Shenzhen | Marine life exhibition opens based on ancient book

An exhibition named “Marine Life in the Forbidden City” opened on Friday in Shenzhen. The exhibits are based on the Beijing Palace Museum’s antique – the “HAI CUO TU”, a Qing dynasty (1644-1911) picture catalog containing more than 300 species of sea animals created by painter Nie Huang. Covering an area of 1,400 square meters, the exhibition is composed of more than 30 exhibits including animations, interactive games and immersive photo-taking venues. Held at the Shenzhen Sea World Culture and Arts Center, the exhibition is jointly sponsored by the Beijing Palace Museum and China Merchants Cultural Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. of China Merchants Group. The exhibition will last until October 8.

Guangzhou | French film panorama held during China tour

The 16th French Film Panorama is being held in Guangzhou, provincial capital of Guangdong, as part of its annual China tour, reports the China Culture Daily. The 15-day screening that started on July 5 has brought local residents nine recently-released French films including the documentary “Varda by Agnes,” comedy “Sink or Swim”, and “By the Grace of God,” which has just claimed a Silver Bear in this year’s Berlin Film Festival, according to the Beijing-based newspaper. The films are screening in French with Chinese subtitles until July 21. Starting in 2004, the panorama is jointly held by UniFrance and the French Embassy in China to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Dongguan | Chinese smartphone maker starts on new R&D center

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO broke ground with its new research and development (R&D) center in southern Chinese city of Dongguan last week. With a total investment of 2.2 billion yuan (about USD 324 million), the center will focus on developing and testing smartphones and their accessories. It is expected to be put into operation in 2024. “After the center is operational, it will take up the strategic role of leading OPPO’s technological development,” said Zhu Gaoling, executive president of OPPO. In the first quarter this year, OPPO, together with another Chinese brand Vivo, co-ranked fifth in the global smartphone market share, after Samsung, Huawei, Apple and Xiaomi, according to research firm IDC.