Gaomi: Yellow River Fair shows new consumer trends

The Weifang Autumn Yellow River Fair and Handmade Boutique Exhibition kicked off at the Red Sorghum Film City in Gaomi, Shandong. In the food court, a famous Shandong dish called Gaomi lubao, steams with an enticing aroma of leeks and meat.

The event brought not only delicious local specialties from Gaomi, including fried noodles, Maojia millet, Kanjia grapes, and intangible cultural heritage items like clay tigers, woodblock New Year prints, and Weifang kites, but also unique products from SCO countries. These included Russian nesting dolls, Turkish aniseed liquor, and Indian essential oil fragrances, providing a true "one-stop" shopping experience.

Visitors select handmade products at the Yellow River Fair. [Photo provided by Sun Tao/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Locals and tourists wandered through the ancient streets, either watching, carefully selecting, or bargaining with vendors, immersing themselves in a rich atmosphere of cultural essence.

Visitor Wang Lin remarked, "It's fun to shop at the fair in the scenic area, and these products are quite unique. I plan to buy some to take home to my family and friends".

In addition to product exhibitions, the Yellow River Fair featured traditional Gaomi opera performances and cultural dances from SCO countries, allowing people to enjoy the charm of traditional culture while shopping.

Exotic song and dance performances at the Yellow River Fair. [Photo provided by Sun Tao/for chinadaily.com.cn]

In recent years, Gaomi's cultural and tourism resources of scenic spots, squares, and parks have been used to introduce nighttime shopping events that let the local economy stay up late and give night owls a ton of shopping and entertainment experiences. (Edited by Lin Li)