A special exhibition area highlighting Yellow River culture was set up at the first China International Cultural Tourism Fair.

The seven provinces and two autonomous regions from the Yellow River Basin, including Gansu province, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Shaanxi province, and Sichuan province, displayed their unique culture and tourism products at the event.

The 5,464-km-long Yellow River is the cradle of Chinese civilization. The river feeds about 12 percent of China's population, irrigates about 15 percent of its arable land, supports 14 percent of the national GDP, and supplies water to more than 60 cities.

Over the course of 3,000 years, several major Chinese dynasties have built their capitals in the river basin, making the region the political, economic, and cultural center of the country.

The four era-defining inventions of ancient China, printing, papermaking, gunpowder, and the compass, all emerged in the Yellow River's drainage basin.

A special exhibition area highlighting Yellow River culture is set up at the first China International Cultural Tourism Fair. [Photo/dzwww.com]

The Sichuan province exhibition area at the expo [Photo/dzwww.com]

Unique cultural products from Shaanxi province are exhibited. [Photo/dzwww.com]

The exhibition area of Inner Mongolia autonomous region attracts many visitors. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Traditional cloth tigers from Shanxi province are exhibited at the expo. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Pendants with Shanxi characteristics are sold at the expo. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Egg carvings are exhibited at the expo. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Special local products from Qinghai province are popular among visitors at the expo. [Photo/dzwww.com]