China’s state-run Global Times on Monday tried to take credit for the restoration of Notre Dame by stressing that China was “the first country to reach an intergovernmental agreement with France for the cathedral’s restoration.”
As luck would have it, China has a mausoleum that is allegedly just like Notre Dame, sort of, so highly experienced Chinese experts were able to ride to France’s rescue:
In February of this year, specialists from the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum in China’s Shaanxi Province went to Paris to assist with the conservation and restoration of Notre-Dame. China and France have jointly initiated scientific research on the preservation of wooden relics and earthen sites from both Notre-Dame and the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang. This marks the first international study of charred wood samples from Notre-Dame, with the Chinese team being the first non-French professionals to ascend the cathedral’s spire.
The Global Times testily dismissed skepticism from those who might argue that the Mausoleum of Qinshihuang is not very similar to the famed French cathedral.
“When viewed from the perspective of civilization, their commonalities begin to emerge: Both are symbols of ancient civilizations, both have suffered from fires, and both face complex preservation challenges, among other similarities,” the Chinese Communist paper huffed.
The mausoleum in question is certainly a site of enormous historical importance. It is the tomb of the first Qin emperor of unified China, who was buried along with his Terracotta Army – a famous collection of statues of his warriors, each painstakingly sculpted to be different, all of them arranged inside a scale model of Emperor Qinshihuang’s capital city. The gigantic tomb was not discovered until 1974, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Direct parallels between the site and Notre Dame, which was damaged by a still-mysterious fire in 2019 and reopened for its first new Mass on Saturday, are not easily drawn. France was pleased to welcome assistance from experts around the world – the project involved thousands of artisans and engineers, who meticulously restored every inch of the fantastically ornate building.
The Global Times rhapsodized about the spiritual relationship between China and France at remarkable length, at one point listing the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic as one of the recent events that brought the two peoples closer together, which is a bit like congratulating the iceberg for helping the crew of the Titanic get closer to nature.
The authors also mentioned “the stalemate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict” as a reason for Beijing and Paris to grow closer – another odd choice, since France has wholeheartedly denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion, while China has stubbornly refused to follow suit. French President Emmanuel Macron has tried to improve relations with China, but the war in Ukraine often becomes an awkward stumbling block during his discussions with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping.
The Global Times concluded by praising Notre Dame’s restoration as an example of the global harmony and cooperation China supposedly desires:
The rebirth of Notre-Dame is not only the result of France’s own efforts but also a product of international collaboration. In today’s world, humanity lives in a diverse environment composed of various cultures, races, skin colors, religions, and social systems, forming a community of shared destiny. To break down the barriers and prejudices between civilizations and to avoid conflicts and confrontations, it is essential to promote mutual respect and harmonious coexistence among different civilizations
Chinese media have been playing up China’s role in restoring Notre Dame since last summer, to a much greater degree than French or international media. As the Global Times indicated, Chinese experts consulted with their French counterparts on the best techniques for preserving and restoring fire-damaged wood.
