At the 140th China Import and Export Fair, Chinese-style gifts have drawn strong interest form overseas buyers not only for their exquisite appearances, but also for being hands-on, take-home and reusable.
Better known as the Canton Fair, the event is being held in Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province. Its exhibition halls sprawl across more than half a million square meters, hosting around 11,000 exporters, among them over 3,600 high-quality firms showcasing more than two million products.
Quality housewares, furniture, gifts and home decor took the spotlight at the just-concluded second phase of the fair. In the gifts and premiums section, cultural heritage products and creative Chinese-style gift boxes were among the highlights.
Products woven from bamboo filaments attracted many visitors. These products were made with Daoming bamboo weaving technique from Daoming Town in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The technique is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
The craft involves more than a dozen procedures, including scraping the green layer, splitting bamboo, splitting strips into filaments and coloring, before bamboo becomes as fine as hair.
Artisan Xu Jingbo showcased at the booth how the filaments are twisted and woven into exquisite artwares and articles for daily use. Algerian buyer Mohamed Derid sat with Bai to learn about the weaving skill and learned just how challenging the technique really is.
"This experience is very amazing. It's not as easy as it looks," Derid said, comparing his own work to Bai's.
"But it's so beautiful and amazing. And it has potential. I really like it, very nice," he added.
Daoming bamboo weaving's connection with the Canton Fair dates back to its first edition. Bai's master brought woven baskets and back carriers for daily use to the fair. Now, 70 years later, Bai has brought the technique back to the fair, and most of the products showcased are sophisticated handicrafts like pendants and cup sleeves.
"My master is 93 years old this year, and he was in his 20s [when attending the first Canton Fair]. [After that,] our village collective enterprise started receiving orders from the fair. This is the second time that Daoming bamboo weaving technique has been showcased at the Canton Fair. Now we are not only selling our innovative products, but more importantly, we hope to spread Chinese bamboo culture to the world," said Bai.
The fair's second phase has also showcased many imaginative designs. A creative mooncake box can be transformed into a toy telescope after the mooncakes are eaten, while another gift box opens to become a lantern. The exhibitor of these boxes, Marshallom Metal Manufacturer, has made tin containers for years and has begun hiding Chinese-style elements in designs that remain useful after unpacking.
"When designing the gift box, we put the environmental protection concept as first priority. After customers use the product, they will not throw it away but keep it at home as a storage box. Second, we integrated Chinese-style elements into the box," said Yu Qin a representative for Marshallom.
These Chinese-style gifts are not only attractive in their appearances, but also environmentally friendly and practical. They are becoming increasingly popular in international markets.
A Brazilian buyer was so inspired by the selection that he made a short vlog discussing his experience.
"This is the store I run in southern Brazil. Most of the goods selling here are imported from China, including accessories, cosmetics, hair ornaments and toys. I visited the Canton Fair several times and also purchased in Yiwu. Chinese products are good in quality and rich in variety. They are very popular in Brazil. I plan to come to the Canton Fair again next year and bring more quality Chinese products to Brazil," said the buyer.
The 140th Canton Fair runs in three phases in Guangzhou through Nov. 4. Over nearly seven decades, it has grown into China's largest and longest-running international trade event, with the widest product range, the biggest buyer attendance and the highest transaction volume.
Chinese-style gifts win overseas buyers at Canton Fair
