A gift from Switzerland, this red Swiss cow is now one of Ji Suyang's most memorable keepsakes.

JI SUYANG, STUDENT DALIAN NO. 9 MIDDLE SCHOOL "It was a gift given to me by Klaus Schwab, the executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. It's hand-made and I like it a lot."

Ji was one of the seven local residents selected to participate in the Davos Forum last summer. He was only 11, the youngest to attend the summit, along with political figures, business leaders and scholars.

JI SUYANG, STUDENT DALIAN NO. 9 MIDDLE SCHOOL "I was very lost on the first day of the forum, but on the second day through simultaneous translation I started to get what they were talking about. I was particularly drawn by those sessions on artificial intelligence and how to protect the ocean. Their insights really opened my eyes."

Ji is now obsessed with this book, called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also a gift from Professor Schwab, the author. No doubt the global economic meeting has broadened the horizons of many locals like Ji. It has also given a big push to the local businesses.

CUI HUI'AO DALIAN, LIAONING PROVINCE "This is the venue of the Summer Davos Forum. Ten years ago, the city Dalian was chosen because China's rapid growth had been shifting the world's economic and geopolitical focus to Asia. Back then, organizers hoped the Dalian meeting would serve as a platform to link multinationals and growth companies from across the world. Ten years later, it is fair to say Summer Davos has been good for the local economy."

This logistics company in Ginpu New District was established in 2016. After a year of preparation, it is now gearing up for offering logistics and warehousing services for domestic e-commerce giants like Alibaba.

JIN JINGHUA, VICE GENERAL MANAGER SHUNQIAN INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS COMPANY "The Summer Davos Forum is a gateway for us to understand how innovation, science and technology can drive economies. Two years ago we decided to refocus our business from traditional trade to cross-border e-commerce services, which we believe has bigger potential in the future."

Located in the newly-established Free Trade Zone, Jin's company has ambitions to expand into the international arena as well, doing businesses with big names like Amazon and Ebay.

HAN BO, VICE DIRECTOR BONDED LOGISTICS BUREAU, DALIAN FREE TRADE ZONE "Global business leaders would come to our Free Trade Zone during the summit, looking for potential opportunities in areas we are strong at, such as equipment manufacturing, and logistics. By hosting the Summer Davos Forum, Dalian is becoming more and more open to the outside world."

Dalian aims to become a financial, shipping and logistics center for northeast Asia and beyond. And the Summer Davos will continue to catalyze the process.