With the debut of a dedicated APEC exhibition zone, the 22nd China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair opened on Thursday, serving as a premier showcase for the nation's cultural and technology trends while fostering global ties.
Spanning 160,000 square meters, the event — China's largest cultural expo — has drawn more than 6,300 exhibitors across 65 countries and regions. Running until Monday, this year's fair spotlights innovative retail models, tech-driven products and the rich cultural and tourism resources of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies, offering a preview as Shenzhen prepares to host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in mid-November.
At the APEC exhibition zone, coffee from Vietnam, Thailand's creative cultural products, Malaysian handicrafts, snack foods produced by South Korean companies, wine from Chile, Peru's alpaca products and Canada's tourism offerings have attracted visitors, transforming the exhibition zone into an area for cultural exchange and cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region.
Viann Ye, administrative executive of the MayCham China Guangdong office, said this is the first time the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce has participated in a culture-themed exhibition. Instead of selling products, she hopes to enhance public recognition of Malaysia through the fair, and thereby attract more travelers to the country.
Ye told China Daily that the chamber would like to participate in the November APEC meeting in Shenzhen if there are themes of mutual interest, and hopes to find more opportunities for Malaysian products to go global.
"The exhibition's scale and diversity have amazed me," said Hartanto W. Tanto, an Indonesian exhibitor who attended the event at the invitation of the Indonesian consulate general in Guangzhou.
He brought specialty products to the event, including batik silk scarves and sambal sauce, and received inquiries from buyers within the first hour of the opening.
He owns six restaurants in Xiamen and Fuzhou in Fujian province, and said Chinese consumers have a high level of enthusiasm for Indonesian cuisine.
Given that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a region he has hoped to tap into, he said the fair is providing him with the opportunity to better understand the Shenzhen market.
Under the theme "Unboxing Hong Kong", the Hong Kong Pavilion at this year's cultural fair is displaying more than 100 exhibits to showcase Hong Kong's design capabilities.
A pop-up store has been opened for the first time in the pavilion, making Hong Kong cultural and creative products available for on-site purchase.
During the exhibition, the Hong Kong Pavilion will also host multiple cultural activities, including a lecture on the transformation of neon lights and mahjong craftsmanship, as well as a seminar exploring the use of emotional language in design.
The Macao Pavilion features enterprises from the Macao SAR's film production, advertising, large-event organization and technology sectors.
This year's cultural fair has also set up three major exhibition areas showcasing AI technology products.
Duan Chao, senior marketing manager at DexForce Technology Co, an enterprise specializing in embodied intelligence technology, said several cultural and tourism government departments and overseas chambers of commerce had visited his booth and shown strong interest in the company's products.
Copyright ? Foreign Affairs Office, People's Government of Guangdong Province. All rights reserved.
