China’s Shanxi province placed regional craft designs on jewelry, ceramics and sauce dishes at a Geneva diplomatic reception, introducing traditional imagery to an international audience through everyday goods.
The Sept. 25 reception in Geneva took place at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). China’s permanent mission hosted it to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival and the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
The mission said more than 700 people attended the full reception. The guests included permanent representatives from more than 120 countries and officials from more than 20 international organizations. That attendance figure covers the reception, rather than Shanxi’s display alone.
Shanxi Daily, which helped organize the cultural presentation, reported that sauce dishes carried images of Pingyao Ancient City and the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. China Daily quoted Chinese Ambassador Jia Guide, China’s permanent representative in Geneva, as saying that Chinese imagery on ordinary tableware could raise overseas users’ interest in China and Shanxi.
Shanxi Daily reported that Datong knotting artisan Yang Xuefei displayed 48 brooches. A Shanxi government account described edelweiss designs for Swiss guests among them. The government also said Jiexiu artisan Bai Huaibing brought more than 20 glazed-ceramic works and invited visitors to try applying glaze.
Shanxi’s provincial foreign affairs office and Shanxi Daily organized the presentation, while the Shanxi International Communication Center handled the display, according to a provincial government notice. The notice described it as an opportunity to introduce Shanxi abroad.
At a Dec. 8, 2025, briefing, a Shanxi culture and tourism official reported 182 nationally recognized intangible-heritage projects and 198 nationally recognized practitioners. Separately, the department has said it supports adapting heritage crafts for products and tourism experiences.
