Our
Design Week
Location: Hainan, China
Date: Dec 22-25, 2023
Participants: 500
Name: The 14th China International Creative Design Promotion Week
Hainan | The 14th China International Creative Design Promotion Week Grandly Held Across Three Cities
On December 22, 2023, the opening ceremony of the 14th China International Creative Design Promotion Week took place at Hainan University. The three-day event unfolded across Haikou, Lingshui, and Baoting, showcasing the island’s creative vitality and strategic positioning as a future cultural hub.
Co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (Hainan Sub-Council), the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, and the Hainan Asian Foundation for Arts and Culture, the event was co-organized by the Haikou Municipal People’s Government, Hainan University, Beijing International Design Week, and the Shenzhen Digital Creative Industry Association. The Asian Academy of Arts served as the primary organizer, with strong support from the Beijing National Digital Publishing Base.
The Promotion Week was included in the “Thousand Sails Going Global” cultural trade action plan led by six key national agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Radio and Television Administration, the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, and CCPIT. Responding to the United Nations initiative for the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, the event was held under the slogan “Thousand Sails Going Global: Global Recommendation”, and centered on the theme New Creativity · New Design · New Civilization. It marked the launch of the World United Design Conference, with a long-term vision toward shaping “Design for 2049.”
The weeklong program focused on showcasing exceptional creative design outcomes, promoting cultural and service trade innovations, and building global platforms for cooperation, investment, and exchange—paving the way for deeper international influence and stronger integration between creative design and cultural trade.
Keynote Speech: Heping Zhou, Former Vice Minister of Culture of China
Opening Ceremony | Distinguished Guests and Launch Moment
The opening was attended by key national and provincial leaders, including:
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Zhiyuan Lu, Former Vice Chairman of the Hainan Provincial People’s Congress; President of the Hainan Charity Federation
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Shaohua Zhao and Heping Zhou, Former Vice Ministers of Culture of China
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Haiping Chen, Full-time Vice Chair, Hainan Provincial Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang
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Chunhong Lin, Vice President, CCPIT Hainan
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Hongliang Chen, Inspector, CCPIT Hainan
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Mingzhi Zhang, Chairman, China International Center for Culture and Arts
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Jun Chen, Vice President, Hainan University
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Jun Shen, Senior Researcher, Hainan Department of Industry and Information Technology
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Dewen Chu, Deputy Director, Hainan Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development
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Li Chen, Deputy Secretary-General, Haikou Municipal Government
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Rong Kong, Deputy Director, Arts Development Center, Ministry of Culture and Tourism
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He Wang, Academician, International Academy of Ecology and Life Protection Sciences
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Lei Xing, Secretary-General, World Green Design Organization (Belgium)
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Shouzhen Xu, Secretary-General, Executive Committee of the China International Creative Design Promotion Week
Together, they officially launched the 2023 Promotion Week.
Opening Remarks: Zhenlian Chen, Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles
Keynote Speeches | Culture, Strategy, and Green Development
Heping Zhou praised the introduction of the “United Design” concept, emphasizing that cultural creativity should align with national development strategies—especially in building the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Other keynote topics included:
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Green Design and Green Development by Lei Xing (World Green Design Organization, Belgium)
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Creative Design and China-Europe Cultural Exchange by Jianzhong Xie (Chairman, EU-China Committee)
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Hainan Island as a World Capital of Design: Reflections on Hainanese Architecture by He Wang (Academician, IAELPS)
The session was moderated by Liming Ke, Secretary-General of the Asian Foundation for Arts and Culture.
John Howkins, the Father of the Global Creative Economy
Five Key Results Unveiled
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The inaugural Global Creative Design Think Tank list
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The Thousand Sails Global Recommendation “Co-Creation Map”
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The establishment of the World United Design Urban Salon: “Window of Creativity” – Haikou
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The Outstanding Creative Design Cases list from the 2023 exhibition
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A preview of Key Recommended Projects for 2024
Creative Dialogue I | United Design and the Future of Innovation
Moderated by Qun Sun (Executive Member, World Design Weeks Network), the dialogue explored “united design,” “future design,” and “integrated design” with renowned panelists:
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Xinhong Tan, Executive Director, Dongpo Culture Center
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Zhong Wang, Public Artist & Professor, Central Academy of Fine Arts
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Dongliang Chen, Founder, Red Star Design Award
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Xiaoning Liu, Founder, Beijing International Brand Week
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Peng Ren, Dean, Tsinghua Cultural Industry Institute (Digital)
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Qubing Pi, Executive Chairman & Secretary-General, Shenzhen Digital Creative Industry Association
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They emphasized the growing relevance of AIGC and the need to recognize creativity and design as central forces in national economic and social development.
