HANGZHOU, China, June 09, 2025 — The 21st China International Cartoon & Animation Festival, held in Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang), concluded on June 2. The festival highlighted innovative applications of animation combined with technology and everyday services, demonstrating how the city enhances quality of life through creativity and a strong digital infrastructure.
Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang), a leading animation and gaming hub in Zhejiang, took center stage. This 72-square-kilometer area has cultivated a flourishing digital economy, including a significant animation sector, while promoting global scientific innovation and its integration into daily life. By establishing a robust digital foundation, Binjiang has improved the satisfaction and happiness of businesses and residents.
Binjiang’s thriving digital economy has garnered national recognition and is now attracting international attention.
From May 21 to 23, eleven journalists from nine international media outlets participated in the “International Communication Workshop for Going-global of Binjiang Enterprises.” Through three days of on-site interviews and hands-on experiences, they documented the district’s rapid technological advancement, its modern and cosmopolitan atmosphere, and the seamless integration of innovation into daily life.
At NetEase, the company behind the popular open-world game Where Winds Meet, journalists met with the development team and saw how Chinese aesthetics are pushed beyond traditional limits using advanced motion capture and map engine technologies. The game’s open-world martial arts setting, which combines historical narrative with immersive adventure, made visitors feel like “chivalrous heroes in a living saga.”
A recent report from the Dafeng Science and Technology Innovation Center highlighted stage technologies that blend artistic elegance with technical precision, used in events ranging from Spring Festival Galas to international shows. The center, with over 2,000 technicians and artists, has become a “laboratory for tech-art dialogue,” transforming stages into innovative canvases.
Binjiang’s digital capabilities extend beyond culture into manufacturing, boosting “Binjiang-made” products on the world market.
At Be Friends, a major MCN, international journalists toured its headquarters livestreaming studio, where 300 products are presented daily to over 100 million users. Asia Business emphasized how Be Friends aids high-tech firms like Unitree (one of “Hangzhou’s Six Little Dragons”) in selling humanoid robots. Journalists were impressed by AI applications, such as DeepSeek’s script optimization, which helped new anchors achieve 130 million yuan in sales within four hours, demonstrating Binjiang’s widespread digital economy. The report noted that Binjiang, though only 0.5% of Hangzhou’s land, contributes 13.2% of the city’s GDP, making it a significant “economic engine.”
“Enterprises are seeds; the government is the soil that fosters growth,” a journalist wrote in a report about the national overseas talent innovation hub in Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang). Binjiang’s comprehensive innovation ecosystem, which includes startup incubation, investment matching, talent housing, and international communities, attracts global entrepreneurs hoping to become the next “Hangzhou Little Dragon.”
Binjiang, home to tech giants like Hikvision and Dahua, now hosts over 20,000 tech companies, driving progress in fields such as brain-machine interfaces and humanoid robots.
Song Xing, who returned from New Zealand, was inspired by Binjiang’s ecosystem to found MindAngel Ltd., which commercialized a brainwave-controlled wheelchair. At MindAngel, journalists experienced the brain-machine interface wheelchair firsthand, marveling at the ability to control movement with “mind power”: “Here, dreams become reality.”
Leapmotor, headquartered in Binjiang, topped China’s new energy vehicle sales charts for three months (March-May), marking 2025 as a crucial year for its global expansion. Media outlets focused on its low-cost model (65% self-developed/manufactured parts) and international strategies. “Binjiang’s talent pool gives us the edge to build competitive teams,” said Li Jiannan, Leapmotor’s overseas business deputy general manager.
Technology also improves the daily lives of residents. In Binfen Future Community, journalists praised the “digitized safe school route,” while a journalist highlighted a “diversified service ecosystem” in a report, noting the intergenerational spaces that combine community canteens, health centers, and smart parks, calling it a “future lab for urban governance.” At Hikvision’s kindergarten, intelligent security systems and child-friendly design show how advanced technology protects the youngest residents.
“Binjiang integrates innovation with community services — a unique feature and strength of China,” a journalist commented, noting how local companies thrive globally while improving residents’ lives: “They love working and living here. That’s truly remarkable.”
From animation’s cultural advancements to livestreaming commerce and forward-thinking communities, Binjiang demonstrates how digital technology empowers industries and enhances lives. International media observed that it is not only a window into China’s innovative spirit but also a living example of “technology for better living.”
With digital transformation delivering tangible benefits, Hangzhou Binjiang is shaping the future of Digital China and showing the world the possibilities when innovation and humanity come together.
Source: International Communication Workshop for Going-global of Binjiang Enterprises
CONTACT: Contact person: Ms. Li, Tel: 86-10-63074558
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