From left to right: Qiān Mì, pipa artist; H.E. Ms Marie-Pascale Boisson, Ambassador of Monaco to China; Le Zhang, Chinese tea culture expert; and Patrizia Güttly, representative of Monaco China International (MCI). Photo: © Vaini WEN | Monaco China International (MCI), 2026
On 21 September 2026, Monaco China International（MCI）launched MCI TeaTalk in Monaco, celebrating the spirit of the Mid-Autumn Festival through Chinese tea culture and traditional music. Held in the presence of H.E. Ms Marie-Pascale Boisson, Ambassador of Monaco to China, the inaugural gathering established a new platform for dialogue and collaboration between Monaco’s international community and the Sinophone world.
In Chinese culture, the circle is far more than a shape. It speaks of wholeness, harmony, and the joy of coming together — 团圆 (Tuán yuán).
It was around this idea that the inaugural edition of MCI TeaTalk – 摩中国际茶谈 took shape.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, just days before the 77th Chinese National Day, this first edition celebrated above all what brings us together: culture, sharing, and human connection.
Within the intimate, circular setting of the Talaria Business Center in Monaco, beneath the same moon, guests from ten cultural backgrounds — Monaco, China, Spain, Japan, Serbia, France, Italy, Colombia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom — and from different cultures and walks of life gathered around one shared bond: the friendship between Monaco and China.
Guests from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds sharing a Chinese tea-tasting experience at the inaugural MCI TeaTalk in Monaco. From left to right: Nicolas GRINDA, founder of Atelier Grinda; Léopold DUBOIS (The Wolf’s Club Monaco); Léa RENAULT (Accademia Fine Art); and Dijana JOSIFOVIC, entrepreneur and fashion influencer. Photo: © Vaini WEN | Monaco China International (MCI), 2026
A Journey Through Millennia of Tea Heritage
MCI had the honour of welcoming H.E. Ms Marie-Pascale Boisson, Ambassador of Monaco to China, who opened our first gathering by tracing the ancient origins of tea through stories that were, at times, unfamiliar even to some of our Chinese guests.
From nearly four millennia of history to the cup shared that evening in Monaco, tea became the first thread running through our encounter.
The Art of Tea, the Poetry of Music
Around a single pot of tea, our guests shared a precious 1988-vintage Longjing. Through the precise and delicate gestures of the tea ritual, Madame Le ZHANG revealed its terroir, character, and subtleties.
Madame Le ZHANG, Chinese tea culture expert, demonstrating the art of traditional Chinese tea preparation during the inaugural MCI TeaTalk in Monaco. Photo: © Monaco China International (MCI), 2026.
Then, beneath the fingertips of pipa artist Qiān Mì, the strings of the pipa began to resonate with Moonlight over the Spring River.
Mooncake tasting, a shared pot of tea, a few gestures, a few notes: amid the fragrance of tea, the resonance of the pipa, and the glow of the moon, time seemed to stand still. Carried gently along the water by Moonlight over the Spring River, we journeyed through time and space — from the shores of an ancient China to the Monaco of today.
Pipa artist Qiān Mì performing Moonlight over the Spring River (《春江花月夜》) during the inaugural MCI TeaTalk in Monaco.
Photo: © Monaco China International (MCI), 2026.
From Dialogue to Lasting Connections
Beyond this first cultural encounter, MCI TeaTalk is conceived as an intimate platform for meaningful dialogue, bringing together Monaco’s international community and the Sinophone world.
Through future editions exploring themes ranging from culture, the arts and gastronomy to health and well-being, emerging technologies and sustainability, MCI hopes to nurture lasting relationships and open new possibilities for collaboration — allowing conversations begun over tea to grow into meaningful connections well beyond the gathering itself.
For one evening, languages, cultures, and paths crossed, drawing a new circle of their own.
Beneath the same moon, distances fade and worlds draw closer.
One Tea · One Talk · One Encounter