The Shanxi Brands Silk Road Tour continued its journey Down Under to promote "win-win cooperation" by visiting Melbourne on Sept 20.

Visitors lingered around the 600-square-meter exhibition area on the day to sample more than 400 products from 41 noted brands in Shanxi. Specialty items on display included food, automobile components, hardware and textiles.

Shanxi Xinhuacun Fenjiu Group, one of the exhibitors, caused a stir by mixing a new kind of cocktail made from Shanxi green bamboo leaf liquor and Australian lemon juice.

The unique Shanxi culture led crowds to marvel at brilliant performances, ranging from folk music ensembles, wheat-themed shows and exquisite product displays.

The exhibition of brands and cultures was aimed at facilitating business cooperation and investment between Shanxi and Australia. A promotion conference was held on Sept 21 to promote mutual investment and introduce high-end technology in Australian agriculture, lighting and other industries.

"Australia is complementary to Shanxi's economy. We will exploit more potential for cooperation in the energy, service, infrastructure and food industries through the event," said Wang Yixin, vice-governor of Shanxi province.

Mark O'Sullivan, CEO of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) and one of the Australian sponsors of the event, said that RASV will further its membership with Shanxi enterprises.

Australia is the second largest importer of goods and services from Shanxi, making it one of the province's key trade partners. In 2015, the bilateral trade volume amounted to $760 million, accounting for 5.21 percent of foreign trade in Shanxi province.

The Shanxi Brands Silk Road Tour is an expansion of the Shanxi Brands Tour China. It was initiated by the provincial government in June 2015 in response to the Belt and Road Initiative. The activity has been held in many countries along the Belt and Road, including Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Italy.

An exhibitor displays a balloon made of dough adorned with calligraphy at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center on Sept 20. The dough is part of a performance of making wheat food typical to Shanxi province. [Photo/sxrb.com]