"Culture is enriched in exchanges and mutual learning," said Zhou Jiangyong, Hangzhou's municipal committee secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and member of the standing committee of Zhejiang provincial CPC committee. "Hangzhou has a long and profound history and a holy place that demonstrates the 5,000-plus years' history of Chinese civilization. We will use cultural creativity to tell the stories of Hangzhou, Zhejiang and China, and strengthen cultural exchanges, mutual learning and cooperation with other countries to further enhance Hangzhou's international competitiveness and influence."
Held for 13 years since 2007, the expo has not only witnessed the changes and development of China's cultural industry, but also increasingly become a link of cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
The five-day event attracted more than 400 foreign exhibitors from 53 countries and regions. Over 2000 cultural enterprises and organizations from all over the world displayed their products and services in eight exhibition areas. The common pursuit of creativity for a better life in different cultural backgrounds around the world was demonstrated via this international platform.
The expo has attracted more than 286,000 people to participate in exhibitions and other activities, and the total amount of on-site transactions and signed projects reached 16.75 billion yuan (of which the project financing exceeded 15 billion yuan), a record high in performance.
In the main exhibition area, cultural works from Italy, Britain, Switzerland and other countries are on display, featuring fashion, design, manufacturing, culture and food elements. The theme exhibition area of Hangzhou is of oriental zen style, with more than 30 Chinese national arts and crafts masters and old artists exhibiting their works of the highest contemporary industrial level. The curtains and shadows create an atmosphere of flowing clouds and running water, evoking a poetic scenario. Every piece of these delicate works demonstrates the peak level of Chinese aesthetics.
It is worth mentioning that the expo set up the British national theme exhibition area for the first time last year, attracting more than 130 well-known British cultural enterprises and institutions to display nearly 1,000 pieces of local cultural and creative products. The expo continued to hold the national theme day section this year, inviting Italy as the guest of honour and launching a series of related cultural exhibitions and exchange activities.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, gondolas of Venice, and even the balconies of Romeo and Juliet are recreated in an immersive block arrangement. Tuscan craftsmanship, Milan fashion, Rome history, Verona story fill the exhibition area of 1,000-plus square meters, with fresh cultural products from over 60 brands from the Apennines Peninsula presenting the romantic Mediterranean style. CLAMORI's third-generation successor Lella Amato may pick the best "grandma bag" for you.
Italy's Verona is no stranger to most Hangzhou people, as Verona, the West Lake, the Grand Canal and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu Ancient City were listed on the World Cultural Heritage List successively. The two historic cities are bonded by cultural heritage.
The friendly exchanges between China and Italy in commodities, trade, art and culture could be traced back to 2000 years ago, Ludovica Murazzani, commercial consul of the Italian Consulate General in Shanghai, said at the opening ceremony.
As a guest of honor, Italy will show its Hangzhou friends Italian culture and lifestyle in an all-round manner. The year of 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Italy diplomatic relations and the year of traditional Chinese medicine culture and tourism. Italy will follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo to deepen bilateral cultural and creative exchanges and cooperation to inspire infinite possibilities, she said.
Preliminary statistics showed that the added value of the cultural industry in Hangzhou reached 180.9 billion yuan in 2018, and Hangzhou has risen to the country's top club in terms of the scale and contribution of the sector. Hangzhou will further develop its cultural industry, and the expo is expected to provide important support for Hangzhou to build an international cultural and creative center to highlight the fresh charm of this famous historical and cultural city.
As a famous historical and cultural city in China and depicted as "the finest and most splendid city in the world" by Marco Polo, Hangzhou has been the source of inspiration for the most outstanding Chinese artists, writers and poets for over one thousand of years. Nowadays, the innovative and digital-driven cultural industry enables Hangzhou to continue its cultural exchanges with the world and tell wonderful oriental stories with cultural.
Source: The Publicity Department of Hangzhou Municipal Government
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