The Silk Road Carnival, an important part of the ongoing 10th Silk Road International Arts Festival, concluded on Friday in Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi in northwest China, and a starting point of the ancient trade route.
The five-day carnival that started on October 21 gathered artists from different countries and offered a visual feast with the charm of art and diverse cultures of the countries along the Silk Road. The performances of traditional dances and modern music, folk music instruments and symphonies highlighted the carnival's closing ceremony on Friday, displaying the diversity and inclusiveness of the Silk Road culture.
"It's an important event, as it promotes artistic and cultural exchanges between different countries," said Valle, a Spanish dancer.
For Zhang Zhaoyu, a Qinqiang Opera performer, the art event also provided opportunities for overseas artists and audience to understand more about the local Chinese opera.
"This is an encounter between Chinese and Western culture. Westerners are passionate and hot on stage, while our Oriental culture is characterized with subdued elegance, like what our Chinese traditional operas display. Our traditional operas demonstrate a kind of Oriental beauty. We just took advantage of such a platform [of the festival] to present the culture of Qinqiang Opera of Shaanxi to Western guests and artists, so that they could see how extensive and profound our Chinese art is," said Zhang.
First held back in 2014, this year's Silk Road International Arts Festival, sponsored by the provincial government of Shaanxi, will run until November 10.
The event has attracted artists from 15 countries and regions, while a total of 63 performances are scheduled alongside a series of activities including multiple shows and exhibitions, according to organizers.
Silk Road Carnival concludes in Xi'an
Innovative household products featuring multifunctionality and cultural designs have helped exhibitors to enhance international competitiveness at the ongoing 139th China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, in Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province.
A building material that can be used not only for wall decoration, but also as a screen after being charged with electricity, is shining at the building and furniture exhibition area of the event's second phase, running from April 23 to 27 under the theme of "Quality Home Life."
"It enables our building material to become smarter and more flexible. At present, the product has entered European and the U.S. markets for sale, and has been well received in the markets," said exhibitor Feng Liangcheng, general manager of international business at Phomi Holding, developer of the building material.
Many exhibitors have shown household products that integrate traditional Chinese aesthetics and modern industrial designs, such as a set of vase-shaped multifunctional tableware inspired by ancient China's Dunhuang culture.
"It's very impressive. It's something new and very interesting, innovative in some points while matching the cultural meaning of those products throughout the China history. That's what gets me the most, I guess," said Edoardo Orlandini, an Italian buyer.
The event also features an upgraded trade service area where 86 domestic design institutions are providing services for overseas purchasers and exhibitors, including not only industrial design, interior design and brand consulting services, but also new services like fashion design, artificial intelligence design and intangible cultural heritage design. It aims to create a platform where designers and manufacturers get in touch and closely cooperate.
The 139th Canton Fair, which opened on April 15, consists of three phases. The first phase, which concluded on April 19, was themed "advanced manufacturing," while the third phase, which will take place from May 1 to 5, will focus on "Better Life."
Innovative household products enhance exhibitors' international competitiveness at Canton Fair
