“××× was here,” “×××, I love you”… Seeing such graffiti at tourist attractions can be truly annoying. In France, visitors often come across street art on abandoned walls, but rarely find vandalism on cultural relics or historic sites. As a culturally rich and popular tourist destination, how does France prevent and address this persistent issue?
To find out, reporters interviewed several Chinese people who have lived in France for many years. According to them, French parents are very strict with their children’s upbringing, instilling in them from an early age the importance of protecting public property and cultural heritage. No matter how young, children who make noise, act up, or deface public spaces in public places are sternly reprimanded by their parents, and may even be asked to apologize publicly. As a result, most French people develop a habit of preserving cultural relics and historic sites from childhood, understanding that vandalism causes trouble for both themselves and others.
The average income level in France is relatively high, and people enjoy plenty of vacation time, giving them more opportunities to travel. The French don’t see traveling as a rare opportunity, so they naturally don’t feel the need to carve “I was here” to commemorate a place they’ve visited. As for those mischievous tourists who deface either cultural relics or urban buildings, once caught, they face varying degrees of punishment. For causing serious damage, fines can go as high as tens of thousands of euros, and even imprisonment is possible.
Several French friends told reporters that from a young age, they visited many museums accompanied by teachers and parents. Most of these museums offer free or discounted admission specifically to help children understand the value of historical and cultural heritage from an early age, thereby fostering better preservation and protection. As they grow older, they also come to legally understand that defacing cultural relics and historic sites has serious consequences and is absolutely unacceptable.
In addition to educating and supervising citizens and tourists, some French cities and attractions also use new technologies and materials to prevent vandalism. The city government of Marseille, for instance, has applied anti-graffiti coatings to some buildings. Walls treated with these coatings are virtually “graffiti-proof,” as most paints fail to leave any marks on them.