A wide array of interesting and playful art toys from Dongguan attracted a large number of local citizens and tourists at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, who stopped to watch, take photos, and interact. Here, a lively cultural exchange between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the San Francisco Bay Area is taking place.
To promote the development of China-U.S. relations and the exchange of trade and culture between the two countries, the “Explore Trend of China Chic, Create Memory of Art Toy” trendy toy exhibition was held at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco on May 29. National trend products from Dongguan, known as the “Capital of China’s Art Toys,” were showcased on the streets of America, providing local citizens and tourists with a “cool and trendy” carnival. This event used national art toys as a medium, presenting the development trends of the Chinese trendy toy industry, represented by Dongguan, in a way that young people find appealing. It showcased the vibrant energy of Guangdong and the Greater Bay Area, helping to promote Chinese culture abroad and telling the stories of China, Guangdong, and the Greater Bay Area.
The “Explore Trend of China Chic, Create Memory of Art Toy” trendy toy exhibition was hosted by the Publicity Department of the Dongguan Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Dongguan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports, with full support from the Asian Cultural Council.
The world’s art toys look to Dongguan
The world’s art toys look to China, and China’s art toys look to Dongguan.
Dongguan is located in the golden inner bay of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, situated between Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. It produces one-quarter of the world's anime derivatives and nearly 85% of China’s trendy toy products. Dongguan is the first city to be titled the “Capital of China’s Art Toys.”
This city showcases an endless love for trendy toys. With an average age of just 33 among its ten million residents, Dongguan is one of the youngest cities in China. Art toys not only inject vitality into the city’s development and bring a fashionable lifestyle but also serve as a modern expression of excellent traditional Chinese culture. They play a role in promoting cultural exchange and enhancing mutual understanding.
An exciting “Chinese Art Toy Extravaganza” has taken the streets of San Francisco by storm. Leading trendy toy companies from Dongguan showcased their products imbued with Chinese cultural heritage. Featured items included the globally popular PINKOI “Ten Miles of Red Makeup,” the culturally rich Guangdong “Awakening Lion” and “Thousand Horn Lantern,” the “Lv Bu” mech inspired by the clash of Chinese culture and mechanized design, the basketball IP Laura from Dongguan, known as China’s basketball city, the “Pangda” toy nicknamed “Giant Bing Dwen Dwen” by netizens, the “Auspicious Dragon” and “Nine Sons of the Dragon” series from Chinese mythology, the oriental zodiac and star constellations series full of Chinese flair, and the Chinese original trendy doll brand “Wudu Youou,” among others. Originating from Guangdong and reaching global audiences, Dongguan’s trendy toys in San Francisco tell a captivating story of Chinese art toys going global, allowing people worldwide to experience the endless charm of Chinese art toys.
During the event, the Northern California Hanfu Association was invited to perform and showcase traditional Chinese culture, including Hanfu attire. Foreign friends eagerly took photos and even donned Hanfu to join Chinese Hanfu models on stage for a fashion show experience. The scene was very lively, filled with laughter and joy.
The organizers also presented trendy toy products to the Dongguan Entrepreneurs Federation in San Francisco Bay Area under the World Dongguan Entrepreneurs Federation, deepening friendly cooperation and jointly supporting the global expansion of Dongguan’s trendy toy products and the high-quality development of foreign trade.
The time is ripe for China chic to go global
The “Explore Trend of China Chic, Create Memory of Art Toy” trendy toy exhibition has sparked a warm response in the United States, sending a strong signal that the time is ripe for China chic to go global.
American resident Tim Sieben carefully admired the items at the “Ten Miles of Red Makeup” booth. He said, “I love these exhibits. The craftsmanship is exquisite, refined, and elegant, and every detail is full of beauty. This is an unexpected delight, and I will recommend Dongguan’s trendy toys to my friends.”
Jieyu Yan, the founder of the Northern California Hanfu Association, initiated a conversation with Ye Zufeng, chairman of Piececool. She candidly said that she is a loyal fan of Piececool. She added, “The Northern California Hanfu Association has over 1,200 members, and many of them love Piececool’s trendy toys. Many local Americans also like Piececool’s products.”
The art toy exhibition has also attracted close attention from American companies and merchants.
Scott Gentner, President and CEO of Pier 39 in San Francisco, strongly supported the art toy exhibition and took an in-depth tour to get to know various exhibits. He said, “Dongguan’s trendy toys are wonderful. If Dongguan’s trendy toy companies open stores here, it will be a new attraction for visitors to Pier 39.”
Jared Foster, founder and CEO of Solana Solar, gave a thumbs-up and repeatedly praised Dongguan's art toys as “cool.” He noted that trendy toys are a rapidly growing industry and took multiple Dongguan promotional brochures, hoping to learn more and recommend them to American investors to explore collaboration opportunities in the trendy toy sector.
“I love the trendy toy exhibition here; it is so beautiful. Through these small toys, I have gained a deeper understanding of Chinese culture,” said San Francisco influencer Jax, who came to the event after hearing about it. “There are many different cultures in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Dongguan’s trendy toys will definitely win people's hearts here.”
San Francisco influencer Mon experienced a Hanfu fashion show at the event. Mon said, “I love the little girls, Laura, and their hairstyles. I love these toys; their designs are very special. Today’s event was fantastic! I hope to attend more events like this in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
The “Explore Trend of China Chic, Create Memory of Art Toy” trendy toy exhibition is one of the annual key events of the GDToday Dongguan channel. According to the deployment of the Guangdong’s provincial conference on the work of public communication and culture, GDToday aims to become the “main platform for Guangdong’s external communication and the first portal for the world to understand Guangdong.”
Not long ago, the province's first provincial and local joint external communication platform, the GDToday Dongguan channel, was launched, marking a new exploration in international communication. In addition to this trendy toy exhibition, the GDToday Dongguan channel will also introduce more exciting promotional activities to tell the story of high-quality development in Dongguan, Guangdong, and China to the world.
