Expo provides an international insight

Hani Djaballah, a 42-year-old ceramicist and painter, displayed his work at the expo, drawing many curious Chinese visitors. Djaballah was invited by the Algerian authority to give Chinese travelers a taste of what the northern African country has to offer.

"I painted my country's signature flowers and plants on a variety of porcelain items that I fired myself," Djaballah says. "You can also find some typical Algerian decorative items."

This was his first visit to China, and Djaballah was excited that so many Chinese showed interest in his work, some buying items from the booth.

Having studied traditional Algerian arts with his grandfather and father since he was a teenager, Djaballah says that he also wanted to interact with Chinese artists during his stay.

Tahar Arezki, president of the Algerian National Office of Tourism, says the Chinese market potential is huge, especially since there have been few Chinese travelers to the country.

Yi Jiao, an officer with the organizers of the expo, says that more cultural and tourism authorities were present this year, compared to the first session last year.

"There's a significant improvement in the quality and variety of what they displayed at the expo," Yi says.