A symposium on cultural heritage protection and academic exchange was held in Paris on Thursday, bringing together senior officials and leading experts from China's Shaanxi province and France, to deepen cooperation in archaeological science, conservation technology, and cultural heritage protection.

The event was jointly organized by the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and the French Foundation for Heritage Science, with participation from Chinese authorities including the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration and the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

Participating French institutions included the Foundation for Heritage Science, the Laboratory for Historical Monuments, the French National Heritage Institute, and the French Museums Research and Conservation Center.

Scholars from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, and University Cote d'Azur also attended the symposium.

Discussions focused on long-term cooperation, joint research on the conservation of the Terracotta Warriors, the establishment of joint laboratories, and talent training mechanisms. Both sides reached a series of consensuses on expanding China–France cooperation in cultural heritage science.

During the meeting, Sun Daogang, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Shaanxi Provincial Committee, held discussions with Emmanuel Poirault, director-general of the Foundation for Heritage Science in France. Both sides praised more than a decade of pragmatic cooperation in cultural heritage protection and emphasized the importance of further strengthening bilateral scientific collaboration.

Sun noted that Shaanxi will continue to ensure the implementation of China–France heritage cooperation projects and further promote civilizational dialogue and mutual learning between the two countries.

Poirault introduced the mission and research priorities of the Foundation for Heritage Science, speaking highly of Shaanxi's achievements in international cultural heritage cooperation and expressing hope for expanded collaboration.

Jia Qiang, director of Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, provided an overview of China–France cooperation in cultural heritage protection. He noted that since 2014, both sides have adhered to the principles of equality, mutual benefit, complementary advantages, and win-win cooperation.

Joint projects have included the conservation of painted wooden structures at Gongshu Temple, the protection of stone carvings at the Maoling Mausoleum, and the preservation of wooden relics and earthen sites at the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum.

These projects have been incorporated into high-level China–France people-to-people exchange mechanisms and diplomatic outcomes, becoming a model for international cooperation in cultural heritage protection.

A highlight of the partnership is the joint research on wooden relic conservation related to the Terracotta Army pits. The project draws comparative insights from fire-damaged heritage sites, including Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, in studying burnt timber preservation and structural analysis techniques.

"In 2024, the cooperation agreement between the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and the Foundation for Heritage Science was included in the list of bilateral diplomatic achievements, and it became the only cultural heritage scientific research project on that list," Jia said.

During the academic session, Zhou Ping, deputy director of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, presented updates on the joint research project on Terracotta Warriors conservation. Chinese and French scholars delivered academic reports covering soil erosion control materials for earthen sites, multi-scale structural characterization, conservation of wooden relics, and scientific archaeology of ceramics.

These exchanges provided strong scientific support for future joint laboratory development and long-term cooperation frameworks.

Zhou also noted that during the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Chinese experts formed the only non-French national team participating in the scientific restoration project.

Isabelle Thery Parisot, a researcher from University Cote d'Azur, highlighted the scientific significance of post-fire research at Notre-Dame Cathedral.

"The fire provided a unique opportunity for us to study the construction methods of the cathedral, the provenance and origin of the wood, and the techniques used in its architecture," she said.

She added that the disastrous fire in 2019 had enabled researchers to develop new analytical approaches, including wood identification, chemical analysis, and multispectral techniques applied to timber materials.

She emphasized that the research was "extremely important,", as it allowed scholars to test multiple scientific methodologies and obtain valuable insights into historical construction techniques and material provenance.

Participants from both countries expressed confidence that the growing cooperation will continue to serve as a bridge for cultural dialogue, scientific innovation, and long-term friendship between civilizations.