Culture of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Russia, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and South Korea

France:

Country name: France***

(The Republic of France, La Republique Francaise)

National Day : July 14 (Parliamentary legislation in 1880 recognized the Bastille Day as a National Day to commemorate the French Bourgeois Revolution) gt;gt;gt;

Heritage Day: The third Saturday in September and Sunday (officially started in 1984, the initial event was held on the third Sunday in September. Under the promotion of Jacques Lang, the then Minister of Culture, many historical and cultural heritages in the palace opened their doors to the public. The purpose The purpose is to let more people know about love and thus protect human history and cultural heritage. It was originally named "National Cultural Relics Open Day". By 1992, the opening hours were extended to Saturday and Sunday) gt; gt; gt;

National flag: rectangular in shape, with a length-to-width ratio of 3:2. The flag consists of three parallel and equal vertical rectangles, which are blue, white and red from left to right. The French flag has many origins, the most representative of which is: During the French bourgeois revolution in 1789, the Paris National Guard used the blue, white and red tricolor flag as its flag. White is in the center, representing the king, symbolizing the king's sacred status; red and blue are on both sides, representing the citizens of Paris; at the same time, these three colors symbolize the French royal family and the Paris bourgeois alliance. The tricolor flag was once a symbol of the French Revolution. It is said that the three colors represent liberty, equality and fraternity respectively.

National emblem: France does not have an official national emblem, but traditionally uses the coat of arms from the Revolutionary period as the national symbol. The coat of arms is oval in shape, with one of the popular symbols during the Revolution - the caduceus, which was the symbol of authority used by senior law enforcement officials in ancient Rome. The two sides of the stick are decorated with olive branches and oak branches, and the sash wrapped between them reads "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" in French. The entire design is surrounded by a ribbon bearing the Order of the Ancient Roman Legion.

National anthem: "La Marseillaise"

National flower: iris

National bird: rooster

National stone: pearl

Heads of State: President Chirac, elected in May 1995 and re-elected in May 2002; National Assembly Speaker Patrick Aurier, elected in March 2007; Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin ( Dominique de Villepin, took office in May 2005; Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, took office in May 2002; Jean-Louis Debre, President of the French Constitutional Council, in 2007 Taking office in February.

Physical geography: area is 551,602 square kilometers. Located in western Europe, it borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Andorra, and Monaco, faces the United Kingdom across the Strait of La Manche to the northwest, and is bordered by the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. Corsica is the largest island in France. The terrain is high in the southeast and low in the northwest. Plains account for two-thirds of the total area. The main mountain ranges include the Alps, Pyrenees, and Jura Mountains. Mont Blanc on the French-Italian border is 4,810 meters above sea level and is the highest peak in Europe. The main rivers are the Loire (1,010 kilometers), the Rhone (812 kilometers), and the Seine (776 kilometers). Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea is the largest island in France. The total length of the border is 5,695 kilometers, including 2,700 kilometers of coastline, 2,800 kilometers of land lines, and 195 kilometers of inland water lines. The western part has a maritime temperate broad-leaved forest climate, the southern part has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, and the central and eastern parts have a continental climate. The average precipitation increases from 600 mm to more than 1000 mm from northwest to southeast.

Population: The national population is 63.3921 million (as of January 1, 2007), including 4 million foreigners, 2 million of whom are from EU countries, and the immigrant population reaches 4.9 million, accounting for the total population of the country 8.1%. General French. 90% of the residents believe in Catholicism, and there are about 4 million Muslims and a handful of Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, and Orthodox Christians.

Capital: Paris (Paris). As of January 1, 2007, Paris had a population of 2.15 million, and the Paris region, including urban and suburban areas, had a population of 11.49 million. Musée d'Orsay - the most beautiful museum in Europe

Administrative division: divided into regions, provinces and towns. The province has regions and counties, but they are not administrative regions. Counties are judicial and electoral units. France is divided into 22 regions, 96 provinces, 4 overseas provinces, 4 overseas territories, and 1 local administrative region with special status. There are 36,679 cities and towns in the country.

