People visit the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. Photo: IC

China's top cultural fair, the 18th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF), is showing how high technology is reviving traditional Chinese culture. 

Kicking off on Wednesday at the Shenzhen World Convention and Exhibition Center in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, the main venue consists of six pavilions. Besides the main venue, a total of 65 sub-venues have been set up in various districts of the city, according to a press release.

Forums, investment promotions and artwork auctions are being held at the fair to highlight the latest development trends and facilitate transactions and cooperation in the cultural industry. Over 2,500 government organizations, cultural groups and enterprises, as well as more than 800 online participants, have attended fair, noted the release. 

"The combination of the cutting-edge technology, especially digital means, and traditional Chinese culture is one of the highlights of this cultural feast," Liu Haiqing, deputy general manager of the Jiangsu Cultural Innovation and Development Company, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The development company is taking part in arranging the fair's exhibition for East China's Jiangsu Province.

According to Liu, the Jiangsu exhibition zone boasts a digital art exhibition that presents a fresh interactive viewing mode that allows visitors to fully immerse themselves into the famous Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) painting An Era in Jinling, a long scroll depicting the cityscape of Jinling - the ancient name of Nanjing - during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). 

The mascot of the 18th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) Photo: Courtesy of ICIF

Viewers can choose a virtual avatar after scanning a bar code with their phones and then interact with 533 ancient people on the bustling street of the city. 

The exhibition zone is also demonstrating a project called 5G Flying Over the Yangtze River Immersive Experience Hall. The 5-minute glasses-free 3D immersive video takes visitors on a bird's-eye view of the Yangtze River National Cultural Park so that they can experience the majesty and beauty of the entire Yangtze River basin.

"The development of digital technology provides unprecedented conditions for cultural inheritance and promotion," said Liu. 

The 2022 ICIF has also set up a hall for intangible cultural heritage, arts and handicrafts to focus on displaying and promoting the international influence of China's national cultural brands and promote the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent examples of traditional Chinese culture.

As an important platform to help China's cultural industries go global, ICIF also pays attention to international cultural exchanges. ICIF has specially set up an online International Pavilion and an on-site experience area to focus on displaying projects and products such as cultural and creative art, cultural technology, cultural tourism and performing arts, and strive to promote exchanges and mutual learning in the international cultural industry.

The exciting cultural feast is set to wrap up on Monday. Founded in the year of 2004, the cultural fair attracts more than 100,000 creative cultural exhibitions every year. More than 4,000 industrial investment and financing projects are signed annually, giving impetus to the high-quality development of China's cultural industries, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Promotional materials for golden Bridge on Silk Road Literature Exhibition Photo:Courtesy of the exhibition