The 22nd Shenzhen International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) opened on May 21, featuring Shandong province's pavilion, which showcases the region's cultural offerings and AI products. With 88 enterprises and over 2,000 products, the exhibition highlights the impact of artificial intelligence on Shandong's cultural sectors.

A centerpiece of the exhibit is the "Digital Confucius" — a lifelike 3D avatar powered by ultra-high-definition modeling. With over 200,000 individually rendered hairs and natural conversation abilities, it provides an interactive way to explore Confucian wisdom.

Another attraction is the Qilu No 1 tourism train replica, where visitors can collect stamps and view creative products inspired by Shandong's top museums. Robotics demonstrations include the "Xingzhe Taishan" humanoid robot, robotic dogs, and a bionic panda that can mimic micro‑expressions such as frowning and smiling.

A model section of the Qilu No 1 tourism train showing visitors Shandong's rich tourism offerings. [Photo/WeChat account: Cultural Shandong]

The pavilion also features an immersive entertainment pod developed by Goertek and Dynaudio, which delivers a 9.2.4 surround sound system within a one‑cubic‑meter space. Popular cultural IPs on display include the "Ma Biaobiao" felt horse, "twelve flower goddess” glass art, and a replica of an empress's phoenix crown.

The on-site Tsingtao Beer Exchange at the 22nd Shenzhen International Cultural Industries Fair in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. [Photo/WeChat account: Cultural Shandong]

Visitors can also "trade" craft beer at the Tsingtao Beer Exchange, where prices fluctuate with real‑time sales. A live poetry reading by grassroots poet Lyu Yuxia and excerpts from the musical The Dyeing House add a human touch. Through technology and tradition, Shandong demonstrates how cutting-edge technologies are driving cultural innovation.