Brief history: The Gauls settled here before BC. In the 1st century BC, Caesar, the Roman governor of Gaul, occupied all of Gaul and was ruled by Rome for 500 years. In the 5th century AD, the Franks conquered Gaul and established the Frankish Kingdom. After the 10th century, feudal society developed rapidly. In 1337, the King of England coveted the throne of France, and the "Hundred Years' War" broke out. In the early days, a large area of ??French land was occupied by the British and the French king was captured. Later, the French people launched a war against aggression, ending the Hundred Years War in 1453. A centralized state formed from the late 15th to the early 16th century. In the mid-17th century, the absolute monarchy reached its peak. With the development of bourgeois power, the French Revolution broke out in 1789, abolished the monarchy, and established the First French Republic on September 22, 1792. On November 9, 1799 (18th Brumaire), Napoleon Bonaparte seized power and proclaimed himself emperor in 1804, establishing the First Empire. The revolution broke out in February 1848 and the Second Republic of China was established. In 1851, President Louis Bonaparte launched a coup and established the Second Empire in December of the following year. After being defeated in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the Third French Republic was established in September 1871 until the French Pétain government surrendered to Germany in June 1940, and the Third French Republic was destroyed. On March 18, 1871, the people of Paris held an armed uprising and established the Paris Commune. At the end of May of the same year, it was brutally suppressed by the French army. During the First and Second World Wars, France was invaded by Germany. The establishment of a provisional government was announced in June 1944, with Charles de Gaulle (pictured on the right) as the leader. In 1946, the constitution was adopted and the Fourth Republic of Korea was established. In September 1958, a new constitution was adopted and the Fifth Republic of China was established. In December of the same year, Charles de Gaulle was elected president.

Normandy Invasion

Politics: The president is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with a term of 5 years (changed to 5 years in June 2000) and is directly elected by voters. The president has the power to appoint and remove the prime minister and approve the ministers nominated by the prime minister; preside over cabinet meetings, the Supreme National Defense Council and the National Defense Committee; has the power to dissolve parliament; and can directly submit certain important bills to a referendum without going through parliament; in extraordinary times, the president has "the power to The situation requires necessary measures." In the event that the President is unable to perform his duties or there is a vacancy, the President of the Senate shall act as President during the period when the President is out of office. The Parliament, composed of the National Assembly and the Senate, has the power to formulate laws, supervise the government, pass budgets, and approve declarations of war. The National Assembly has 577 seats, with a five-year term. It adopts a two-round majority direct voting system and is directly elected by voters. According to the Senate Reform Act passed by the French National Assembly in July 2003, the term of senators has been shortened from 9 years to 6 years since 2004. The total number of seats increased from 321 to 340 in 2010, and half of them are re-elected every three years. It is indirectly elected by an electoral college composed of members of the National Assembly and local parliaments at all levels. On July 31, 1995, the French Parliament passed a constitutional amendment. The bill empowers the president to make greater use of referendums to address economic and social issues.

The French President, on the advice of the government or the Senate or the National Assembly, may submit all reform plans related to public power organizations, French economic or social policies to a referendum. The Presidential Palace - Elysee Palace, the Prime Minister's Palace - Mattion Palace, the National Assembly - Bourbon Palace.

