Bringing local allures to the world

Recent international tourism fairs in Yiwu feature creative cultural products that blend traditional craftsmanship with modern utility and are infused with regional elements, Xu Lin reports.

A Peking Opera doll from Beijing. A qipao-shaped magnet representing Shanghai. A cloth bag printed with a giant panda cartoon hailing Chengdu. And a camel ornament symbolizing the spirit of Dunhuang.

An array of regional Chinese handicrafts captivated visitors' interest at the 14th China Yiwu Cultural Products Trade Fair and the 11th China International Tourism Commodities Fair from April 27 to 30 at the Yiwu International Expo Center. The event in Zhejiang province's Yiwu city showcased the country's integration of culture and tourism.

Nearly 1,300 exhibitors from home and abroad operated nearly 4,200 booths in the 100,000-square-meter venue. The expo hosted 10 exhibition areas with such themes as intangible cultural heritage, animation, games and creative products.

Chinese made about 150 million outbound tourist visits in 2018, a nearly 15 percent growth over the previous year. Chinese made about 5.5 billion domestic trips last year, a nearly 11 percent increase over 2017.

A growing number of attractions are creating customized cultural products that are becoming increasingly popular with Chinese travelers.