Yunhe county is proud of its wooden toy industry. [Photo/Tide News]

The much-anticipated 7th Fairy Tale Yunhe Wooden Toy Festival kicked off on Nov 10 in Yunhe county – located in Lishui city, in East China's Zhejiang province.

It marked the 50th anniversary of the county's wooden toy industry, which over the decades has grown into a world-renowned hub of production and innovation.

The three-day festival, which resumed after a six-year hiatus, highlighted the cultural and creative aspects of wooden toys.

The opening ceremony honored the achievements of the industry over the past five decades, with awards presented to 17 entrepreneurs and 29 enterprises for their outstanding contributions. Eight new projects worth 760 million yuan ($104.19 million) were also signed at the event.

More than 30 countries and regions, as well as various provinces and cities in China, took part in the festival. It aimed to foster exchanges and business among wooden toy enterprises and buyers worldwide.

Some of the world's top toy brands, such as Germany's Hape, Haba, and Delta-Sport, as well as US manufacturer Melissa & Doug also joined in the fun.

Yunhe county is the largest and most diverse wooden toy creation and export base in China, with nearly 1,100 wooden toy production enterprises and tens of thousands of varieties of wooden toy products.

Yunhe wooden toys are sold to 82 countries and regions around the world, accounting for 66 percent of the market share in China and 40 percent of the world.

In recent years, Yunhe has been exploring new ways to integrate wooden toys with other fields – such as culture, tourism, education, health, and technology. Driven by talent, technology, and culture, Yunhe has extended its wooden toys from production and manufacturing to cultural and creative items.