Chinese writer Bi Feiyu (left) and his grandma. [Photo/Official Sina Weibo of Bi Feiyu]

The French Ministry of Culture awarded the Order of Arts and Letters to a Chinese writer, Bi Feiyu, at the General Consulate of France in Shanghai on Aug 21.

The order is in recognition of significant contributions to the arts and literature, or the propagation of these fields.

Bi Feiyu was born in 1964 in Xinghua, Jiangsu province.

Consul-general of France Axel Cruau said, in his award presentation speech, Bi Feiyu maintained a close tie with France. In 2003, Bi's novel Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day was introduced and published by Actes Sud of France, which marked the beginning of popularity for Bi's work in France, where he has since published seven works.

In 2004, Bi attended the Paris Book Fair and was rated as "the most popular Chinese writer among French readers".

In 2010, Bi's French-language Planitia then won the Literature Prize of Le Monde.

Moreover, Bi has been active in promoting Sino-French literature exchanges in China. He held multiple activities to share his understandings in literature and French literature's impacts on himself with Chinese and foreign readers.