A roundtable dialogue on Chinese solutions to revitalize traditional crafts is held after the opening ceremony of the 2019 Guangzhou-Foshan International Folk Art Week. [Photo/southcn.com]

The 2019 Guangzhou-Foshan International Folk Art Week opened on Dec 21 in Guangzhou, running in Guangzhou and Foshan from Dec 21 to 28.

Setting two international folk art festivals, namely London Craft Week and FIA Lisboa, as benchmarks, the folk art week is expected to boost the innovative transformation and development of traditional Chinese culture, as well as promote cultural communication in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. 

This year's event consists of several parts, including themed activities, summit dialogues, exhibitions, and carnivals. It is devoting efforts to become a platform with six functions for intangible cultural heritage production protection, spanning trade, exhibitions, exchanges, technology research and development, promotions, as well as targeted poverty alleviation efforts.

Representatives from consuls general of countries alongside the Maritime Silk Road also attended the opening event.

Liu Yumei, director of the Guangzhou bureau of culture, radio and television, said that Guangzhou and Foshan has been teaming up to use culture to promote the upgrading of manufacturing and that a number of famous brands integrating traditional crafts and modern design have sprung up.

Liu noted that the folk art week will bring new life to traditional Chinese crafts through the mix of old and new techniques.

The closing ceremony of the event will be held on Dec 28 in Guangzhou's Nansha district, showcasing creative design works in intangible cultural heritages by designers from home and abroad to help overseas designers learn more about China's intangible cultural heritages.