Folk items strike China market

Although high-tech products may have already grabbed the attention of most buyers at the import zone, many special folk commodities from countries and regions overseas are also bringing in the crowds.Tangka scrolls from Nepal, coffee beans from Yemen and ebony sculptures from Tanzania, for instance, have evoked much visitor interest at the Canton Fair, officially called China Import and Export Fair.

Tangka, said to be one of the most exquisite examples of Tibetan Buddhist art, is a kind of tapestry woven with gold or silk and usually features an embroidered portrait of the Buddha.Two Nepalese companies that are displaying Tangka at the import zone of the Pazhou Complex expressed optimism about their products on the Chinese market.

"We are very sure that we will find lots of potential buyers in the Chinese market since we have received many potential purchasers over the past several days," said Prakash R Tuladhar, representative of a Nepalese firm.This is the first time that Tuladhar has participated in Canton Fair, and he said his company cherishes the opportunity offered by the fair's import zone to promote Tangka in the world market.

"There are many visitors from a great number of countries and regions visiting the fair. It is therefore a good opportunity for us to find buyers both in and outside China," he said.The Yemen-based Al Kbous Group, one of the Middle East's major coffee producers, is also looking for prospective buyers on the Chinese market by showcasing its coffee beans at the import zone.Al Kbous is the only participant from Yemen to this year's fair, but it has "benefited a lot," said a representative of the company.

"Yemen produces the best coffee in the world. We have maintained a strong competitive price of coffee in the global market, which will lead to more business opportunities for Chinese buyers," the representative asserted.Besides Tangka and coffee beans, Tanzanian ebony sculptures also attracted floods of visitors to the country's booth, all of whom showed great interest in buying ebony sculptures at the fair itself.

"We did not want to sell it at the fair. What we really wanted is to open the door of the Chinese market by showcasing our products here," said a staff member of the Tanzanian Embassy in China.The staff member said Tanzania is famous for its ebony production and sculptures made of the dark wood are widely appreciated across the world.