Charity fair focuses on improving people's lives

Over 280,000 people participated and letters of intent for charitable work worth over 7.9 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) were signed at the three-day 10th China Charity Fair in Shenzhen, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The fair, which concluded on Sunday, has grown to become a leading national platform for exhibiting charitable projects and exchanges based upon the concept of improving people's well-being.

More than 5,000 organizations, projects and products showed up at the fair this year, which was organized by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and took place at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in the city's Futian district.

According to the Shenzhen city government, this year's fair featured two themed exhibition halls covering an area of approximately 45,000 square meters, as well as 10 sub-venues across the city.

More than 20 seminars and roundtable discussions were held to address trending topics related to charity development in China, including social services and technology.

The China International Philanthropic Movie Festival, the nation's first platform for charitable film-making, was held with a movie competition, an award ceremony and the release of a research report on the current state of philanthropic movies in China.

Zhang Chunsheng, vice-minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, emphasized the importance of aligning charity development with the characteristics and demands of the Chinese path to modernization.

"We need to actively encourage and support the participation of various sectors of society, and improve transparency and credibility within the industry to drive the high-quality development of China's philanthropic and charity sector," Zhang said.

Recognized as the largest and most prestigious charity event in China, the CCF serves as a vital platform to showcase the achievements of China's philanthropic development, foster modern philanthropic concepts, and facilitate the connection of charitable resources.

Since its inception in Shenzhen in 2012, the CCF has gradually gained international recognition and made significant contributions to poverty alleviation, rural vitalization and the advancement of innovative charity initiatives.

Yi Yang contributed to this story.