Paris Opera

Economy: France has a developed economy and its GDP ranks among the top in the world. The main industrial sectors include mining, metallurgy, steel, automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding, machinery manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, electrical appliances, power, daily consumer goods, food processing and construction. Emerging industrial sectors such as nuclear energy, petrochemicals, ocean development, aviation and aerospace have developed rapidly in recent years, and their proportion of industrial output value continues to increase. Its nuclear power equipment capabilities, petroleum and oil processing technology rank second in the world, second only to the United States; its aviation and aerospace industry ranks third in the world after the United States and the CIS. The steel industry and textile industry rank sixth in the world. However, the traditional industrial sectors still dominate the industry, with steel, automobiles, and construction being the three pillars. The proportion of industry in the national economy has been gradually decreasing. The proportion of the tertiary industry in the French economy is increasing year by year. Among them, the business volume of the telecommunications, information, tourism services and transportation sectors has increased significantly, and employees in the service industry account for about 70% of the total labor force. French business is relatively developed, and food sales generate the most revenue. Among a wide variety of stores, supermarkets and chain stores are the most dynamic, accounting for almost half of all commercial activities. France’s iron ore reserves are about 1 billion tons, but the grade is low and mining costs are high. Most of the iron ore needed is imported. Coal reserves are nearly exhausted, and all coal mines are expected to close in 2005. Bauxite reserves are approximately 90 million tons. Non-ferrous metal reserves are very small and almost all of them depend on imports. Oil reserves are only over 30 million tons. Natural gas reserves are 250 billion cubic meters, and 99% of the oil and 75% of the natural gas required are imported. The hydropower resources are about 10 million kilowatts, and the energy mainly relies on nuclear energy. The development and utilization of hydropower resources and geothermal energy are relatively full. The forest area is about 15.3 million hectares, accounting for 21.1% of the total forest area of ??the EU. The per capita green area is 0.3 hectares, and the forest coverage rate is 28.2%. France is the largest agricultural producer in the EU and the world's major exporter of agricultural and sideline products. Grain production accounts for one-third of Europe's grain production, and agricultural exports rank second in the world after the United States. As the French population urbanizes, the rural population continues to decrease. France has 54.919 million hectares of cultivated land, of which 61% is agricultural land, 27% is forestry land, and 12% is non-agricultural land. 96% of agricultural land is owned by households. The traditional regional structure of agriculture is: the central and northern regions are the main production areas of cereals, oil crops, vegetables, and sugar beets, the west and mountainous areas are the main production areas of feed crops, and the Mediterranean coast and southwestern areas are the main production areas of perennial crops (grapes, fruits) district. Mechanization is the main means for France to improve agricultural productivity, and France has basically achieved agricultural mechanization. The agricultural and food processing industry is one of the pillar industries that contributes to France's foreign trade export surplus. 24 of the top 100 agricultural and food industry groups in Europe are in France, and 7 of the top 100 agricultural and food industry groups in the world are in France. France ranks first in the world in exports of agricultural and sideline products, accounting for 11% of the world market. France is a world-famous tourist country, receiving an average of more than 70 million foreign tourists every year, exceeding its own population. The capital Paris, the scenic spots along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, and the Alps are all tourist attractions. In addition, there are some historical cities, castles on the Loire River, fishing villages in Brittany and Normandy, Corsica, etc. Some famous museums in France collect valuable heritage of world culture. France is also a major trading country in the world. Its foreign trade has two characteristics: First, imports are greater than exports, resulting in a trade deficit. The imported commodities mainly include energy and industrial raw materials, while the export commodities mainly include machinery, automobiles, chemical products, steel, agricultural products, and food. , clothing, cosmetics and arms, etc. French wine is world-renowned, and its wine exports account for half of the world's exports. French fashion, French cuisine, and French perfume are all world-famous; on the other hand, non-product technology exports are growing rapidly, and pure technology exports are playing an increasingly important role in the entire export trade.

The main source of the French government's fiscal revenue is taxation, which is higher than that in the United States, Japan and other countries. It mainly comes from value-added tax, and others include income tax, corporate tax, social welfare tax, etc. French tourist attraction - Evian gt; Literary giants such as Molière, Stendhal, Balzac, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Flaubert, Dumas Xiao, Zola, Maupassant, Romain Rolland, etc. Many of their works have become treasures of world literature. Among them, "Notre Dame de Paris", "The Red and the Black", "Petro Goriot", "The Count of Monte Cristo", "Les Misérables" and "Johan Christophe" have been translated into world literary works and are popular in the world. spread widely. In modern times, French art has been quite innovative on the basis of inheriting tradition. Not only have there been sculpture masters like Rodin, but also representatives of Impressionism and Fauvism such as Monet and Matisse. Since the 17th century, France's world-leading position in the fields of industrial design and art design has long been evident. Schools specializing in applied arts, architecture, fashion design, and industrial design have long been famous overseas for their "Made in France" commercial achievements. French people love sports, and the more popular sports include football, tennis, rugby, bocce, sailing, swimming, skiing, and cycling. The more famous universities include the University of Paris and the University of Lyon. The Cannes International Film Festival is one of the five major film festivals in the world. It is held every May in Cannes, a small seaside town in southeastern France. It is one of the earliest and largest international film festivals in the world and lasts for about two weeks. In 1956, the highest award was the "Golden Duck Award", which was changed to the "Golden Palm Award" from 1957. French coffee culture with a long history

