Traditional Culture Finds New Expressions of the Times at CIFTIS

2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services

BEIJING, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With crisp autumn air and bright autumn sunshine, walking into Shougang Park in Beijing, the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) Culture and Tourism Services Section exhibition hall is bustling with visitors: some don MR glasses to gaze down from the heavens upon the century-old dream of Yuanmingyuan; others tap lightly on a screen and in an instant "dress up" in Mu Guiying's Peking Opera costume...

Here, tradition and modernity meet, and ancient crafts and modern technology greet each other. China's fine traditional culture is showcasing its vigorous vitality on the international stage of CIFTIS through diverse new expressions of the times, sketching a vivid picture of the innovative development of cultural services trade.

Digital Technology Deeply Empowers, Opening the Door to Time and Space

Nine Continents Clear and Calm, Jade Terrace of Paradise Island, A Painting of Nature, Merciful Clouds Protect All... Donning specially made glasses, the scroll of the Forty Scenes of the Old Summer Palace unfolds before visitors from multiple perspectives - aerial views, close-up journeys, and processional experiences.

Staff at the site introduced that this exhibit was created by the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Cultural Heritage Research Centre of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, using the court paintings of the Forty Scenes of Yuanmingyuan  as a blueprint, combined with historical documents such as Yangshi Lei drawings, and applying advanced digital technology to digitally restore the architecture, gardens, landscapes, and plants depicted in the paintings.

The "Three Mountains and Five Gardens" Spatiotemporal Digital Sand Table real-scene 3D interactive system, making its debut at this year's CIFTIS, helps visitors "fly" into historical gardens such as Changchun Garden without leaving the real environment, seeing many buildings and landscapes that have disappeared through the switch between past and present.

"The value of this technology is precisely to let history 'be reborn' in real space," Chai Bin, Client Director of Beijing Crystal Stone Visual Technology Co., Ltd., noted. This system integrates satellite imagery, historical maps, and garden restoration data into real geographical coordinates, and can be adapted to large screens, tablets, VR, and other terminals, applicable to museums, scenic area visitor centres, and cultural tourism promotion scenarios.

Cross-Border Integration Continues to Be Explored, Building Bridges for Youth

How can intangible cultural heritage become "trendy"? A local trendy toy brand offers a uniquely creative answer. At this year's CIFTIS, HERE Qimeng Island unveiled intangible cultural heritage collaboration products, integrating techniques such as Beijing silk figurines and frog button making into trendy toy designs. While preserving handmade craftsmanship, it injects trendy expression, attracting many young people to visit and take photos.

Moreover, with their lightweight form and accessible prices, trendy toys have also become flexible carriers for spreading Chinese culture. Zhai Xiaoqian, Public Relations Manager of HERE Qimeng Island, introduced that the brand's products have been sold to 27 countries and regions. This year, it reached cooperation with Chu Kong Shipping to create immersive themed cruise routes and themed cruise ships around trendy toy IPs, driving Chinese trendy toys from "product going global" to "experience going global."

Classic art has also taken on more new forms. The "One Flower, One World" - Qi Baishi Digital Immersive Art Exhibition launched by the Beijing Fine Art Academy uses 3D modelling, AI generation, and analysis of professional artistic techniques to extend Qi Baishi's ink wash works from two-dimensional planes into dynamic immersive spaces.

"We specifically analysed Qi Baishi's core characteristics such as composition, brushwork, and colour application and negative space, to ensure the digital content respects the original style," said Du Yuxin, Exhibition Editor of the Beijing Fine Art Academy Art Museum. The exhibition focuses on inheriting the core of the artist's creative spirit, allowing visitors to experience the charm of traditional ink wash through immersive photo opportunities, bringing younger audiences closer to classic art.

Immersive Interactive Experiences Upgraded, Inspiring Empathy and Resonance

The "Touchable Culture" flexible haptic VR immersive experience kit brought by Microtube Technologies attracted many visitors who queued up to try it. After putting on the exclusive flexible haptic feedback gloves, one can truly "touch" digital cultural content in virtual scenes.

Putting on the gloves and going to "touch" a little bird on the screen, one can feel a vibrating sensation on the fingers - tingling and numbing. A young visitor at the scene said excitedly after trying it: "In the past, visiting an exhibition meant only looking. Now I can actually 'touch' it - it's amazing!"

Peking Opera has also become approachable and tangible. The Jingju Theater Company of Beijing "moved" the stage into the exhibition site, with the "Liyuan Opera Realm" immersive theatre allowing visitors to shift from static viewing to stepping into the scene. Standing in front of the two AI interactive experiences "Painted Faces, Illusory Countenances" and "Plum Shadows, Painted Robes," visitors can virtually put on opera costumes and outline facial makeup with one click.

Visitor Zhang Zhining had just finished taking a photo in Mu Guiying's costume and said excitedly: "The equipment is very easy to operate. I don't usually listen to Peking Opera, but I think these costumes look beautiful and want to try them." As a "regular" at CIFTIS, she felt that this year's exhibition had more immersive experiences and a richer cultural flavour.

Scene after scene of splendid cultural innovation practices unfold at this year's CIFTIS, confirming the strong vitality and contemporary creativity of traditional culture. Through the broad platform of services trade, the cultural treasures of the Chinese nation break through the boundaries of static display to become cultural service products that can be perceived, participated in, consumed, and disseminated, demonstrating cultural confidence through new expressions of the new era and injecting lasting momentum into the high-quality development of the cultural industry.

Contact person: Ms. Zhu, Tel: 86-10-63074558.