The fifth Cross-Straits Cultural Industries Fair will take place between Oct 26 and 29 in Xiamen, Fujian province. Pingtan will send a delegation to the event for the second time.

Pingtan and the Cross-Straits Cultural Communication Association recently signed a cooperation agreement for wood and shell-carved boats. The agreement is expected to bring the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone 100 million yuan ($15.9 million) at the fair.

Pingtan's exhibit area will cover 225 square meters, one and a half times larger than the previous year with more booths. This year's participants will include Pingtan Shuimu Animation, the ancient city of Haitan and Changfu Museum, according to Gaoyun, director of Pingtan's bureau of technology, culture and sports.

The Cross-Straits Cultural Fair was first held in 2008. This year's event will be hosted by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, General Administration of Press and Publication, and Fujian Provincial People's Government. It is organized by the Xiamen municipal people's government and Asia Pacific Cultural Creative Industry Association (Taiwan).

The event was upgraded for the first time into a state-level platform for cultural exchange, demonstration and trade across the Taiwan Straits.

The fair consists of an opening ceremony, a fair, a forum, and other ancillary activities. New features include exhibitions for digital and new media, museums and international brands, and forums themed around "Inheritance and Innovation of Arts and Crafts" and "Cross-Straits Museums".

The fifth Xiamen International Animation Festival and the eighth Cross-Straits Folk Art Festival will take place at the same time.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Michael Thai