Handicrafts that blend traditional techniques with new designs are drawing strong interest from overseas buyers at the second phase of the 140th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province.

Better known as the Canton Fair, the event opened its second, five-day phase on Friday under the theme of "quality home life." The halls sprawl across over half a million square meters, hosting around 11,000 exporters, more than 3,600 of them high-quality firms showcasing over two million products.

Among the stands, one booth of willow-woven baskets and picnic hampers caught the eye -- the kind of traditional craftwork the exhibitor said has found its way, thanks to the fair, into markets across dozens of countries.

"We have worked with this company before, but we discovered they have a really nice booth here and they are Sedex members which is great for us and the social compliance which we need for the UK," said buyer Walker Richard.

Sedex tracks sustainability practices across supply chains, and membership gives exporters a recognized credential for buyers subject to social compliance checks, such as those required in Britain.

"Over the past few days, we've seen a large number of customers. We feel that the quality of the fair, and of the buyers, keeps improving every year. Many are new customers, but some old ones also come back," said exhibitor Li Li.

This year, many exhibitors have moved beyond traditional forms, diversifying their products and refining their designs to fit a wider range of settings and boost orders.

"We have been participating in the Canton Fair for more than a decade. This year we've brought many new products. Since the opening, we've seen over 70 buyers, and they're mainly interested in our designs and material combinations. We have also had some clients who kept coming back for our production capacity and technologies," said exhibitor Wan Kexiang.

The 140th Canton Fair runs in three phases from Oct. 15 to Nov. 4. Over the past 70 years, it has grown into China's largest and longest-running international trade event, with the broadest product range, the biggest buyer turnout and the highest transaction volume.