Ningbo-based university brings innovative designs of time-honored brands to global audiences

The exhibition site. [Photo/Tide News]

A cross-cultural design exhibition showcasing innovative interpretations of China's time-honored brands is being held at Universitas Mercu Buana in Jakarta, Indonesia, from June 1 to 14, highlighting universities' growing role in promoting cultural exchange and brand innovation.

The Jakarta event is part of the International Touring Exhibition of Cross-Cultural Innovative Design for Yangtze River Delta Featured Brands.

Led by Ningbo's Zhejiang Wanli University and organized with the help of East China University of Science and Technology and Universitas Mercu Buana, the exhibition is an uncommon example of Chinese universities taking the lead in curating and presenting an international exhibition overseas.

Supported by China's National Arts Fund, the exhibition follows a successful debut in Hamburg, Germany, in 2025. It features 100 award-winning works created by young Chinese designers for well-known brands and cultural institutions, including White Rabbit candies, Dunhuang musical instruments, Maochang Optical, Wuliangcai Optical, Guanshengyuan, and Tianyige.

Through visual identity design, cultural and creative products, and cross-cultural communication projects, the exhibition demonstrates how traditional Chinese brands can be revitalized in contemporary contexts.

The opening ceremony was held on June 2 and was accompanied by a series of academic forums on brand heritage, digital marketing, sustainable design, and industrial waste recycling. Chinese and Indonesian scholars explored new approaches to brand development in an increasingly digital and globalized world.

Following its Jakarta stop, the exhibition will travel to Austria and Serbia in July, continuing to share the stories behind Chinese brands and their cultural values with international audiences through design and academic dialogue.