Southwest China's Chengdu City has seen substantial growth of the real economy driven by the vibrant anime culture which has been transforming entertainment into an innovative lifestyle and spurring consumer spending.
As the burgeoning animation has catered to the spiritual and social needs of young people in Chengdu, its enabling affinity for animation, comics, and games has created a dynamic environment for Generation-Z (people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s).
Unlike temporary expos, Chengdu boasts a permanent ACG (Animation, Comic, and Game) city, attracting an average of over 30,000 visitors daily during the golden National Day holiday from Oct 1-7.
"Our store sells both international and domestic IPs, including Guzi (derived from "goods," referring to anime merchandise), trendy toys, and figurines, resulting in a huge customer flow daily," said Zheng Zequan, a shop owner in the Tianfu ACG International City.
Featuring over a hundred shops, along with singing competitions and immersive experiences, the city immerses its visitors in an intriguing virtual world.
"There is a strong anime cultural atmosphere here. Compared to previous projects, ours can be considered a better new landmark in urban cultural tourism," said Li Meng, vice general manager of the Tianfu ACG International City of the Sichuan Tourism Investment Group.
With over 500 million anime enthusiasts in China, predominantly young consumers with significant spending power, the market for this genre has already surpassed 200 billion yuan (approximately 28.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023.
Anime culture fuels innovative growth of real economy in Chengdu
