Taobao Maker Festival opens in Hangzhou
-
-
-
Ding Yining / SHINE -
-
SHINE
Alibaba Group kicked off its fourth Taobao Maker Festival, an annual celebration of China’s young creative talent, today in Hangzhou.
This year's event will be larger, longer and more diverse than previous editions, organizers say. The festival will span two weeks, compared to just four days last year, and be staged at two venues: the Hangzhou Boiler Factory and the West Lake.
According to Taobao, the festival is meant to be a platform of discovery, where consumers can connect with creative ideas and unique merchants.
More than 1,000 products from 400 vendors will be showcased at the festival, with special sections and programs dedicated to street fashion, cultural heritage, technology, food and design.
A fashion show will be staged on the opening day of the festival on the Broken Bridge at West Lake, featuring emerging fashion talent and street wear brands. Crossover fashion designs, toys and gadgets made in collaboration with museums and heritage sites such as the Palace Museum will also be available.
Other notable products at the festival include Kweichow Moutai flavored ice cream, 3D printing machines, lab grown meat, mechanical exoskeletons, and Lego-like miniatures of traditional Chinese buildings.
Consumers can purchase coupons from vending machines at each vendor's stall via their Taobao or Alipay accounts.
Admission to the event is 200 yuan (US$22) on workdays and 320 yuan on weekends.
