CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- In addition to spectacular competitions, multifarious cultural and creative products, intangible cultural heritage products, and local specialties have made the Second Belt and Road International Skills Competition a magnet for visitors.

Popular cultural and creative products at the competition

At the officially licensed merchandise retail store of the Second Belt and Road International Skills Competition, customers were standing in a long line to buy Daidai and Lulu, the adorable mascots for the event.

“‘Dai (岱)’ and ‘Lu (露)’, the homophones of ‘Belt (带)’ and ‘Road (路)’ in Chinese, represent the theme of the event – Belt and Road Initiative. Daidai, mainly in yellow, symbolizes the Land Silk Road, while the blue Lulu is symbolic of the Maritime Silk Road. Both their names and designs have commemorative significance,” said resident Zhang Ling. She told us that her child would definitely like the mascots.

Intangible cultural heritage shows diverse cultures

The exhibition and sales of intangible cultural heritage products appealed to many visitors, allowing them to understand the culture and history of various places.

Holding a small hammer and a chisel in his hands, an artisan carefully chiseled away at the copper to create images of animals and flowers. Chiseled Copper Painting, a national intangible cultural heritage, has drawn the attention of many visitors to the Jiangxi Pavilion.

Chiseled Copper Painting is a traditional Chinese art form that involves using chisels to create designs and patterns on a copper surface, making use of the excellent ductility of copper. Guixi Engraved Copper Art is a traditional technique in Guixi County-level City, Yingtai City, Jiangxi Province, with a history of more than one thousand years,” said the artisan. “You see, the copper pot looks very simple. Actually, it has experienced more than 100,000 times of hammering and carving with hammers and chisels.”

The beautiful Fenshui oil-paper umbrellas also attracted many viewers to the Sichuan Pavilion. There was a great riddle about oil-paper umbrellas – “A bamboo pole is skillfully split by a craftsman, each strip with an eye and every section pierced.” The oil paper umbrellas in Fenshuiling Town, Luzhou City are more than tools to keep out the wind and rain. As a national intangible cultural heritage, it is invested with a rich history and culture. The upper part of the Chinese character ‘伞 (umbrella)’ is ‘人 (people)’, and the lower part is ‘ten (十)’, representing the upright noble spirit."

Various appetizing food

Exhibitions and sales of specialty products always feature local delicacies.

Various delicious foods exhibited in Xinjiang Pavilion were appealing to visitors. “Sipingtou peppers are the main raw material for making La Pi Zi, a dried chili. Even after being dried and aired, the dried chili made from Sipingtou peppers is still plump, juicy, and brightly red,” said the Xinjiang chef. Though it is called La (spicy) Pi Zi, its spiciness is far less than that of hot pot. It is acceptable for those who seldom have spicy food.

Fengdu spicy chicken is one of the highly sought-after delicacies in the sales exhibition.

In addition to chicken, seasoning also is important! It is the key to making rich-flavored spicy chicken, which includes chili oil, red oil, sesame oil, and a large amount of chili peppers, Sichuan peppers, and soup. Many visitors bought several bags of Fengdu spicy chicken without hesitation after trying a free sample, and some contestants also came to buy a bag of spicy chicken to replenish their energy during breaks. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)