News and publishing: major newspapers include "Le Figaro", "Le Monde", "Le Soir Fran?aise", "Liberation", "Humanité", "Paris Journal" . The main local newspapers include "Ouest France", which is the largest circulation newspaper in France; "Voice of the North". Major weekly magazines include "Express", "Viewpoint", "Nouveau Observer", "Paris Match", "Magazine Figaro", etc. There are approximately 6,000 publishing houses in France, 331 of which are large. News agencies include AFP, one of the world's five largest news agencies. Founded in 1835. French National Broadcasting Corporation was founded in 1975 and has six radio stations. In addition, there are 17 independent local stations jointly invested by the National Broadcasting Corporation and local governments. In order to strengthen external publicity, the National Broadcasting Corporation has set up an independent France International Station, which broadcasts to almost all over the world. In 1982, the government passed a decree to abolish the state's monopoly on radio stations and allow private individuals and groups to set up radio stations. At present, there are nearly 1,300 private radio stations across the country, mainly including Radio Luxembourg, Radio Monte Carlo, and Radio Europe. There are currently 4 national national television stations. There are more than 20 central or local cable TV stations, and many TV channels can be received via satellite.

Attractions: The Paris Arc de Triomphe (L'arc de Triomphe) is located in the center of the Place de l'Etoile (now known as General Charles de Gaulle) in the center of Paris. It is a French monument to commemorate Napoleon's victory in Auster in February 1806. Built after defeating the Russian and Austrian allied forces in the Battle of Ritz, the 12 streets are centered on the Arc de Triomphe and radiate to the surroundings. They are majestic and look like stars. The project was designed by architect Charles Gran. The foundation stone was laid in August 1806. It took 30 summers and cold days and was completed in July 1836. The Arc de Triomphe is 49.54 meters high, 44.82 meters wide and 22.21 meters thick. It has doors on all sides, the central arch is 14.6 meters wide, the gate tower is supported by two high piers, and there is an elevator in the middle. There are three levels of corridors above the arched dome. The highest level is the exhibition room, which displays various historical relics about the Arc de Triomphe and pictures of Napoleon's life and deeds; the second level contains various French medals and medals; the lowest level is the exhibition room. The first floor is the security office and accounting office of the Arc de Triomphe. Gallery: The Gorgeous Movement of France

The Eiffel Tower is located on the south bank of the Seine River in the center of Paris. It is the world's first steel structure tower and is regarded as a symbol of Paris.

It is named after the design and construction by the famous French architect Staffe Eiffel. Built in 1887-1889. The tower is more than 300 meters high and weighs 9,000 tons. It is divided into three floors. The first-floor platform is 57 meters above the ground and houses shops and restaurants; the second-floor platform is 115 meters high and houses a cafe; the third-floor platform is 276 meters high for visitors to overlook. The bottom area is 10,000 square meters. The building structure on the first floor suddenly shrank, pointing straight into the sky. Viewed from one side, it looks like the letter "Y" written upside down. The tower is composed of more than 18,000 components and more than 2.5 million rivets. There is an elevator or hiking to the top of the tower. At night, the top of the tower emits rotating colored searchlights to prevent aircraft collisions. A rectangular white marble column is erected next to the tower, with a gilded head of Staff Eiffel placed on the top of the column.

The Louvre (Palais du Louvre) is one of the largest palace buildings in France. It is located on the right bank of the Seine River in the center of Paris and on the south side of the Paris Opera Square. It was originally a medieval castle. It was rebuilt and expanded many times after the 16th century, and reached its current size in the 18th century. It covers an area of ??approximately 45 hectares. As early as 1546, French King Francois I decided to build a new palace on the basis of the original castle. Since then, nine monarchs have continued to expand it, which lasted more than 300 years, forming a magnificent and splendid U-shaped palace complex. On August 10, 1793, on the anniversary of the overthrow of the monarchy, the French "National Convention" decided to turn the former royal palace into the National Museum of Fine Arts; on November 18 of the same year, the Louvre Museum was officially opened to the public. All its construction was completed in 1857. On the west side of the Louvre's zigzag-shaped main hall, two side halls stretch out, and the open space in the middle forms the Carrousel Square. There are long colonnades on the east side of the palace, and the building is majestic and majestic. Its galleries are 900 feet long and contain a large collection of works by many artists from the 17th century and the European Renaissance. The collection contains 400,000 items. The Louvre Museum of Fine Arts is divided into six major parts: Greek and Roman Art Gallery; Oriental Art Gallery; Egyptian Art Gallery; European Medieval, Renaissance and Modern Statue Gallery; and Painting Gallery of the Past Dynasties. The exhibition is divided into different genres, schools and eras. The first floor exhibits sculptures. The second layer is oil painting, and the third layer is sketch and pastel painting. In the early 1980s, the French government implemented the "Grand Louvre Plan" to expand and repair the Louvre.

