THE 14th West Lake International Expo will be held during October 13 to November 3 in Hangzhou, in one of China's most famous tourist cities, near its beautiful West Lake. Featuring more than 100 events and parallel sessions in other 14 cities, the expo promises a diverse array of activities ranging from meetings to promote tourism to dazzling fireworks.

Fireworks displays are a highlight of the expo and on Saturday the crowds can expect spectacular pyrotechnics. The bonfire show will last 40 minutes and feature the theme "Happiness in West Lake," focusing on the bewitching historical, cultural and natural beauty of West Lake. It also salutes the citizens of Hangzhou for bringing creative arts to the city.

Featuring dance and music along the willow-lined lake edge, elegant bridges and West Lake itself, the show promises to be a feast for all the senses. Both the main venue and breakouts will be set up with free viewing areas.

In addition to the fireworks display, individuals, trading companies of different scales and other parties are attending the expo to help create a more practical and business-oriented side to the event.

"We aim to attract US$1 billion worth of foreign investment, 10 billion yuan (US$1.58 billion) in domestic investment during this year's expo," said Zhang Jianting, vice mayor of Hangzhou. "The trade turnover is expected to hit 10 billion yuan, and the number of visitors is estimated at 10 million yuan."

One of the highlights is the Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference, which starts on Saturday. It, featuring many exhibitions, forums and seminars, will promote the 10 key industries in Hangzhou.

Other seminars, design festivals and conferences present other opportunities. Chic items including tea sets, stamps made from carved shells and silk scarves with West Lake images are showcased at the expo as well.

First held in 1929, the West Lake Expo serves as a platform to introduce Hangzhou, the beautiful lakeside city, to the world.

The impact of the first grand fair back in the 1920s enjoyed the same fame as the Chicago Expo in 1893, the Paris Expo in 1900 and the Philadelphia Expo in 1926 as an international standard celebration of culture, technology and economic development.

After the first West Lake Expo, which opened on June 6, 1929 and lasted for 128 days, the event was halted until just a decade ago, when local authorities decided to reopen the fair on an annual basis since 2000.

Over the years, it has gradually propelled the city to develop its modern service industry and provide a better living environment for the residents. Meanwhile, it also serves as the incubator of Hangzhou's convention and exhibition industry.

Last year, it coincided with World Leisure Expo, which is staged in Hangzhou every five years. In total, 245 conferences, exhibitions and events were held during last year's grand fair. The trade turnover amounted to 22.6 billion yuan

As one of the most picturesque cities in China, Hangzhou is a popular choice for hosting festivals and other events. Whether it's the 14th West Lake International Expo, the Fuyang Outdoor Sports Festival, Tonglu Country Music Festival or Jiande Mountain Orange Festival, visitors are sure to find something that matches their interests in the city.

The distance as the crow flies between Tieling in northeast China and Hangzhou is around 1,400 kilometers, but during the 14th West Lake International Expo, Tieling is involved as one of the event's sub-venues and will promote its farm produce and folk culture in the faraway city Hangzhou.

Along with Tieling, another 13 cities and towns are taking part as sub-venues of the expo.

Under the arrangement, the expo will promote the 14 places' products and attractions - everything from tourism to agriculture - in Hangzhou. In return, the 14 towns and cities help promote Hangzhou's expo through exhibitions and other activities.

"West Lake International Expo is a fenceless expo. It's expected that Hangzhou as well as all sub-venues can be linked with each other to cooperate, develop and achieve win-win situation," explains the organizer.

The 14 sub-venues are Haining, Shangyu, Zhuji, Deqing, Anji, Wuyi, Longquan, Jiangshan and Zhujiajian in Zhejiang Province, Nanxun and Kunshan in Jiangsu Province, Fengjing Town in Shanghai, Huizhou in Anhui Province and Tieling in Liaoning Province.

All of the 14 sub-venues have one thing in common - they are tourist destinations, yet with distinctive features.

￥ Zhujiajian

Marilyn Monroe, Yun-Fat Chow, Terminator, King Kong, Godzilla … from the end of last month, those film stars and characters greet you at Zhujiajian, as this year's Zhoushan International Sand Sculpture Festival's new artworks.

Every year sand sculptors from home and abroad attend the festival, with some returning several times, drawn by the clean and fine sand, agreeable weather and friendly locals.

Located to the southeast of Zhoushan Island, 72-square-kilometer Zhujiajian is the fifth largest island in Zhoushan Archipelago and boasts the largest group of natural sandy beaches in East China.

Nansha is said to be one of the best beaches in the world for sand quality and is the venue for the annual Zhoushan International Sand Sculpture Festival.

The festival, with the theme "magic movie tour" began late last month and visitors can appreciate the sculptures through to next July. In total, 35 sand sculptors from six countries, including the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, the Czech Republic and China spent 15 days creating their artworks.

Sand sculpture fans can view enormous sand castles, splash in the waves, get a bottle of beer and relax on benches made from sand, or buy some snacks and watch a 4D film nearby.

The sea also provides abundant fresh seafood. Seafood restaurants are everywhere on the island, offering a wide range of delicious fare.

￥ Haining

Wang Guowei, a prominent scholar of Chinese literature; Xu Zhimo, a famed modern Chinese poet; Li Shanlan, a mathematician in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911); and Jin Yong, an influential modern kung fu novelist - they are all native of Haining.

The small city is renowned for the talented people it has produced. In addition to the celebrities mentioned above, between the 16th to 19th century, three chancellors, 11 ministers and officials came from the Chen's, a distinguished local family.

Cultural attractions worth seeing include the Chen family residence, Jin Yong Academy and Cultural Street.

And for more bracing thrills, the city is the best place to watch the spectacular annual tides that rush up the Qiantang River.

