Shanxi cultural event embraces new tech, extends influence

The 6th Shanxi Cultural Industries Fair concludes on Oct 23 in Taiyuan. [Photo/Shanxi Economic Daily] 

The 6th Shanxi Cultural Industries Fair concluded its five-day run on Oct 23 in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province. 

This year's expo highlighted the exhibition and promotion of outstanding achievements in the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture.

Influential intangible cultural heritage products and techniques from Shanxi, such as polished lacquerware, Chengni inkstones, and bronze ware were highly sought after by visitors. 

New technologies in the cultural field were also presented. The comprehensive reform exhibition area adopted cutting-edge motion capture equipment in the form of PN Studio, bringing Shanxi's first hyper-realistic virtual person into play. Meanwhile, the exhibition area of the Shanxi Bureau of Cultural Relics used virtual reality (VR) and digital exhibition methods, creating a multi-dimensional display space. 

The cultural creativity sector attracted many new fans. The mascot of the fair, Jinxiaoyou, inspired from Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) bronzeware, became the most popular IP, receiving enthusiastic praise from attendees. 

The fair fully utilized its platform role in industry exchange, project cooperation, and investment promotion, attracting widespread attention and participation from cultural industries both inside and outside Shanxi province. 

During the fair, 461 cultural activities were held. Hundreds of varieties of special snacks, branded fast food, and high-end dining options satisfied the dining needs of nearly 200,000 visitors. The VR exhibition hall provided convenience for online fair viewing. 

The fair introduced 270 cultural industry projects with a total investment of 124.24 billion yuan ($17.01 billion). The total transaction volume and online sales during the event exceeded 200 million yuan.

Over the five days, a total of 273,000 visitors attended the expo. More than 150 media outlets, as well as new media platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and Toutiao, provided comprehensive coverage of the fair. Topics related to the event reached an online view count of 220 million, further expanding its social influence.