Creative, design cultural industry expo wraps up in Suzhou

More than 1,230 handicraft masters and art businesses attend the eighth China Suzhou Creative & Design Cultural Industry Expo held in Suzhou from April 19 to 22. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]

The closing ceremony for the eighth China Suzhou Creative & Design Cultural Industry Expo was held in Suzhou New District of Suzhou, Jiangsu province on April 23.

The four-day event brought together more than 30 jade carving artists from nine countries, over 200 representative inheritors of State-level and provincial-level intangible cultural heritages, and roughly 1,000 art businesses or studios around China.

With an exhibition area of 13,000 square meters, the expo showcased approximately 10,000 handicrafts in its seven different exhibition parts.

Among them, the jade carving works exhibition part, covering an area of 1,500 square meters, displayed more than 1,000 handicrafts from 25 jade carving masters and 20 jade carving studios.

Suzhou has been a major center for handicrafts in China since ancient times.

In ancient China, Suzhou jade carving craftsmen were hired to make jade articles for the royal family and a saying goes that although the finest jades are collected in Beijing, the best craftsmen are mainly found in the Suzhou area.

In recent years, the Suzhou government has ramped up its effort to revive the ancient art and the handicraft industry in the city has seen unprecedented prosperity.

The eighth China Suzhou Creative & Design Cultural Industry Expo showcases more than 10,000 handicrafts in its seven different exhibition parts. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]

A bunch of jade-made grapes is on display at the jade carving works exhibition part. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]