The Yangtze River Elegance Fair, a highlight of this year's Yangtze River Cultural Festival, opened in Zhangjiagang on Oct 23. It features a four-day celebration that brings together intangible cultural heritage (ICH), light art, and traditional fashion.
The fair creates an immersive platform by combining exhibitions, performances, and interactive experiences, highlighting ethnic traditions, folk customs, and heritage craftsmanship from the Yangtze River basin.
Six themed areas — including markets, costume displays, performances, photo exhibitions, interactive games, and hotpot dishes — invite visitors to experience the diversity of Yangtze culture through sight, taste, and participation.
Highlights of the event include a stunning drone show with 1,000 drones illuminating the night sky with dynamic light patterns, and a showcase of ICH projects from 13 provinces along the Yangtze River.
As this year's guest province, Chongqing presented its nationally recognized ICH item Rongchang Folding Fans and the provincial-level ICH Rongchang Braised Goose, providing a lively insight into the region's rich cultural traditions. Meanwhile, the "Hotpot Banquet" area brings together local cuisines from across the Yangtze, united by a shared love of flavor.
That evening, the Zhangjiagang Fashion Show — featuring outdoor sportswear and cashmere collections — premiered alongside artistic performances, blending fashion aesthetics with cultural expression. Eleven local textile and apparel enterprises presented their latest designs and premium products through runway shows and curated displays.
Zhangjiagang Fashion Show takes place along with the Yangtze River Elegance Fair on Oct 23. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]
Textiles continue to be one of Zhangjiagang's main industries, including cotton, wool, chemical fibers, knitwear, specialty yarns, and dyeing. The city makes up 60 percent of China's wool trade and 30 percent of its spandex core-spun yarn and fine wool production. In 2024, profits in the industry increased by over 60 percent, and Zhangjiagang plans to develop a high-end textile industry cluster worth more than 100 billion yuan ($14.04 billion) within the next three years.