African art, craftsmanship and music filled the Shandong Museum in Jinan on Tuesday as the 2026 Shandong-Africa Cultural Carnival opened to the public.
Footage shows visitors exploring displays of ceramics, wooden carvings, costumes, masks, photography and handicrafts. Drummers perform nearby as crowds browse the busy Shandong-Africa Treasure Bazaar.
Visitor Wang Ruo Yi said she was particularly impressed by the exhibits, including a dinosaur fossil on display.
“I believe this event can better promote Shandong-Africa relations – not just cultural exchanges, but also strengthen China-Africa friendship,” she said.
Another visitor, Qin Lang, said the museum had drawn them with the promise of discovery.
“We came here with a desire to learn and explore,” he said.
Qin said the African exhibits, including clay sculptures, had left a strong impression.
“It shows that the friendship between China and Africa is truly deep,” he added.
The carnival opened on August 4 under the theme ‘Mountains and Seas in Harmony, Shared Beauty’. Its main programme includes the Great River, Great Earth: Shandong-Africa Art Dialogue Exhibition and the Shandong-Africa Treasure Bazaar.
The exhibition brings together African artworks, geological specimens, photography and cultural objects alongside traditional crafts from Shandong. The bazaar includes 25 stalls offering African products and handicrafts, as well as goods from across the Chinese province.
The market runs for three days, while the main exhibition is expected to remain open for around 20 days. The carnival is hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Shandong provincial government as part of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
Source: Viory
