The 2019 Yangtze River Delta International Cultural Industries Expo opened to the public on Friday at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The gala has attracted more than 870 cultural and art institutions, including museums, libraries, publishing groups, art galleries, design companies, showbiz and eSports enterprises throughout the delta region, around the country and all over the world. For industry practitioners, the expo offers business opportunities as a trading platform and offers a host of forums on how to stimulate the delta’s cultural industries, optimize resources to be integrated with tourism, and explore the possibilities of making culture a part of daily life. For ordinary visitors, the expo is a fun festival of numerous cool gadgets, interactive games and creative products. Designed with traditional Chinese architectural elements, a “Culture on the Sea” exhibition area features new arrivals, top-sellers and limited editions from 98 museums that include the National Museum of China, Shanghai Museum, the British Museum and Shanghai Grand Theater. Popular items include silk fragrance sachets of rose, clove and sandalwood, facsimiles of the work of painter Dong Qichang (1555-1636), homespun bags printed with the ancient Egyptian solar god Khepri, page markers featuring French author Victor Hugo, lamps, stationery, jewelry, accessories, scarves, T-shirts, mugs and plates. The Jiangsu Province exhibition space highlights Grand Canal elements. The canal that traverses the province is revived at the expo using 5G technology. With augmented reality technology, visitors can enjoy a bumper Yangzhou-style breakfast to learn about the food culture, while listening to traditional Kunqu Opera. “The canal with a history of 2,500 years runs across most cities in Jiangsu. We set up 5G stations in eight cities by the canal and visitors can tour around the scenery in only two minutes,” said exhibitor Zhu Junjun. “With the help of high-tech, we can better protect and develop the canal culture, and pass it down.” Tencent has brought its latest technology to the expo. Visitors can play chess with an AI robot, restore old photos and check the weather on your birthday. The Global Art Agency showcases fine art, digital art, paintings and photography from 50 artists and galleries from more than 20 countries, including the works of UK artist Damien Hirst — famous for art featuring dead animals and medicine cabinet sculptures — and KAWS, an American graffiti artist and designer known for his toys, paintings and prints. The intangible cultural heritage of the Yangtze River Delta region is another big highlight, displaying Shanghai paper cutting, Zhejiang stone cutting and Anhui porcelain. Some items are on sale. The expo runs through Sunday, with free admission.