The 21st China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) opened May 22 in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, highlighting an innovative blend of traditional Chinese culture and cutting-edge technology to create immersive experiences for visitors.

This photo taken on May 22, 2025 shows toys themed on the hit animated film "Ne Zha 2" at the 21st China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Billed as China's premier cultural expo, the event features eight exhibition halls covering 160,000 square meters, with more than 120,000 cultural exhibits on display and over 4,000 cultural industry investment projects available for on-site negotiation.

Liu Lei, director of the ICIF organizing committee office, said the fair includes an artificial intelligence exhibition area for the first time, bringing together more than 60 AI companies. This area showcases AI applications, technology demonstrations and interactive experiences, reflecting the rapid development of China's new quality productive forces and emerging business models in the cultural industry.

This photo taken on May 22, 2025 shows a trendy toy displayed at a POP MART-themed tea restaurant at the Hong Kong exhibition zone during the 21st China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

Chinese internet giant Tencent, aiming to develop user-friendly AI that shares China's stories with the world, showcased artificial intelligence creation tools powered by its Hunyuan large language model at the fair. The lineup included AI chatbot Yuanbao, an AI-driven personal knowledge assistant and an image generator.

"Cultural workers can use these AI tools to develop content plans around 'Chinese Culture Going Global' from scratch, and also interact with Hunyuan to design unique AI-generated artwork and 3D souvenirs," said Cai Guangzhong, vice president of Tencent.

XVERSE, a technology firm based in Shenzhen, partnered with Luoyi Ancient City in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, to develop "The Eternal Tang Dynasty" immersive experience space. By using extended reality (XR) technology, the project recreates historical scenes such as Tang Dynasty (618-907) marketplaces and Henan's Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors can interact in real-time with legendary figures, including Yang Yuhuan, the favorite concubine of Emperor Li Longji, and renowned poet Li Bai.

Visitors purchase products at the 21st China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, May 23, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

"Through digital restoration technology, we've not only recovered details lost to time but also virtually reconstructed Buddhist statue heads — looted cultural relics — using 3D modeling," said Xiao Daihuizi, production project manager at the company.

The ICIF also served as a showcase for tech-enabled consumption. The LiberLive C1 stringless guitar, designed by a Shenzhen technology company, allowed visitors to create music with ease. Players simply press rhythm pads with their left hand and strum touch-sensitive panels with their right, enabling anyone to perform like a "one-man band" regardless of musical background.

"Our product was created with the goal of making music-making more accessible in daily life," said Li Jiaxin, the company's exhibition manager. "We hope technology and creativity can help bring personal music creation to the market and offer a new experience for songwriting and performance."

Visitors select blind boxes at the Chongqing exhibition zone during the 21st China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, May 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Xiao Ennan)

Chen Nengjun, assistant dean at the Institute of Global Urban Civilization, Southern University of Science and Technology, said the ICIF's influence goes beyond its role as an exhibition platform. He said the event helps optimize the cultural industry ecosystem, drives innovation, and expands China's global cultural influence. The deep integration of culture and technology, as seen at the ICIF, has introduced new cultural models that are setting trends for the industry.