Wang Jingli

wangjingli0715@163.com

VISITORS to the 20th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF), which is set to open tomorrow, will encounter a “frozen fantasy” at the pavilion of Bao’an District.

The pavilion’s standout feature will be the immersive experience zone where visitors will be able to ski on a 19-meter-long ski slope. Architectural scale models of  Shenzhen Huafa Snow World, an indoor ski resort currently under construction, will also be on display. Upon completion in 2025, the 100,000-square-meter facility, which is equivalent to the size of 11 soccer fields, will become the world’s largest ice and snow center at the lowest altitude.

The Bao’an pavilion is poised to captivate the audience, showcasing 244 cultural and creative products from 27 local firms.

The exhibition area, situated in Hall 15 of the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center in Bao’an, covers an area of 615 square meters and is divided into three sections that focus on culture and tourism, digital smart manufacturing, and intangible cultural heritage.

Highlights

Visitors will be greeted by Nailoong, a popular Chinese anime intellectual property (IP) character, when arriving at the Bao’an pavilion. The Nailoong IP was designed by Seventh Impression Entertainment (Shenzhen) Ltd., which is headquartered in Bao’an. Nailoong-related IP products will also be displayed at the pavilion.

In the intangible cultural heritage section, visitors will be able to admire cultural and innovative products based on the Shangchuan Huang Liansheng Awakening Lion Dance, a national-level intangible cultural heritage listed in 2021. Lion heads used in performances will be on display.

Cultural and innovative tech products developed by leading Bao’an firms in the manufacturing and digital creative industries will be on display at the booth. The products include a robotic coffee bar, a smart dressing mirror, VR experience equipment, and action cameras.

Subvenues

Bao’an has a total of nine ICIF subvenues including the F518 Creative Park, Tea York, and the Dingjunshan Digital Film Culture and Technology Innovation Park.

The F518 Creative Park subvenue, which opened Saturday, focuses on new challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation. The subvenue is set to hold a series of activities that will run through the end of this month.

The Tea York subvenue is a perfect choice for tea lovers. A tasting event for aged tea will be held Sunday. Tea York also plans to establish an aged tea committee to promote the commodity.

Art exhibition

Bao’an will host an outdoor art exhibition in the section that extends from Hall 9 to Hall 16 on the second floor of the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center.

The Wujie — Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macao Youth Art Exhibition will feature nearly 80 art pieces created by more than 20 artists from Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao. These art pieces are from fields like contemporary art, public art, and industrial design.

Wujie, which means “no boundaries” in Mandarin, exemplifies the idea that art and culture transcend limitations. Bao’an aims to foster enhanced exchanges and collaboration among artists from Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao through various art forms. The exhibition will be the ICIF’s only outdoor art exhibition.

Additionally, the exhibition is being co-curated by two influential artists — Chen Xiangbo from Shenzhen and Hong Ko from Hong Kong.

Chen is currently the president of the Shenzhen Artists Association, and Ko was the co-curator of Shenzhen Design Week 2021. They will use their rich creative experiences and keen artistic insights to inject more fashion and innovative elements into the exhibition.

On May 26, an academic meeting will take place where well-known artists and scholars from Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao will discuss cultures of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

During the meeting, representatives of artists and designers from Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao will jointly launch an initiative to establish the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Art Exchange Center, which they hope will become a hallmark of public culture in the GBA.