The Belt and Road Initiative Imported Commodities Zone (photographed by Su Hui)

Cute and Lovely Folk Crafts (photographed by Su Hui)

Tourists are taking pictures of pottery artworks (photographed  by Zhang Chaofeng)

"I also want to visit the special expo" (photographed by Su Hui)

The disinfection robots produced by Sanmenxia shuttled back and forth throughout the exhibition hall (photographed by Hu Xiaoping)

On the morning of May 20th , the 8th China Specialty Commodities Fair (hereinafter referred to as "Special Expo") kicked off at the Exhibition Center of Sanmenxia International Cultural Expo City . Compared with previous fairs, 2021 cultural industry brand zone has become a bright spot.

The cultural industry brand zone has appeared in the Special Expo for the second time, its planned exhibition area is 1,200 square meters and 66 booths are set up. 47 outstanding cultural enterprises from Yuncheng , Linfen , Shanxi Province, Weinan , Shaanxi Province and other places as well as Sanmenxia participated in the exhibition. It is understood that many nonlocal companies are participating in the Special Expo for the first time, such as the Zisha Art Research Institute from Yixing , the Yellow River Cloud Carving Craft Factory in Xinjiang County, Yuncheng, Shanxi, as well as local companies in Sanmenxia, including Sanmenxia Cultural Tourism Group and Li Zhumei Paper-cut Art Museum,etc..

As newcomers, many nonlocal companies have already been deeply impressed by Sanmenxia.

Gao Jun from Yixing Zisha Art Research Institute said: "This is our first time to exhibit at the special expo. We feel so excited to hear that Sanmenxia is on the bank of the Yellow River. This time we not only exhibit our products , but also sign a contract with the Sanmenxia Folk Artists Association." On May 19th , the Sanmenxia Folk Artists Association and the Yixing Folk Artists Association reached a strategic cooperation agreement, which will greatly promote cultural communication and exchanges between Sanmenxia and Yixing.

In addition to companies from other places, many well-known local cultural products also appeared at the exhibition, such as Shaanzhou Chengni Inkstone, Lushi Forsythia tea, pyrograph gourd art, root carving art, etc. There are also some companies specializing in cultural and creative products, such as Sanmenxia Cultural Tourism Group, Henan Hongyan Cultural Communication Co., Ltd., etc. In addition, many inheritors of intangible cultural heritage also came to the scene, such as Zhu Xiuyun, inheritor of paper-cutting and thumping grass printing, and Wang Yueze, inheritor of Chengni inkstone.

2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of CPC. Many craftsmen and representatives of exhibitors have blessed the motherland in their own ways. In Zhu Xiuyun's thumping grass print works, a special pattern is very eye-catching. She introduced: "The numbers 1921-2021 above the works are to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of CPC, and the pattern is modeled after the red boat in Nanhu, Jiaxing, Zhejiang." The head of Henan Yangshao Technology Development Co., Ltd. said: "2021 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of CPC and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Yangshao culture. We want to promote Yangshao culture to the world, let more people understand our hometown culture, and let Yangshao culture go abroad and even go to the world. "

"When I came to the Special Expo this time, I felt that this session was much better than the last one. Yuncheng also invested a lot of manpower and material resources to organize more than ten companies to participate in the exhibition." Wang Hongbo, Secretary of the Party Group and Director of Yuncheng Commerce Bureau, said. He also said that Sanmenxia enjoyed beautiful  scenery and has a long history. Yuncheng separated by the Yellow River, is similar to Sanmenxia culture. In the future, the two places will communicate more and strengthen their cooperation.