The inaugural 2026 China New Cultural and Creative Market & Trendy Toy Carnival opened in Beijing on May 15.

As China’s first large-scale national marketplace focused on the cultural and creative industries, the event brings together cultural brands, museums, designers, and tech-driven lifestyle products from across the country.

Exhibitors represent all 31 province-level regions, along with the Hong Kong and Macao SARs in an immersive consumer experience that blends heritage-inspired design, pop culture IP, digital innovation, and tourism products.

Hainan entered the event under the theme ‘Hainan Creations, Reinvented’, presenting more than 400 products from over 40 companies and 21 local brands, highlighting the island province’s fast-growing cultural and tourism merchandise sector.

Designed around the concept of ‘Echoes of Mountains and Sea’, the Hainan pavilion incorporates signature island imagery, including flowing ocean lines, traditional boat-shaped houses, arcade-style architecture, and tropical rainforest greenery.

The space is divided into four themed sections exploring Hainan’s maritime culture, Li and Miao heritage, Southeast Asian connections & influences, and the island’s rainforest ecosystem.

Three of Hainan’s leading tourism merchandise platforms — Hainan Uni-Gift, Hainan Trendy Products, and Hainan Gifts — jointly presented a broad range of products, including agarwood fragrances, intangible cultural heritage crafts, tropical specialty goods, museum-inspired collectibles, and AI-powered creative items.

Several products on display have previously received national and province-level tourism product awards.

Innovation is a defining theme of this year’s market, and Hainan’s exhibitors embraced it enthusiastically.

Some products re-imagine traditional craftsmanship through contemporary design.

The Baoting Gifts creative team, for instance, have designed stylish handbags made with Li brocade textiles, blending traditional weaving techniques with modern patterns and silhouettes.

Other designers are exploring new directions in flavor and lifestyle branding. The Shangnantang brand has turned Hainan’s traditional partridge tea into a surprisingly versatile product line, including citrus-infused tea blends, summer beverages, and even tea-flavored ice cream.

Technology also had a place at the exhibition. One standout product, the AI-enabled Coconut Pet robots from the Hainan Trendy Picks platform, are interactive electronic companions made from coconut shells.

Elsewhere, fragments recovered from spent rocket launches were repurposed into stationery rulers, while jewelry collections inspired by Ming Dynasty shipwreck artifacts on display in the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea attracted attention for their blend of archaeology and contemporary design.

The exhibition quickly became a popular stop for visitors in Beijing. Products such as agarwood gift boxes, Li brocade accessories, and Hainan specialty teas drew strong interest, with many attendees asking where they could buy them.

“I was drawn in by the scent of the agarwood and ended up placing an order on the spot,” said Zhang, a visitor from Zhejiang Province who purchased an agarwood incense set from Baoting. “The fragrance is incredible. I’ve already connected with the company representative and may explore future collaboration opportunities.”

Beijing resident Tian Fang was especially captivated by a series of figurines inspired by Hainan’s popular Old Dad’s Tea (Laobacha) culture — the island’s relaxed social tea houses. She recalled enjoying the experience while traveling in Hainan several years ago.

“I never expected Old Dad’s Tea culture could be turned into collectible toys,” she said. “It’s fun, creative, and genuinely distinctive.”

Actor Zhang Xiaolong — widely known for his role as Wen Shichu in the hit TV drama Empresses in the Palace — also visited the Hainan pavilion during the event.

He tried his hand at traditional Li brocade weaving and praised the originality of Hainan’s cultural products, especially the craftsmanship behind the island’s intangible cultural heritage traditions.

The market will run through May 24, continuing with a mix of creative retail, interactive experiences, and public cultural programming aimed at attracting younger consumers and encouraging hands-on engagement.

According to officials from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports of Hainan Province, the exhibition offers not only a platform to showcase the province’s cultural identity and creative vitality, but also an important opportunity for local brands to expand their national reach and connect with new audiences.