A cosplay show is staged during the 18th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. CHINA DAILY

The 18th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival concluded in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province recently.

The well-managed festival featured a variety of events, both online and live, including exhibitions, forums, contract matchmaking, cosplay shows, livestreams and competitions.

It attracted 292 Chinese and foreign companies and institutions, as well as 1,400 exhibitors, merchants and professionals from 52 countries and regions who participated in various on-site activities and conducted 4,073 one-on-one matchmaking meetings. As a result, contracts worth a total of 554 million yuan ($78.45 million) were signed.

Around 32,000 people visited the festival, and a further 10.2 million people participated virtually through the Online CICAF platform. Media groups and companies from places such as Beijing, Shanghai and the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangdong offered a glimpse into the achievements of China's animation industry and revealed the potential of the metaverse, metahumans and holographic techniques.

In addition, animation produced by studios in Hangzhou, Zhejiang's capital, shone at the event. Ten films dealing with the government policy of common prosperity were presented.

Winners of the Golden Monkey King Awards, a top honor in the Chinese cartoon and animation industry, were presented to 34 of the nearly 1,000 original entries from 19 countries and regions, according to organizers.

"Cartoons and animation are an art form, both traditional and modern, that have a relaxing tone but a profound philosophy," Yan Xiaoming, deputy director of the China Media Group, told the event via video message.

Created by artists from all over the world, cartoons and animation are rooted in culture and customs, which enriches the development of the industry, Yan added. Moreover, the integration of information technology has made the sector pivotal to the cultural industry as a whole, and China's animation sector has made great progress.

Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification won the Gold Award for the General Awards Animated Feature Film. It not only represents the peak of domestic animation in terms of production technology, but also lends its main character, the hero Jiang Ziya, deeper cultural significance, making traditional Chinese culture more attractive in the process.

According to Gao Weihua, the film's producer, it gave audiences a chance to re-evaluate the beauty of Chinese culture and history.

Xiajiang: The Dream of Common Prosperity won the Special Award for Red Animation Awards. Xiajiang village in Hangzhou has become a demonstration village for rural development thanks to the great changes that have taken place there over the past decade. These days, the village's mountains are lush and its rivers are once again clear.

At the opening ceremony, local authorities released a set of guidelines regarding the development of Hangzhou's cartoon, animation and esports industries. The guidelines proposed that the combined annual revenue of the three sectors should reach 60 billion yuan by 2025.

Moreover, they stipulated that 100 million yuan in special funds will be allocated every year to support the integration and mutual promotion of the animated games and esports sectors.

The CICAF has become the largest, most popular and most influential professional animation event in China, playing a pivotal role as a platform and bridge in advancing the national cartoon and animation industry, and expediting in-depth exchange and cooperation between China and other countries.