At the press conference for the Creative Yunnan Cultural Industries Expo 2025 held by the Information Office of the People’s Government of Yunnan Province on September 10, it was announced that the Yunnan Cultural Expo will be held at Kunming Dianchi International Convention and Exhibition Center from September 17 to 21.

Since its launch in 2013, the Yunnan Cultural Expo has been held ten times, serving as a key platform to showcase Yunnan’s rich cultural resources, achievements in cultural and creative industries, and overall industrial development. This year’s Expo, under the theme “Intelligent Yunnan, Creative Future,” will feature three main exhibition pavilions: the General Pavilion, the Featured Pavilion, and the Kunming Thematic Pavilion. The General Pavilion will display regional cultural characteristics, industrial accomplishments, innovative cultural products, and cultural resource transformation from various prefectures and cities. The Featured Pavilion will foster regional dialogue with a focus on technology and cooperation, while the Kunming Thematic Pavilion will underscore the city’s role as a cultural hub and highlight its innovative vitality.

Meanwhile, the Expo will host nine major events, including the press conference, opening ceremony, the “Cultural China Tour” promotional campaign and public welfare performances, a high-quality cultural industry promotion conference with investment attraction activities, field research tours, live commerce sessions, the short video program “Creative Yunnan,” cultural practice series, and other supporting events. Highlights include three special events: the 2025 Belt and Road Media Cooperation Forum featuring interviews and exhibitions with Chinese and international media, a dedicated exhibition from Bangladesh, and the design showcase “The Great Beauty of China · Treasure Yunnan · Harmony of the Lancang-Mekong.”

Compared to previous Expos, this year’s Expo focuses on five key innovations:

Broadened Vision: Deepening cultural exchanges and mutual learning to foster people-to-people bonds. Leveraging the opportunity of the 2025 Belt and Road Media Cooperation Forum held in Kunming, the Expo will invite domestic and international guests for exhibition tours, interviews and interactions, facilitating the global promotion of Yunnan’s culture. Additionally, Southeast Asia exhibition zone will be set up, and to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh, Bangladesh will present a unique thematic cultural exhibition.

Enhanced IP Development: Promoting heritage innovation and demonstrating distinctive charm. Top cultural and creative IPs, including those from CCTV, China Daily, the National Library of China, and Dunhuang, are invited to exhibit. Premium domestic products will blend with Yunnan’s local culture, driving the vibrant and diverse ethnic cultures to thrive.

Enriched Connotation: Highlighting cultural empowerment and strengthening integrated development. Yunnan’s latest achievements in film, television, performing arts, publishing (copyright), cultural creativity, and cultural tourism will be showcased, including the notable works, such as the film “Beyond the Clouds” and TV series “Meet Yourself” and “When Flowers Bloom.” Besides, the organizers will also host activities such as the “Cultural China Tour” promotional campaign and performances for the public, highlighting the artistic innovations of different regions and ethnic groups. The Copyright Registration Center will be present at the venue, highlighting Yunnan’s innovative and practical approach to intellectual property protection.

Technological Integration: Advancing cutting-edge thinking and demonstrating technological innovation. Enterprises and universities, including Shenzhen Unilumin Technology and Yunnan University’s robotics research team, will be invited to exhibit, with a dedicated AI and culture integration section showcasing new possibilities in cultural creation, communication, and consumption driven by technology.  

New Collaboration: Fostering multi-party participation and realizing industry-academia collaboration. This year’s Cultural Expo focuses on the youth community, collaborating with universities inside and outside the province to organize cultural design exhibitions. It will showcase the fresh perspectives and creative ideas of the younger generation in cultural practice, highlighting the achievements of industry-academia-research collaboration and injecting new vitality into the development of Yunnan’s cultural industry.

Additionally, this year’s Expo emphasizes three “mores”.

More Signings: Facilitating precise alignment of industrial resources. A high-quality cultural industry development promotion and investment event will be held, featuring on-site signings for projects with strong cooperation intentions and mature prior communication. Additionally, 10 top investment projects will be selected across the province to provide efficient connection channels and excellent service support.

More Sales: Integrating online and offline channels. At least 500 cultural enterprises will participate in on-site sales, alongside no fewer than ten live-streaming sessions. By combining online and offline efforts, the Expo aims to help cultural enterprises expand their market reach, convert resources into tangible gains, and empower economic growth through culture.

More Innovation: Driving creative design into reality. A cultural design competition will be organized, covering areas like digital technology and urban trends, helping designers transform cultural creativity into products and highlighting the deep integration of the competition with the cultural industry. 

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(Editors: Alice, Rachel)