[Video/Yongpai app]

Ningbo manufacturers put both products and local culture on display at a recent trade show in Mexico City, where 25 companies from the city showcased everything from home appliances and auto parts to traditional crafts and souvenirs.

The event drew nearly 400 Chinese exhibitors, with the Ningbo contingent spanning consumer electronics, industrial equipment, new energy, home furnishings, and textiles.

At their booths, visitors could also find scratch-art cards featuring Ningbo's historic buildings, shadow-puppet ornaments, and puzzles showing local favorites such as the Drum Tower and tangyuan, or glutinous rice balls.

The souvenirs proved to be conversation starters. One Mexican buyer who had never been to Ningbo received a scratch-art card and a city puzzle and said the experience made him interested in visiting, possibly as early as next year.

The idea is part of a Ningbo program that encourages local exporters to make the city's culture part of their presence at overseas trade shows, tapping the international connections they have already built through business.

In Mexico City, that meant Ningbo's factories were not the only story on display. Its landmarks, traditions, and food also found their way into conversations with potential customers.