A series of themed cultural and promotional events were held during Shandong Week from Sept 16 to 20. The week-long activities were part of Expo Milano 2015 and were held to showcase the province’s long-standing agricultural civilization and achievements through exhibitions, cultural performances and economic and trade exchanges.

Foreign visitors to the Chinese Pavilion are impressed by Yangjiabu New Year painting works, a centuries-old folk art from Yangjiabu village, Shandong’s Weifang city. [Photo/dzwww.com]

The province showcased samples of its many cultural heritages at the expo, including two millennia-old Weifang Kite, 600-year-old Gaomi paper-cuttings, Yangjiabu woodprint New Year paintings, gourd carvings, Dongming grain paintings and Weifang dough figurines.

Sun Xizhou, a successor of gourd carving, showcases an exquisite artwork to visitors at the expo. [Photo/dzwww.com]

The hand-made gourd carving display attracted throngs of visitors during Shandong Week. The gourds, which represent a source of life and are a kind of mascot for traditional Chinese culture, signify blessings and best wishes in Buddhism and Taoism, according to Sun Xizhou.

When the China Pavilion opened to public in June, gourd carvings were presented to distinguished Italian guests as a national gift.