Clay sculptures are displayed at the 9th China International Cultural & Creative Industry Expo in Beijing on Thursday. [Photo by Chen Xiaogen/Asianewsphoto]

It is noteworthy that the national gifts President Xi Jinping offered to his counterparts during the Beijing APEC meeting - a cloisonné bottle, an exquisite handbag and a fruit plate with a silver silk scarf - are also on show at the expo.

Other highlights are products that combine culture and technology. Visitors can experience the model of a C919 aircraft which was developed by Chinese companies and is yet to put into operation. By pressing buttons and controlling parts, visitors can feel like driving a plane in air. Besides, a 3D painting, Fairy Dragon in Heavenly Palace, is displayed at the expo.

Traditional puppetry gets a new life thanks to technology. The embedded technology of sound, light and electricity make the puppets more colorful and vivid.

Besides the themed symposium in Beijing, the expo has a branch venue in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province. There will be state-level intangible cultural heritage items presented in the branch venue, such as Guqin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument) arts, and Yangzhou Sanbadao (three kinds of knives: kitchen knife, pedicure knife and haircut knife).

The expo is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture, the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and the Beijing Municipal People's Government. It will run through Dec 14.