Champs-Elysées - the legendary avenue of the Parisian capital.

The fashionable beauty of the Champs-Elysées is well-known, but few know that before becoming a bustling avenue attracting countless tourists, this area was once just a swamp, a field of wheat and oats, and even a grazing ground for livestock.

from the pristine beauty of the countryside

In 1667, at the suggestion of King Louis XIV, the then French Minister of Finance, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, commissioned the construction of a road connecting the Tuileries Palace to other royal residences, exclusively for royal strolls. Initially, this road was called the "Grande allée de Roule" (Grande allée de Roule). In 1680, it was renamed the "Tuileries Palace Avenue".

The name Champs-Elysées first appeared in 1694, but it wasn't officially adopted until 1709. In ancient Greek mythology, "Champs-Elysées" means paradise, the resting place of heroes and virtuous people in the afterlife. However, the word "champs" in French means field, also recalling the area's ancient origins as a wheat and oat field.

During the French Bourgeois Revolution (1789-1799), the Champs-Elysées avenue and Concorde Square were once the site of the guillotine used to execute King Louis XVI, Queen Marie-Antoinette (1793), and many other famous figures.

In the early 19th century, the Champs-Elysées retained its original, tree-lined appearance, nestled peacefully in the countryside. It wasn't until 1806 that the Champs-Elysées began to change significantly when Emperor Napoleon I commissioned the construction of the Arc de Triomphe in Place de l'Etoile, now Charles de Gaulle Square, to honor the victories of the French army.

to the Icon of the City of Lights

In the 1820s and 1830s, the Champs-Elysées began to become one of the most elegant and sophisticated places to stroll in Paris. Cafés, restaurants, milk-based drink shops, ball courts, and other establishments sprang up along both sides of the avenue. The modern appearance of the Champs-Elysées is thanks to the planning of architect Hittorff in the years 1836-1840.

In the latter half of the 19th century, along with economic development, many luxury hotels, banks, high-end fashion boutiques, and theaters opened, transforming the Champs-Elysées into a fashionable center for the Parisian aristocracy.

After more than 300 years of existence and development, the Champs-Elysées is now recognized as the most beautiful avenue in the world, one of Paris's tourism and fashion icons. With the number of visitors constantly increasing, in 2016, the Paris City Council decided that this most famous avenue on the planet would be reserved for pedestrians on the first Sunday of every month.

The more than 2-kilometer-long avenue is also the venue for many important cultural, sporting, social, and political events and festivals in France in general and Paris in particular. The year-end festive season is marked by the Champs-Elysées with one of the largest Christmas markets in France, featuring hundreds of stalls selling souvenirs, gifts, and specialties from various regions of France. And on the night of December 31st, millions of people flock to the world's most magnificent avenue to watch fireworks and welcome the new year. The Champs-Elysées also attracts many domestic and international shoppers thanks to its luxurious and high-class stores and boutiques of fashion, jewelry, watches, and cosmetics brands.

That's why the French have a famous song: "In the sun or in the rain, at noon or at midnight, whatever you want, you can find it on the Champs-Elysées."

My Tong