The 19th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival kicked off in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on June 20.

The event, which will run until June 24, has drawn a total of 469 enterprises, schools, and institutions from 59 countries and regions to attend the exhibition.

This year, the festival has returned to its main venue at Hangzhou White Horse Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center after being held at Hangzhou International Expo Center last year. Additionally, for the first time in the festival's history, a subsidiary venue has been set up at the China Cartoon & Animation Museum.

The event comprises over 20 activities in five sectors, exploring a range of topics such as how Chinese animated works can better succeed overseas. It has gathered some renowned animators and cartoonists, including Taiwan comic artist Zhu Deyong and Zhejiang native cartoonist MurongYindao.

During a forum discussing the influence of popular cartoon works, Zhu said that drawing has been an integral part of his life, revealing that he would often spend time drawing cartoons at his desk, even when he felt exhausted. "I have always loved drawing. Humor, to me, is a gift from above and also a way for us to explore the meaning of life," he said.

The festival's exhibition, its top draw for cartoon and animation fans, has also set a Russian booth to display the new and popular works from a total of 15 Russian companies. Anna Shliakhina, head of the marketing department of the Moscow Export Center, said that more than 80 percent of Russian cartoon and animation companies are based in Moscow, adding that she hopes the Hangzhou festival would help Russian animators to seek greater collaboration opportunities with Chinese artists.