China's New Cultural Fair Blends Pop Toys with Ancient Crafts in Record Turnout

The First China New Cultural and Creative Fair and Trendy Toy Carnival has drawn large crowds to its 66,000-square-metre venue. Visitors queued early to explore a mix of modern collectibles and traditional crafts from across China. The event brought together institutions from all 31 provincial-level regions, as well as Hong Kong and Macao. Major museums took centre stage at the fair. The Palace Museum displayed tea cups inspired by China’s five famous kilns, dragon-shaped bookmarks, and blankets featuring imperial motifs. Nearby, the National Museum of China showcased phoenix-crown-shaped ice cream, jewellery based on ancient artefacts, and decorative painting fridge magnets. The Capital Museum also presented its own range of cultural products.

The fair blended pop fandom with traditional craftsmanship. Booths selling trendy toys like Labubu and Dimoo stood alongside stalls offering Sanxingdui-inspired accessories and hand-burned gourds from Tianjin. Zhao Wei, a national-level inheritor of Tianjin’s gourd-making technique, demonstrated traditional pyrography and hand-painting skills to curious onlookers.

Younger visitors moved between modern collectibles and heritage crafts, creating a dynamic cultural experience. The event’s popularity highlights a shift among younger Chinese consumers, who are increasingly drawn to products that mix fun with emotional and cultural resonance. The fair’s success points to rising cultural confidence in China. Visitors purchased everything from pop toys to intricately crafted traditional items. The event’s mix of old and new reflects a growing appetite for creative products that bridge heritage and contemporary trends.