Shanxi's heritage, industries showcased to global visitors at CIIE

BEIJING, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report from China Daily: Shanxi province has used the seventh China International Import Expo, running from Nov 5 to 10 in Shanghai, as a platform to promote its high-level opening-up, share global resources and showcase its new development patterns.

This year's CIIE, featuring the participation of attendees from 152 countries, regions and international organizations, is seen as a prime showcase to display Shanxi's cultural and tourism resources, latest industrial developments and trade and investment opportunities.

More than 7,000 representatives from Shanxi's 2,140 enterprises attended this year's CIIE. They mainly represented businesses engaged in the fields of foreign trade, retail, manufacturing, culture and tourism.

A highlight of Shanxi's attendance this time is that there were many exhibits representing Shanxi's cultural heritage, tourism projects, and time-honored brands with deep roots in history and culture.

The Shanxi pavilion was among the most attractive provincial exhibition zones at the CIIE as it featured immerse and interactive experiences. The pavilion displayed Shanxi's natural landscapes, history, culture and life, as well as achievements in industries and technologies.

The most impressive part of the pavilion was an interactive zone called "Travel Shanxi with Wukong", showcasing Shanxi's cultural and tourism resources using the hit video game Black Myth: Wukong.

The art design of the game took inspiration from ancient Chinese architecture and other cultural elements. Of the 36 cultural sites featured in the game, 27 are in Shanxi.

Following the game's launch, the Shanxi Culture and Tourism Department began a massive promotional campaign called Travel Shanxi with Wukong. This time, the seventh CIIE has become a stage for promoting this campaign.

In addition to tourism sites relating to the game, Shanxi's landmark attractions like the Yellow River, the Great Wall and the Taihang Mountains, were showcased on a big display screen at the Shanxi pavilion.

Shanxi's companies also exhibited products with distinctive local cultural characteristics of Shanxi, proved another big draw to visitors.

On display were a great number of products made using centuries-old, traditional techniques, with some on the national and local lists of intangible heritage items, showing how the traditional assets are well preserved and still alive in people's daily life.

For instance, Lu'anfu Silk Group, based in Jincheng, took part in the CIIE for the first time. It showcased the lu silk products made with both traditional and modern techniques. Lu silk is a local silk variety developed in the Shanxi city of Changzhi and neighboring areas like Jincheng.

With a production history of many centuries, the lu silk industry reached its peak of prosperity in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The ancient technique for making lu silk is still alive to this day and was included on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2014.

A range of Shanxi's local farm produce was also exhibited, attracting great interest from visitors.

One example was the millet from Qinzhou. The yellow millet variety, produced by a local company under the brand name of Qinzhou Yellow, drew attention from both domestic visitors and overseas buyers.

Qinzhou is a major producer of yellow millet in Shanxi and is known throughout the country for the high quality of its products. Qinzhou Yellow is a famed millet brand with a local geographic indication, according to Wang Zhen, branding manager at Qinzhou Yellow Millet Group.

Shanxi's companies also exhibited a great variety of high-tech products developed and positioned to improve people's quality of life.

Among the prominent exhibits in this field were the recombined human-origin collagen products made by Jinbo Biopharmaceutical based in Taiyuan.

Recombined human-origin collagen is a crucial product for post-surgery recovery because of its performance in helping in hemostasis and wound healing.

In addition to exhibiting products, the CIIE has also offered a platform for networking for Shanxi's businesses and their counterparts from around the world, as well as a platform to promote local business and investment opportunities.

On Nov 4, on the eve of the seventh CIIE, a promotional fair called the Shanxi Chambers of Commerce Festival was held in Shanghai. Representatives from eleven Shanxi chambers of commerce in Shanghai, as well as similar chambers in Sichuan, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, attended the festival.

Promoting the business opportunities in Shanxi's tourism industry was a highlight of this festival. Shanxi's officials introduced the province's major investment projects in this sector.

On Nov 6, a roadshow and promotional event for Shanxi's next-generation information technology and artificial intelligence industries were held in Shanghai during the CIIE. A total of 150 representatives from Shanxi and Shanghai attended the events.

During the events, businesses on both sides signed agreements on investing in seven projects. The agreed total investment amounted to 1.93 billion yuan.