The recently concluded HCIE and GDTE were great successes for Hangzhou. Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
By Daria Fominykh, Fang Jingyi, Jin Yingying
The successful hosting of the Hangzhou Asian (Para) Games reflects the city's capacity of hosting large-scale events and activities. Currently, it is geared up to host more international events and conferences to further reach out.
Adding HCIE cultural contents into HZ heritages
Since its inception in 2007, the Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo (HCIE) has seen significant growth, emerging as one of China's top four cultural and creative trade exhibitions, along with those in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Yiwu.
The 17th year marked a notable shift towards greater internationalization. In the hall of International Fashion Brands, the expo showcased products from 66 countries and regions, with over 6,500 exhibitors and experts presenting more than 500 brands, 75% of which entered the Chinese market for the first time.
Despite starting on a smaller scale, the expo has expanded exponentially into a 65,000 square meters area. It marks Hangzhou's remarkable development in the cultural and creative industry. Initially exclusive to Chinese exhibitors, the expo has evolved with a strategic focus on internationalization, industrialization, and branding. "While the current event spans 4-5 days, the vision is to extend its influence throughout the city, embedding cultural contents into Hangzhou's heritages for a long-lasting impact on the city's development", said Shu Chang, Assistant to the Executive Director of the Hangzhou Cultural and Creative Industry Expo Organizing Committee.
Hangzhou's cultural and creative industry has long been a cornerstone of its identity. With an impressive added value of 242 billion yuan (US$33.9 billion) last year, showing a 4% YoY increase, the city continues to leverage the expo as a platform for nurturing its creative industry and driving economic reform.
2nd GDTE comes to successful conclusion
The curtains have recently fallen on the 2nd Global Digital Trade Expo (GDTE), marking a triumph of China's prowess in the digital trade arena. As the nation's sole national-level international and professional exhibition centered on digital trade, the GDTE proved to be a pivotal platform for
unveiling cutting-edge technologies, innovative products, and emerging ecosystems in the global digital trade landscape.
Spanning from Nov 23 to 27, the Hangzhou International Expo Center played host to this grand event, occupying a sprawling exhibition area of 100,000 square meters. The expo was comprised of one comprehensive pavilion, two special pavilions, and four distinct digital industry pavilions.
A myriad of activities enriched the expo experience, including forums, industry matchmaking conferences, and professional seminars. These gatherings attracted influential figures from home and abroad, relevant national ministries and commissions, international companies and institutions, and top enterprises. It was also where participants were engaged in discussions on new standards, evolving ecosystems, technological advancements, and innovative products in the global digital trade.
Crucial topics such as advanced economic and trade rules, cross-border data flow, digital copyright, cross-border payments, and digital security governance took the center stage, reflecting the expo's commitment to addressing the pressing issues that shape the future of digital trade.
As the GDTE concluded, it endowed a legacy of new markets, enhanced cooperation, and promising opportunities for the development of global digital trade in this transformative era. The event showcased China's dedication to fostering an open platform for collaborative growth and knowledge-sharing in the dynamic field of digital trade.
During the event, a total of 32 projects were signed by the top 500 and industry leading enterprises from Germany, France, Japan, Hungary, Singapore and other countries and regions, with a total contract amount of 155.85 billion yuan, of which 11 were foreign-invested projects with a total investment of 1.7 billion US dollars, accounting for 39.3% of the investment projects. In addition, the third Global Digital Trade Expo is announced to take place from Sept 25 to 29, 2024.
Blooming vitality of sports with Int'l events
The recently concluded Hangzhou Asian Games has ignited the city's passion for sports events with more high-level ensuing sports events in Hangzhou in the upcoming December.
As the final tournament of the 2023 BWF World Tour, the 2023 BWF World Tour Finals attracts attentions from badminton enthusiasts from all over the world. The Finals will kick on Dec 13 and last for five days with 64 badminton master players participating. This year, the 6th Tournament is set to take place at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, the venue of basketball events during the Hangzhou Asian Games. Eight players or pairings have qualified to participate in each category in the end-of-season competitions, and the full standings list was announced on Nov 26.
The 2023 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship is to take place in Hangzhou from Dec 13 to 17, with six teams competing. These teams include the host Tianjin Bohai Bank Women's Volleyball Club from China, Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul and Vakif Bank Spor Kulubu from Turkey, Gerdau Minas and Dentil Praia Clube from Brazil, and Sports Center Women's Club from Vietnam.
The Hangzhou Marathon, which was named the Gold Label Road Race 2023 by World Athletics, is set to kick off on Dec 17. It will connect two major Asian Games venues, with marathon runners starting from the Huanglong Sports Center and finishing at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center stadium. The event has long been known for its stunning scenery along the route, including that of the West Lake and the Qiantang River.