Two French photographers focus on farmers, the paysans or peasants, in rural China and Bretagne, France, in an exhibit at Alliance Francaise - one of a series of French cultural events, writes Nora Li.For a long time, the understanding of France has barely gone beyond the topics of fashion, art, food and the romanticism of its people.When it comes to China, however, splendid history and heritage are always the talking points.Between China and France, too much has been said regarding culture and history - two of the countries' greatest treasures that boost their significance and worldwide influence.However, starting Monday, a photo exhibit "Paysans Chinois/Paysans Bretons" ("Chinese Farmers/French Farmers") by independent French photographers Angelique and Guy Bescond looks at the two countries through their farmers.They have focused particularly on farmers in rural China and Bretagne in northeast France "to remind urbanites of the importance of farming and how much this group of people have contributed to the prosperity and stability of urban life."The exhibition is organized by Alliance Francaise, one of the biggest French-language training centers in Shanghai. The purpose, say the organizers, is "first and foremost to pay homage to the worldwide farmers' struggle for their civilian dignity and equality."For people who are born and grow up in big cities, their knowledge of farming and their impression of farmers have been strongly influenced by media and stereotypes, says Guy Bescond."Very few of us have ever spent time getting to know this large group of people, and how our own lives have closely been related to what these people have been doing and suffering in every single day," he says.With the largest population in the world, China is feeding one-fourth of the world's population with only one-tenth of the world's cultivated land. After World War II, Bretagne was considered a backward rural area whose slow speed of urbanization and modernization left it far behind the rest of France.After an agricultural revolution, which lasted for more than half a century in Bretagne, the region today has turned out to be one of the most productive agricultural areas in France. However, the same problems faced by Chinese agriculture today are also troubling the farmers in Bretagne. Lack of water, arable land and energy, diminishing species variety and worsening environmental pollution are degrading lives and livelihoods.Given this situation, farmers in both countries should receive more attention and respect, say the photographers.Angelique and Guy Bescond have worked in Africa, Asia and Europe and lived alongside farmers in poverty-stricken places.In addition to the photo exhibition, other events at Alliance Francaise will promote French culture. The film society Grand Ecran screens a French film with Chinese subtitles and a Chinese or English film on the second Friday of every month.French pianist Katia Krivokochenko will stage a solo "Autour de la Danse" on January 20; "L'heure du Petit Prince," a book-reading event, features books imported from France; "Stoicism and Epicureanism," a seminar by French philosophy professor Paul Vincent Fontaine, is held monthly.