When Chinese people talk about France, they often think of art, fashion and romance. An exhibition of works by French impressionist Claude Monet is all the rage in Shanghai at the moment. And in France, people are showing an increasing interest in Chinese art works.

Curators at the century-old Decorative Arts Museum will use the year to show off their collections about China. The 240 pieces range from opera costumes to porcelain. Many of them are on public display for the first time in this show "From China to Decorative Arts". Curators say the museum got the exhibits through acquisitions and donations from collectors.

"We mostly dedicate our interest on design, but European or international design, and slowly we started to forget sometime about those oriental or Far East collections. I like very much Chinese art, I must say, for all the inspiration they gave to many other countries, for example, Japan or France," said Beatrice Quette, exhibition curator at the Museum of Decorative Arts.

Quette says Chinese art forms had a significant impact on European arts and even enabled European artists and collectors to renew their decorative repertoires. For example, a selection of ceramic jars, vases and pots evoked the period when they were imported to Europe and when the West still had not discovered the secret of making porcelain.

Several Chinese art exhibitions have been held this year to mark the 50th Anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. They include both antiques and modern works.

Not far from the Louvre complex in this heritage palace building from the 1900 World Expo, Chinese art works were a highlight of this year's Art Fair in Paris. A group of Chinese artists displayed their modern works for French and international art lovers.

"I've been visiting some exhibitions in Beijing and I really know that the extreme varieties and richness of the China artists. But I think, yes, for the first time in this beautiful monument of Paris, we have many examples of this creativity and energy," said visitor Michel Chartron.

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