The river and bay are renowned for the world's largest tidal bore, which is up to 9 meters high, and travels at up to 40 kilometers per hour. The huge, impressive tide rushing into the river from the bay creates a bore that sweeps past Hangzhou and menaces shipping in the harbor.

This year, Haining had expo of its own, Haining Tide International Expo in September.

In addition, Haining has developed as a city renowned for its quality leather products. It boasts a China Leather City, a shopping mall of all kinds of leather productions, covering 160,000 square meters.

￥ Nanxun

Back in 1929, when the first West Lake Expo took place, the founder was Zhang Jingjiang from Nanxun, then the governor of Zhejiang Province of the Republic of China. Today, in Zhang's former residence in Nanxun, an area is being used to introduce the West Lake Expo.

Nanxun is renowned for its rich history, economy and tourism, and was listed as the sub-venue of the West Lake Expo since last year.

The town retains the charm of yesteryear. The watertown in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, features traditional Chinese low-rise buildings, narrow rivers and a rich history built on the silk trade.

What stands out in Nanxun, which dates back about 1,400 years, compared to similar towns in the Yangtze River Delta is that it hasn't moved its residents out of centuries-old houses and into modern apartments.

Also the town boasts amazingly well-preserved buildings stretching 400 meters on both banks of the river, a branch of the Grand Canal, which divides the town.

This part of the town features several former homes of local tycoons, in which traditional Chinese buildings are combined with old Western-style structures.

￥ Anji

Located in northern Zhejiang Province, Anji County has been dubbed "hometown of bamboo in China." Set among mountains and rippling streams, tea terraces and quaint villages, the county was elected as a national-level eco-county as its forest-covering area reaches 71 percent.

Famous for its mountain scenery, bamboo forests and white tea. The Oscar-winning movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was filmed in Anji's bamboo forest.

￥ Zhuji

Zhuji is a city south of Hangzhou. The region around Zhuji has been settled since Neolithic times and was the origin of Wuyue culture. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), it was the birthplace of Xi Shi, one of the four beauties in ancient China. Wuxie (literally meaning five waterfalls) Scenic Area, which boasts 72 peaks, 36 caves and 25 rocks, is famous for its mountain scenery and spectacular waterfalls. Today, Wuxie is the calling card of Zhuji.

￥ Wuyi

Wuyi is rich in the mineral fluorite and is home to hot spring resorts.

Wuyi spring is famous for its high quality, large volume and optimum temperature. Every year, the springs there seep out about 6,000 tons of water, which abounds with trace elements, such as sodium, sulfates and other minerals beneficial to health.

￥ Longquan

Longquan is located in the border of Zhejiang Province and Fujian Province. It is the production center of the most typical ancient Chinese weapon - the Longquan sword. This was listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006.

The swords made in Longquan have been described as "of unparalleled exquisiteness" which "cut bonze like mud" and have a history going back more than 2,500 years.

In addition to swords, Longquan is renowned for its porcelain. In the 16th century, when Longquan porcelain spread to Europe, it was called as "celadon" by Europeans and the price was equivalent to that of gold.

￥ Shangyu

Shangyu County is situated between Hangzhou and Ningbo and faces Shanghai across the Qiantang River.

The environment and temperature there is suitable for fruit growing. Crops include strawberries and cherries in spring, waxberries and grapes in summer, pears and peaches in autumn, and kiwis and persimmons in winter.

The total fruit-growing area of Shangyu is 67 square kilometers, and the fruit yield is 225,000 tons.

￥ Fengjing

Fengjing Town, hidden in Shanghai's southwest in Jinshan District, is a small old town for urban residents to get away from the chaos of the nearby city.

Fengjing is a classical old watertown in South China with a history of 1,500 years. It features old stone bridges and well-preserved architecture with delicate carving on the windows and upturned eaves.

￥ Huizhou

The ancient Huizhou was famous for its prosperous culture and numerous talents. Especially during the Ming (1369-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the wealthy Huizhou merchants greatly promoted the development of local culture. In today's China, Huizhou merchants are still a pioneer in business circle.

Hui cuisine, as one of the eight cuisines of China, originated during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). It features Anhui-style cooking, using ham to diversify taste and crystal sugar to increase sweetness. Most of the dishes are roasted or boiled, making it a healthy choice.

￥ Deqing

Deqing County, with its picturesque beauty and rich history, is emerging as an increasingly popular tourist destination. Hiking in the mountains, boating in the wetland or simply walking through the ancient town are among the attractions to help slow the pace and get visitors away from busy city life.

Moganshan Mountain, as the emblem of Deqing, is the most popular among hikers of all the mountains in Deqing. Winding up along the mountain road, the wonderland is full of surprises with verdant bamboo forests, lakes and springs running down the hills.

￥ Kunshan

Kunshan in Jiangsu Province is the home of Kunqu Opera. With unique system and style in performance, Kunqu Opera was listed as World Oral and Intangible Heritage by UNESCO in 2001.

Zhouzhuang, one of the six most famous watertowns in China, is situated in Kunshan with a history stretching back 900 years. It is noted for its cultural heritage, well-preserved ancient residential houses, elegant views and traditions and customs.

￥ Jiangshan

Jiangshan, literally meaning river and mountain, is located in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province. A river runs through the city and scenic Jianglang Mountain sits on its border. It is known for its magnificent and oddly shaped stones.

￥ Tieling

Tieling is the most distant sub-venue of West Lake International Expo, a city in northeastern Liaoning province.

Tieling is a city where coal mining is an important industry. It is also known for its er ren zhuan, a genre of local folk dance and song, performances. It usually consists of two people, a boy and a girl. They use folded fans or red square handkerchiefs which are twirled along as a song is performed.