Creative Dialogue II | Hainan Free Trade Port and the International Design Island
Moderated by Xiaodong Tan, Professor at Hainan University, this panel included:
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Jun Shen, Hainan Department of Industry and Information Technology
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Xuebin Ren, Chief Engineer, Hainan Engineering Design Group
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Wei Zhang, President, Guangdong Prefabricated Architecture Institute
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Dexiong Chen, Chief Architect, YAK Design
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Zhen Li, VP, 51WORLD
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Fashu Yi, Hainan University School of Civil Engineering
Discussions focused on industrial planning, tropical architecture, design ecology, and how Hainan can attract global design talent by leveraging its policy, cultural, and environmental advantages.
Thousand Sails Global Co-Creation Signing Ceremony
Ninghongwen Ning, President of CCPIT Hainan, welcomed the participants and called for united momentum to make Hainan a new frontier of design power.
Representatives from Hainan, Guangxi, Liaoning, Tianjin, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong signed the “United Design, Shared Future” cooperation initiative.
Strategic cooperation agreements were also signed between:
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Hainan Shenhua Cultural Media and Hainan Modern Technology Group
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Hainan Shenhua Cultural Media and the Asian Academy of Arts
Expert Remarks | The Creative Economy’s New Frontiers
Tong Su, Chief Expert at the Beijing National Digital Publishing Base and China Partner of John Howkins, reaffirmed that the Promotion Week serves as a vital platform for advancing creative industries and reshaping economic value through cultural design.
He introduced the Thousand Sails Co-Creation Map—a digital project aligned with Digital China’s Cultural Atlas, featuring:
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Map of Ancient Chinese Capitals and High-Speed Rail Routes
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Map of Olympic Cities and Modern Sports
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UNESCO Creative Cities Network Map
These tools aim to foster international cultural collaboration and global creative engagement.
Exhibition Highlights | 8000㎡ of Creative Output
The exhibition featured over 400 categories of creative and cultural products, including:
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21 Scenic Wonders of Ningxia, Starry Homeland, Painted Wuzhong, Helan Rock Art, Moji Camels, paper-cut scrolls
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Contemporary works such as Chinese Characters in Global Context, Chinese Surprise Boxes, textile heritage of Li brocade, Asia Youth 30 emerging artists showcase
Special programs like Creative Ningxia, Lingshui Day, and Baoting Day offered regional presentations and cultural experiences.
Lingshui Day | A Window into the Island’s Creative Future
On December 23, representatives visited key cultural development zones, including the Global Creators Port, Lagoon Cultural Belt, Dan Family Museum, and Overwater Guesthouses.
A promotional forum was held the following morning at Xiangshui Bay Beach Hotel, concluding in a signing ceremony between CCPIT Hainan and the Lingshui Li Autonomous County Government. Officials such as Huahua Luo (County Mayor) and Xianchai Fan (Deputy Mayor) spoke on Lingshui’s unique combination of natural beauty and cultural richness, calling it an ideal site for creative investment and lifestyle innovation.
Baoting Day | Forum on Creative Industry and Ethnic Innovation
On December 25, the Baoting Cultural Creative Industry Forum was held at Qixianling, featuring discussions on the region’s four key sectors and ten specialty industries.
A strategic MOU was signed between CCPIT Hainan and Baoting County for long-term cooperation in trade, cultural exchange, and foreign legal services.
Officials in attendance included:
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Hongliang Chen (CCPIT Hainan)
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Yan Lu (Deputy Mayor, Baoting)
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Lingling Wang (Director, Baoting Cultural Tourism Bureau)
Key releases included:
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Baoting Cultural Creative Smart Map
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Li Script and Chinese Characters creative design project
Yan Lu proposed the concept of “Li Weaving as the Ancient Root of Chinese Writing,” positioning Li motifs—seen in textiles, tattoos, and tools—as clues to China’s ancestral written language. Fashion artist Wei Liu introduced a new collection of Li Brocade Script works, showcasing the integration of heritage and contemporary design.