Notre-Dame de Paris is the most famous medieval Gothic cathedral, famous for its size, age and archaeological and architectural value. The Bishop of Paris, Maurice Desullie, once envisioned combining two earlier basilica (rectangular) churches into one large church. The foundation stone was laid by Pope Alexander III in 1163, the high altar was dedicated in 1189, and hymns were sung in 1240. The banquet, west facade and nave were completed, and the portico, prayer room and other decorations were built over the next hundred years. The internal plane is 130×48 meters, the roof is 35 meters high, and the tower is 68 meters high. The tower's spire was never built. The church had to be rebuilt in the 19th century after being damaged over the years. Only three huge rose windows still retain the stained glass from the 13th century. The flying buttresses in the back hall are particularly powerful and graceful.

The Place de la Bastille (Place de la Bastille) is located in the east of Paris on the right bank of the Seine River. It was a military fortress built from 1369 to 1382 AD. The original meaning of the word "Bastille" in French is "castle". This ancient castle has eight towering and solid forts, which were originally built to resist British invasion. From 1380 to 1422, the castle was converted into a royal prison. The entire castle covers an area of ??2,670 square meters. It is surrounded by a high and thick stone wall and eight towers more than 30 meters high. A deep ditch 24 meters wide is dug around it, and a suspension bridge is set up to enter and exit. As early as the 16th century, political prisoners began to be imprisoned here, and the French Enlightenment thinker Voltaire was imprisoned here twice. In the minds of the French people, the Bastille has become a symbol of French feudal autocratic rule. On July 3, 1789, the people of Paris rose up in uprising, and on the 14th, they captured the Bastille, marking the beginning of the French Revolution.

In 1791, the people of Paris demolished the Bastille, built the Place de la Bastille on its old site, and spread the demolished stones on the Pont de la Concorde on the Seine River for passers-by to trample on. In 1830, the French people built a monument to the martyrs of the July Revolution in the center of the square. This martyrs monument is 52 meters high. The monument is a cylinder made of bronze, known as the "July Column". At the top of the column is a golden-winged Statue of Liberty holding a torch in its right hand. The statue is holding a broken chain in its left hand as a symbol. Got free. There was a sign in front of the prison site that read: "Let's dance here!" In June 1880, France designated July 14, the day when the people of Paris captured the Bastille, as France's National Day.

The Pantheon (le Pantheon) is located in the Latin Quarter on the left bank of the Seine in the center of Paris. It was built in 1791 and is a temple that permanently commemorates French historical figures. It was originally the Saint-Genevieve Church built in the Louis XV era. After it was nationalized and separated from religion in 1791, it was converted into a cemetery for the burial of "great men". Between 1814 and 1830, it was returned to the church. The art decoration in the Pantheon is very beautiful, and the large mural on the dome was created by the famous painter Antoine Grote. After the "July Revolution" in 1830, the theme of the painting changed, and the Pantheon took on a "purely patriotic and national" character. Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Marceline Bertolo, Jean Jaures, Berlioz, Malraux and Alexandre Dumas are buried in the Pantheon. As of November 2002, there are 70 people who have made extraordinary contributions to France.

