Pascal Buffin, Belgian Consul General in Shanghai interacts with participants during the session on March 22, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Belgium in Shanghai

The Consulate General of the Kingdom of Belgium in Shanghai hosted an event on March 22 to mark the release of the colorized version of The Blue Lotus in the Adventures of Tintin album.  

The event was hosted by Pascal Buffin, Belgian Consul General in Shanghai and Philippe Wang of Tintinimaginatio in China and the Tintin Shop in Shanghai. This is also part of the 29th Mois de la francophonie, the March event series celebrating the richness and diversity of the French language.

The Consulate General invited readers to collectively discover this new version of The Blue Lotus in an original approach that consists of a radio serial, which incorporates the voices of the actors of the Comédie Française with the music and sound design of the Orchestre National de France (French National Orchestra) and the colorized visuals of Hergé's work. It is a feature film that immersed the audience in the album as if they were reading it.

The exceptional session - the first in China - was displayed by a presentation of Hergé's work, showcasing its artistic importance and his exceptional graphic talent. For better interaction with the audience, a quiz offered participants a chance to win colorized albums of the adventures of The Blue Lotus. 

The Adventures of Tintin, a series of 24 comic albums created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé, is one of the most popular European comics in the 20th century. These adventures were originally published in black and white in the 1930s. The Blue Lotus is considered Hergé's first masterpiece in both storytelling and graphic design.