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October 16, 2010

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Innovation, Harmony and Quality come to West Lake

THE 12 th West Lake International Expo starts today in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, with the aim to attract tourism and boost the local economy. It will close on November 6.

The theme of this year's fair is "Innovative Expo, Harmonious City and Quality Life." It includes three categories: an exhibition, a convention and festival events. A total of 35 exhibitions, 30 conventions and 60 festival events will be held over three weeks.

Highlighted events include the International Sister Cities' Mayors Summit, the International Electronics Technology Expo and the International Baby Products Industry Fair.

The Hangzhou Pavilion in the World Expo Shanghai site has attracted nearly 650,000 visitors in three months since it was opened in May. On June 6, the "Hangzhou City Day" event welcomed representatives and VIP guests from 86 countries and regions. On July 26 and 28, more than 260 VIP guests from 165 countries and regions, including Dr Awni Behnam, commissioner general for the Expo's United Nations Pavilion, attended "Hangzhou and Expo," a forum held in the Hangzhou Pavilion.

All the projects were held not only to attract more visitors to Hangzhou, but also to promote the upcoming West Lake International Expo.

According to Huang Feng, deputy director of the Expo Office, this year's festival events will also have a focus on the cultural exchange between local and international arts troupes. More than 200 performing groups from both home and abroad, which have performed during the ongoing World Expo Shanghai, will be invited to give performances in Hangzhou.

There will also be a grand fireworks display, an international music festival, a silk culture festival, a clown carnival, an international marathon competition and a world-class car drifting competition.

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, said the local authorities. Meanwhile, it also serves as the incubator of Hangzhou's convention and exhibition industry.

Last year's West Lake International Expo attracted more than 12.9 million participants. It featured 124 conferences, exhibitions and celebrations, generating 13.8 billion yuan (US$2.06 billion) in trade revenue.


 

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