Center National d'art et de Culture Georges Pompidou (Centre National d'art et de Culture Georges Pompidou) is located on the north side of the Latin Quarter in Paris, on Avenue Beaubourg on the right bank of the Seine. It is often referred to by locals as "Boburg". The exterior of the cultural center is lined with steel frames and pipes, and is painted in red, yellow, blue, green, white and other colors according to different functions. Because this modern building looks very much like a factory, it is also known as the "Oil Refinery" and the "Cultural Factory". This modern building with novel design and unique shape was decided to build by the late President Pompidou in 1969. Construction officially started in 1972 and was completed in 1977. It opened in February of the same year. The entire building covers an area of ??7,500 square meters, with a construction area of ??100,000 square meters and 6 floors above ground. The entire building is divided into four parts: the Industrial Creation Center, the Public Knowledge Library, the Modern Art Museum, and the Music and Sound Harmony and Research Center. gt; gt; gt;

Place de la Concorde in Paris is located in the center of Paris and on the north bank of the Seine River. It is the most famous square in France and one of the most beautiful squares in the world. The square was built in 1757 according to the design of the famous architect Cabriel. Because there was an equestrian statue of Louis XV in the center of the square, it was named "Louis XV Square" in 1763. During the Great Revolution, it was renamed "Revolution Square". In 1795, it was renamed "Place de la Concorde". Later, the famous architect Hitofer presided over the renovation, and finally formed its current scale in 1840. In the center of the square stands a 23-meter-high Egyptian obelisk with a history of more than 3,400 years. This is a famous cultural relic moved by Louis-Philippe from Luxor, Egypt in 1831. The ancient text on the obelisk records that Pharaoh Ramses II deeds. There is a fountain on each side of the stone monument. The exquisite carvings in the pool are also the work of Hitover. Eight statues are placed around the square, symbolizing eight cities that have played an important role in French history: Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rouen, Brest, Lille and Strasbourg. During the Revolution of 1793, the people of Paris rose up and destroyed the bronze statue of Louis XV and sent Louis XVI to the guillotine.

The Champs-Elysées (Ave des Champs-Elysees) starts from the Place de la Concorde in the east and ends at the Place de l'Etoile in the west. It is about 1,800 meters long and the widest part of the street is about 120 meters. It is the most distinctive street across Paris. , one of the busiest streets. In French, "Champs Elysees" means "idyllic paradise". In the past, this was a low-lying, damp clearing. During the reign of Louis XIV in the 17th century, trees were planted here, making it a restricted area exclusively for the pleasure of the court nobles. Later, the east-west axis of Tullery Park was extended westward, and a nearly 1-kilometer-long boulevard was built here. Will be expanded later. It was only named Champs Elysées in 1709. The street is bounded by Lumbuvan Street running from north to south, and is divided into east and west sections with different styles. The quiet eastern section embodies the pastoral scenery, about 700 meters long, with rows of green parasol trees, and the garden in the middle of the street disappears and appears among thousands of trees. In the center of the star-shaped square at the east end is the majestic and famous Arc de Triomphe. Near the main street are the Bourbon Palace and the Madeleine Cathedral. There are also places of interest such as Tullery Park, Louvre Museum, City Hall and Elysée Palace. The western section is more than 1,100 meters long, and the Place de la Concorde at the western end is another traffic hub in Paris. Some of France's major festivals - the National Day military parade on July 14 and the New Year's Eve party - are all held on this famous street.

Historical celebrity: French playwright Molière: born January 15, 1622. His real name is Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. Molière was the stage name he used after joining the theater troupe. Molière lost his mother when he was 10 years old, and his grandfather often took him to see farces, comedies and tragicomedies. In the 1950s, Molière began to write and perform some farce and comedy "Daredevil" (1653). In 1658, he returned to Paris and mainly engaged in classical comedy creation. A series of works came out, such as "The Lovely Talent" (1659), "Scanaler" (1660), "The School of Husbands" (1661), and "The School of Wife". (1662). The period 1664-1668 was the peak period of Molière's creation. His major plays include "The Hypocrite" (1664), "Don Juan" (1665), "The Cheapskate" (1668), etc. After 1668, Molière also wrote some satirical works. Molière wrote more than 30 comedies throughout his life. He made outstanding contributions to the development of comedy art by appropriately introducing farce elements into his character creation and making full use of everyday language. Molière died of illness in 1673.

