Int'l cultural industries fair to be held in E China

JINAN -- More than 300 international exhibitors will attend the 8th Shandong International Cultural Industries Fair, which is slated to open in east China's Shandong Province Thursday, the event organizer said Wednesday.

A total of 2,701 exhibitors, including 365 international exhibitors from 51 countries, will take part in the fair, which will last until Sept. 23, according to the organizing committee.

Foreign exhibitors are expected to display traditional crafts, high-end creative designs, intangible cultural heritage items and performances during the fair.

The fair was organized by the province's publicity department, culture and tourism bureau, and the government of Jinnan, Shandong provincial capital.

Domestic tech giant Huawei and internet companies such as Sina and Tencent will also attend the fair, to promote the in-depth integration of the cultural industry with high-tech such as big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

This year's exhibition area covers 103,000 square meters, with more than 5,000 booths. The fair will be divided into nine themed zones, including culture, the Belt and Road and creative design.

Established in 2006, the fair has become one of the most important cultural fairs in the country.