The 2018 Guangdong (Zhuhai) Design Competition of Cultural Products began collecting works on July 1 to challenge creative product designers to promote the charms of cultural items from across the province.

Out of the 262 entries listed as cultural resources suitable for market design are 24 Zhuhai historic sites, cultural relics, and intangible cultural heritages. Their backgrounds, connotations, and appearances will be considered through the design process, which closes on Sept 30. If deemed impactful, certain products will be put on the market, according to the Zhuhai Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau.

Baojing Bay Rock Carvings, Shixi, Lianwan Mt, and Great King Palace-character cliff inscriptions are the four Zhuhai cultural relics protection sites that have been put forward. Two museum holdings -- a flower-bird plate with ink-and-color effects crafted in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and a blue-white porcelain plate featuring a pair of fish that was produced in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) -- were also selected.

Rock carvings

According to the organizing committee, there will be tests of packaging non-material cultural legacies such as On-Water Wedding, Mudfish Catching, Qianwu Piaose Street Procession from Doumen District, Sanzao Crane Dance and Sanzao Weaving from Jinwan District, Qianshan Phoenix-Rooster Dance from Xiangzhou District, and Fut Gar (Buddhist Fist martial art).

Most of the Zhuhai entries have already been highlighted for cultural tourism with regional characteristics. These include the Meixi Royal Stone Archways, Wenweizhou Lighthouse, Fisher Maiden statue, Luyi Ancestral Hall and centuries-old cluster architecture, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Zhuhai Opera House, Huitong Village, Tangjiawan Town, and Mid-Autumn Festival Antiphonal Singing Fair.

Contest prizes are listed as: three first at 80,000 yuan ($12,054) each; nine second at 30,000 yuan ($4,520); 15 third at 10,000 yuan ($1,507), and 100 excellence awards at 1,000 yuan ($151) each.

According to the official website, gdwcsj.com, a Cultural & Creative Design Lecture will be held at the Zhuhai Library at 9:30 am on July 30. Invited will be industry experts to conduct keynote talks on topics related to cultural and creative design and to share experience in product development and design. Log in to the official website in advance to make an appointment; 150 people are expected.

On-Water Wedding folk customs [Photos courtesy Zhuhai Daily]