Voltaire (1694-1778): a French Enlightenment thinker in the 18th century, known as the "King of Thought" and "the best poet in France". His original name was Francois Marie Arouet, and Voltaire was his pseudonym. Born into a wealthy middle-class family in Paris, he received a good education since childhood. Voltaire experienced the rule of the three feudal dynasties of Louis XIV, XV and XVI, witnessed the rise and fall of feudal despotism, and felt firsthand the decadence and reaction of feudal despotism. In his youth, he was imprisoned in the Bastille twice for publishing works against the rule of the feudal aristocracy. After being released from prison in 1725, he lived in England for three years. He advocated the rule of "enlightened monarch" and implemented constitutional monarchy. Voltaire wrote many works. He opposed feudal autocracy and religious superstition, advocated the principles of freedom and equality, and advocated that people should be equal before the law. His major works include: "Philosophical Dictionary", "On the Customs and Spirits of Various Nationalities", "The Age of Louis XIV", etc. He also wrote the historical drama "Orphans of China" about China.

Rousseau (1712-1778): French Enlightenment thinker and philosopher. Born into a family of watchmakers in Geneva. Worked as a servant, secretary, tutor, and music scribe. It advocates the establishment of a bourgeois democratic republic and believes that private ownership is the source of social oppression of the people, but does not advocate the complete elimination of private ownership. His major works include "Theory of Social Contract" (old translation of "Theory of Civil Contract"), "On the Origin and Basis of Human Inequality", "Confessions", etc.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821): French politician and military strategist, Emperor of the First French Empire (1808-1814). Born in Ajaccio, Corsica.

Graduated from the Paris Military Academy and served as artillery second lieutenant and major. In 1793, he achieved military exploits in the Battle of Toulon and was promoted to brigadier general. During the Directory period, he led troops to attack Italy (1796) and Egypt (1798). A coup was launched in November 1799 and a ruling government was established. Proclaimed emperor in 1804. In 1812, the war with Russia was defeated and the empire collapsed. Defeated at Waterloo in 1815. Exiled to the island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean.

Hugo (1802-1885): One of the greatest writers in the history of French literature. Hugo was born on February 26, 1802, in an officer's family in Besan?on, France. He was talented, had enduring creative power, and his literary career lasted for half a century. Humanism is the main thread running through his works. Hugo was born into a family of military officers. When he was a child, he traveled to Italy and Spain with his father, and settled in Paris in 1814. In his youth, he embarked on the road of fighting for social progress. The novel "Notre Dame de Paris" published in 1831 shows the writer's strong anti-feudal and anti-church thoughts. When the "February Revolution" began in 1848, Hugo had become a staunch Republican and was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly, becoming the leader of the social democratic left in the French National Assembly. In 1851, Louis Bonaparte launched a coup. Hugo immediately issued a declaration to resist, but unfortunately failed. In December of the same year, Hugo was forced to flee to Brussels. During his 19 years of exile, Hugo always persisted in his struggle against the dictatorship of Napoleon III and continued to write. In 1862, he completed the novel "Les Misérables". In 1870, the Second French Empire collapsed and Hugo returned to his homeland. In 1872, he completed his last novel "Ninety-Three Years". Died of illness in Paris on May 22, 1885. Hugo followed the pace of the times throughout his life and was an important writer in the history of French literature. It is particularly worth mentioning that in 1861, when Hugo learned that the British and French invaders had set fire to the Old Summer Palace, he was filled with indignation. He wrote righteously: "The French Empire received half of the spoils from this victory, and now it is so naive as if it is the real owner, it takes out the glorious plunder of the Old Summer Palace and displays it. I long for one day France can get rid of its burdens, clean up its guilt, and return these treasures to the plundered China."

Picasso House Museum

On May 8 every year, the French military honor guard

Commemorating the Victory of World War II

Diplomacy: France is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a founding member and important member of the European Union, and a member of NATO (but does not participate in the NATO military integration agency). Since the establishment of the Fifth French Republic in 1958, successive governments have followed the independent foreign policy formulated by General Charles de Gaulle and safeguarded national independence. The EU is the foundation of French diplomacy. France is committed to promoting the construction of Europe and building the EU into a truly independent pole, giving full play to France's core role in it; promoting multipolarity, developing and strengthening inter-regional cooperation in Europe and Asia; striving to coordinate relations with major powers; maintaining and developing relations with The traditional relations between African countries have pushed developed countries to increase aid to Africa; actively participate in the Middle East peace process and related hot issues; and strengthen political and economic relations with Asia and Latin America.