of Operations, Wharf China Estates Limited.
These events are the first step and will lay a solid foundation for the two cities' long-term partnership. In 2018, the two sides will promote exchange and cooperation by forging an artistic bond, with plans to launch a series of themed events entitled "City Hallmarks 2018: Art Invigorating Two Cities". Artists from Sichuan province will participate in the Parcours Art Festival at Saint-Germain-des-Pres, and in turn Chengdu IFS will embrace the concept and spirit of Parcours by creating the Chengdu Parcours Art Festival. In addition, Chengdu IFS and the China edition of T Magazine by New York Times co-host the second edition of the International Style Conference, an event featuring in-depth, international dialogue. Both events are designed to promote a common space for art exchange between Chengdu and Paris's Saint Germain des Pres, deepening the mutual understanding of residents of these two great cities.
About Chengdu IFS
As the first of five IFS projects in which Wharf (Holdings), Chengdu International Finance Square (Chengdu IFS) has became the most sophisticated cosmopolitan city complex in Western China. The project is located in the central business district of Hongxing Road, a prime location in Chengdu, where the city's two most prosperous main roads (Hongxing Road and Dacisi Road) intersect. It is an urban complex with a total construction area of over 760,000 square-meters, including a 210,000 square-meter flagship shopping center, a 291,000 square-meter Grade A office building, the Niccolo with 230 guest rooms, and the IFS Residences - upscale serviced residences covering 76,000 square-meters. Chengdu IFS, due to its global leading architectural design, won the VIVA Design & Development award presented by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) in 2016, thus ranking Chengdu IFS as one of the first Chinese commercial real estate projects with a top global honor.
The Chengdu IFS flagship shopping centre contains over 600 brands, more than 100 of which are appearing in Chengdu or Southwest China for the first time. As the most upscale and international one-stop shopping center in Western China, Chengdu IFS gathers numerous international top fashion brands, jewelry & watch shops, fashion and garment brands, children's clothing and supplies, a Lane Crawford Department Store, the Ice & Joy skating rink, the UA IMAX movie theater, and moreover, features numerous restaurants and a Global Food Court, offering consumers an international and diversified experience without needing to leave the city. Chengdu IFS will always adhere to the Innovative - Fabulous - Sharing concept, and continue to inject new vigor into the city.
About Paris Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee
The Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee is an association of traders and local residents which aims to maintain the cultural traditions and prestige of the region. It has hosted many events and initiatives, including Christmas lighting decorations; Christmas markets; contemporary artistic trail - Le Parcours Saint-Germain;the Saint-Germain-des-Pres Jazz Festival; charity organization Red Cross - Children's Voice; blood donation drives, a charity sale of panda plush toys – Operation Panda – at Necker Hospital; and the One Book, One Coffee literature festival, which includes two awards, Le Prix de Flore and Le Prix des Deux-Magots. It has also held food festivals including Saint-Germain Gourmand. The Saint-Germain-des-Pres Committee has partnerships with international counterparts including Soho in New York and Chengdu International Finance Square.
The committee will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2018.
For more information about Chengdu IFS, please contact us:
Email: [email protected]
Official WeChat: Service Account: ChengduIFS Subscription Account: cdifsmall
Official Weibo: @Chengdu IFS
Official website: www.cdifs.cn
SOURCE Chengdu IFS
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