Hangzhou's cultural industry has witnessed rapid growth in the past decade. Official figures show that the added value of the city's cultural industry expanded from 100 billion yuan ($14.04 billion) in 2016 to 200 billion yuan in 2020 before swelling to over 300 billion yuan last year.

The annual average growth rate of the city's cultural industry far outstripped that of its GDP, of which it accounts for 16 percent.

"Culture sells," said Guy Thompson, a China-based ceramic artist who hails from the UK and has been showcasing his products at the expo since 2016. "If it's done well, it makes people's lives better."