21st China Int'l Cartoon, Animation Festival opens in Hangzhou

China

21st China Int'l Cartoon, Animation Festival opens in Hangzhou

2025-05-30 17:52 Last Updated At：19:17

The 21st China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) opened on Thursday in Hangzhou, a bustling animation hub in east China's Zhejiang Province, bringing a five-day celebration of animation, games, and crossover creativity.

At the event, fans can enjoy interactive performances and exhibitions showcasing both Chinese and international animation.

For instance, they can take photos with cosplayers, including characters from the popular Chinese video game "Black Myth: Wukong" and classic figures like Ne Zha, collect limited-edition products at booths, and even test their strength in a robot boxing match.

More than 300 leading enterprises are participating in the festival, displaying their new works and innovations. For example, one company has created a digital figure of Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo, a renowned poet from China's Song Dynasty (960-1279). He served two terms in Hangzhou, leaving a wealth of meaningful poems and delectable allusions such as Dongpo Pork.

"We believe Su Dongpo, a famous poet who is deeply connected to Hangzhou, can be integrated into both culture and tourism. That's why we developed this digital figure. It's the second time he has participated in the festival. The version seen this year is even smarter than last year's one," said Shen Yuliang, general manager of Zhejiang Zhongnan Animation Co., Ltd.

In addition, China Media Group (CMG) demonstrated a collection of models used to produce stop-motion animation, one of the oldest forms of animation, at its exhibition booth.

These animations were created for major events such as the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Spring Festival Gala, and this year's cartoon festival.

"The filming and production process took around two months; for stop-motion pictures, it's not very long because this form naturally takes more time, but we believe it still has huge potential in modern times," said Jiang Tao, head of the Anime Filming Studio under CMG.

Apart from performances and exhibitions, forums are also held to boost the development of the animation and cartoon industry. One of the forums invited experts from schools, leading short video content platforms, and animation artists to discuss how to nurture young talents.

"What we choose to do is to open the gate of our schools and integrate industry with education. We introduced animation programs from leading firms like NetEase and Alibaba to inform our students about what the industry really wants," said Chen Lingguang, dean of the School of Animation and Digital Arts at Communication University of Zhejiang.

Hangzhou has been hosting the annual festival since 2005.

U.S. stocks close higher amid criminal probe into Fed chair Powell

U.S. stocks finished slightly higher on Monday, staging a late-session recovery as investors navigated a volatile landscape marked by a criminal probe into the Federal Reserve leadership.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 86.13 points, or 0.17 percent, to 49,590.2. The S&P 500 added 10.99 points, or 0.16 percent, to 6,977.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 62.56 points, or 0.26 percent, to 23,733.9. Despite the positive close, the market experienced significant intraday turbulence, with the Dow dropping nearly 500 points at its session lows.

Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in positive territory. Consumer staples and industrials led the gainers, rising 1.42 percent and 0.75 percent, respectively. Financials and energy were the primary laggards, declining 0.8 percent and 0.66 percent.

Market sentiment was initially shaken by an announcement on Sunday from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who confirmed that federal prosecutors are investigating him over the Fed's multi-billion-dollar project to renovate its headquarters. Powell characterized the probe as an attempt by the Trump administration to compromise the Fed's independence.

Further weighing on the financial sector was a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent for one year, which triggered a sell-off in banking stocks amid concerns over restricted lending and reduced profitability. Capital One shares plummeted 6.42 percent, while Citigroup, JPMorgan and Bank of America also recorded losses.

In contrast, retail giant Walmart led the Dow's advance, climbing 3 percent following news of its upcoming inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 index. The company also announced a strategic partnership with Google's Gemini AI to enhance the digital shopping experience.

Investors are awaiting Tuesday's release of the U.S. consumer price index for December 2025. Following last week's cooling labor market data, market participants increasingly expect the Fed to maintain interest rates at their current levels during the upcoming January meeting.