The 20th China Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair (HTF) was held from June 15 to 19, attracting some 120,000 domestic and foreign participants from 68 countries and regions.

In a series of interviews with Beijing Review on site, newcomers shared their feelings about the HTF.

A helping hand

Fu Dongxu, 20, volunteer

Fu Dongxu (right) assists a visitor at the information center (CHEN RAN)

Coming from Yakeshi City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Fu is a junior student at the Heilongjiang Vocational and Technical School of Tourism. He said he knew only a little about the HTF in high school, and did not think about volunteering for it until he entered the college last autumn.

"I learned from senior students that our school was a partner of the fair, and was responsible for sending volunteers to it in the past three years. I was so envious of them after hearing their experiences, and made up my mind to be one of them one day," Fu told Beijing Review.

Fortunately, Fu qualified to become a fair volunteer after passing several exams. He and 21 peers were assigned to serve at information centers; the rotation was four people every two hours.

"To be honest, I felt excited and a little bit nervous on the first day of service, because I was afraid of not meeting visitors' requirements. I didn't want to tarnish the image of volunteers," he said. "I went to booths whenever I was off duty. It would help me memorize locations and collect information to better serve visitors."

Fu said he would apply to be a volunteer again next year if he was given the chance to do so. "It's hard to make everything perfect, but I will try my best to help others," Fu said.

New horizons

Yanglhamo, 41, a Xigaze Prefecture delegate

Yanglhamo, an ethnic Tibetan farmer, demonstrates the traditional way of making carpet at the booth (CHEN RAN)

Yanglhamo is an ethnic Tibetan farmer from Gamba County in Xigaze Prefecture, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Her hometown is famous for its traditional hand-woven carpets, but she never thought the skill of handmade carpet weaving she demonstrated at her hometown's booth at the 20th HTF would attract so many visitors.

"This is the first time I've been to Harbin. It's so exciting," Yanglhamo told Beijing Review. "I'm proud that I could help promote my hometown here to visitors from home and abroad."

The delegation gave top priority to tourism promotion because Xigaze Prefecture is the hometown of the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma – also known as Mount Everest.

Yanglhamo learned carpet weaving at the age of 25 and did not finish her first carpet until she was 30 due to the heavy workload on her own farmland. She would go to the marketplace for trading on festival occasions, making carpet weaving an extra source of income besides sheep husbandry.

"My horizons have been broadened through communication with other exhibitors at the fair," she said. "I'll persuade other villagers to join me in carpet weaving, which will increase their income and also let more people know about ethnic Tibetan culture."

A better understanding

Masahide Kimura, 60, President of Wakayama Sangyo Co. Ltd.

Masahide Kimura (left) views a product brochure (CHEN RAN)

"Crowded" was the first impression the HTF gave Kimura, a food exhibitor from Japan. His booth was one of the most popular ones at the fair, since his products--more than 10 kinds of fresh fruit jelly—were available for free tasting.

Born in Osaka City, Kimura has lived in Yamagata Prefecture for more than 20 years and referred it as his second hometown. The Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan; a large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches and melons are also produced there. What's more, it became one of the sister cities with Heilongjiang Province (where HTF was held) 16 years ago.

"We enjoy a reasonable sales quota in Japan, but know little about the jelly market in China. So I hope we can get some feedback from local customers and also seek potential partners," Kimura said. "We participate in trade fairs and exhibitions in Japan as well, and I think the potential for cooperation here will be bigger since the fair's scale is bigger."

(Reporting from Harbin, Heilongjiang Province)