A glance at the UNESCO Creative Cities Design Exhibition. Photo from the organizers

The UNESCO Creative Cities Design Exhibition brings together works by designers from 20 cities in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN), sparking a cross-disciplinary dialogue on cities, culture, and the future.

Launched in 2004, the UCCN promotes cooperation among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic driver of sustainable urban development. It now includes 408 cities representing design, literature, film, gastronomy, and other creative fields. By leveraging their unique strengths, participating cities explore what cities can become in the future.

Design works on display at the exhibition.

Shenzhen plays a key role in this landscape. Designated a UNESCO “City of Design” in 2008 — the first in China and the sixth globally — Shenzhen has grown from a manufacturing base into an innovation powerhouse. It has since been joined by Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, and Chongqing, contributing to China’s status as home to one of the largest concentrations of design cities within the network.

The exhibition highlights design practices from all five of China’s UNESCO Cities of Design, alongside works from 15 other international creative cities. Together, they offer a snapshot of design philosophies from the East and creative expressions spanning literature, film, music, and crafts from around the world.

Through the exhibition, visitors will see that design is more than form and function — it is a shared language that connects cultures and inspires new ideas.

Visitors explore the exhibition.

Dates: Through April 15

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Mondays

Tickets: Free

Venue: Pingshan Exhibition Gallery, Pingshan District (坪山区坪山展览馆)

Metro: Line 14 to Pingshan Center Station (坪山中心站), Exit D2

SkyShuttle: Line 1 to Culture Center Station (文化聚落站), Exit A