The second phase of the 140th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, closed in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday.
The number of products making their debut went up by about 15 percent from the previous edition, with a total of 178 new-product launch events held during the second phase.
About 11,000 companies took part in the five-day home goods exhibition, which featured more than 2.3 million products ranging from furniture and building materials to kitchenware and home decor.
Nearly 640,000 of the products were classified as green and low-carbon, accounting for about 28 percent of the total. More than 3,600 exhibitors were specialist and innovative firms with sophisticated technologies and unique products, or leaders in specific manufacturing segments, their number increasing by about 7.6 percent from the previous edition.
Across the fair's first two phases, they also staged nearly 20 in-person buyer-supplier matchmaking events and 22 online product sourcing sessions to help exhibitors reach global markets.
Frederic, a buyer from France, described innovation as a reason for visiting the fair.
"Chinese suppliers are getting more competitive because they invest a lot in [industry] and manufacturing. They innovate, and now they are, for me, the leading manufacturers in the world [in] many, many categories of products. We come to China for innovation and to see the trends for the coming years," Frederic said.
The fair's third and final phase, themed "Better Life", will run from Oct 31 to Nov 4, featuring toys, fashion, home textiles, stationery, and health and leisure products.
Canton Fair's home goods phase closes with product debuts up 15 pct
Thousands of people gathered in Cape Town for a weekend of colorful kites at the 32nd Cape Town International Kite Festival this October 24 and 25, as the giant shapes floating above the city carried a serious message about mental health and community support.
First organized by Cape Mental Health in 1994, the event is Africa's oldest kite festival. Organizers said it serves as a reminder that one in four people in South Africa lives with a mental health condition, with many struggling to access help.
For 32 years, kite flyers from across the globe have gathered in Cape Town to see this spectacular sight, but these shapes taking over the clouds carry more than just wind. They carry a vital message about human connection and mental health.
"So many people are battling with everyday life circumstances that we are exposed to. In South Africa, in particular, we see high crime rates, gender-based violence, poverty. These are all risk factors that impact on people's mental health. More than one billion people globally live with a mental health condition. In South Africa, it's one in four who live with a mental health condition. We're seeing an increase in prevalence, particularly amongst our young people. The Cape Town Kite Festival really provides this platform to encourage people to put up their hand and say, 'I need help,'" said Ingrid Daniels, CEO of Cape Mental Health.
The festival also raises funds for free mental health services across the Western Cape.
"Looking at something beautiful. I think [it] gives everybody hope. It's not just about the beauty. It's about the message it gives and the color of the sky. It's everybody. It's a rainbow of colors," said Frans Marais, an honorary kiter at the festival.
"Today, I am here to support the awareness around it and for people to be comfortable to talk about it, because many people, they suffer in silence. And that is where actually the problem lies," said Bernadine Chilwane, a festivalgoer.
Indeed, raising awareness is only the first step. Breaking the stigma around mental health means making it easier for people to speak up and ask for help.
"There are a lot of people in the world that hide their mental health and don't actually tell their families and get to tell their families about. There's always someone in your friend group or your family that you can actually tell what you're actually going through," said Kyra Blackenberg, a volunteer at Cape Mental Health.
Cape Town Int'l Kite Festival helps raise mental health awareness
