Zhang Yu, Chen Yuying

JeniZhang13@163.com

THE “New China Chic, New Creativity, New Consumption” cultural exhibition, featuring over 500 exhibitors and more than 1,000 exhibits, was held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District, offering visitors a three-day cultural and creativity feast from Friday to yesterday.

The exhibition was divided into four themed exhibition areas: Wind, Flower, Snow and Moon, displaying cultural and creative products, the integration of culture into daily life, cultural tourism and cultural sports, and intangible cultural heritage, respectively.

The dazzling array of cultural and creative products, as well as many masters’ artistic masterpieces, enthralled visitors from home and abroad.

“The exhibition halls offer lively cultural scenes. It is a large exhibition, enabling visitors to get a glimpse of authentic works of calligraphy and painting masters such as Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong,” a citizen surnamed Xiong said.

Guochao, a consumer trend translated as “China chic,” has swept through the nation’s younger generations in recent years. Aside from the cultural and creative products, a growing number of domestic companies have grasped the business opportunity brought by guochao to win a bigger market share and more customers.

According to Xiong, guochao has broad business prospects in Shenzhen, a city where young people gather. “I hope that more of such exhibitions will be held, as they promote the cultural industry while spreading traditional culture.”

“I think it’s beautiful. I think Chinese culture, especially stuff like paintings and sculptures, are amazing. So, it’s a great opportunity for me to get to know more about Chinese culture,” Zach, a tourist from the U.S., told Shenzhen Daily on Friday.

The 2023 Bay Area New China-Chic Art Exhibition at the cultural exhibition also attracted many visitors. This exhibition provided a vibrant platform for artists to display their creative expressions.

For instance, in an artwork titled “The Four Great Talents,” artist Huang Haijun drew inspiration from the four Chinese historical figures, including Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty, Su Shi of the Song Dynasty, as well as Tang Yin and Wen Zhengming of the Ming Dynasty.

“The universal philosophy of ‘addition, subtraction, multiplication and division’ holds worldwide significance, as Huang seeks to convey the fundamental essence of Chinese arithmetic values to a broader audience in his works. Moreover, it serves as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures,” Gao Chunyu, one of the exhibition’s curators, told Shenzhen Daily.