The city of Hangzhou holds an outdoor fair spotlighting creative cultural products under the theme "Amazing Night in Hangzhou" to bolster its night economy. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The city of Hangzhou is launching a series of cultural activities through the end of October to bolster its night economy.

One of the highlights was an outdoor fair of creative cultural products under the theme "Amazing Night in Hangzhou", which ran from July 30 to Aug 1, saw five nationwide museums and seven local museums showcasing multiple creations inspired by their iconic exhibits.

To reflect the archeological ruins of Hangzhou's Liangzhu city, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2019, patterns from cong jade artifacts from Liangzhu dating back 5,000 years were added to the fans, umbrellas and silk items that have long been local specialties of the city.

There were also souvenirs designed by the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou decorated with illustrations of animals, costumes, architecture and trade scenes along the ancient Silk Road, the trade routes connecting China with other civilizations in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Elements typical of Indian, Persian, and Central Asian cultures are seen in these illustrations.

Bulgarian artist Assadour Markarov, also a professor at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, turned bamboo pipes, colorful strips of cloth and threads into a loom-shaped installation. With a dappled lighting effect, silhouettes of modern cities expressed the artist’s reflections on the past and the future.

Lego player Qian Yongjie participated in the fair by displaying miniatures of folk dwellings along both banks of the Grand Canal and Baohe Drugstore, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine shop where Xu Xian, the husband of the white snake fairy in the Hangzhou-based legend Baishe Zhuan (The Tale of the White Serpent), was said to apprentice for a time.

This year marks the second time for the provincial capital of Zhejiang to hold this event.

Suburbs such as Xiaoshan and Yuhang districts, as well as towns and the tranquil countryside around the city -- especially in Tonglu and Chun’an counties as well as Jiande city -- are also joining in over the next three months to provide experiences in countryside living, various performances spotlighting intangible cultural heritage, and travel routes to relive revolutionary historical events.