Creative sector shines in Hangzhou

Original animations generated 1.95 billion yuan last year

As the creative industry gains momentum in Hangzhou, capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, it is expected to become the most "shining part" of the city's economy, said local officials.

Statistics show that the sector generated 84.3 billion yuan ($13.45 billion) in 2011, accounting for more than 12 percent of the city's GDP.

It grew 14.3 percent from 2010, 4.2 percent higher than the overall growth of the city's economy and 0.7 percent higher than the average of other core industries in Hangzhou, according to a report by the city government.

"Such a rapid growth is rare nationwide," said Hangzhou Mayor Shao Zhanwei.

In 2010, the State Council formulated a "Regional Plan for the Yangtze River Delta" that urged Hangzhou to grow into a national creativity industry center.

"This means it is now a national policy to develop Hangzhou's creative industry," Shao said.

The industry has since been forging ahead, with the animation sector alone employing 30,000 people, Shao said.

Statistics show original animation created in Hangzhou totaled 38,000 minutes in 2011, ranking it first among cities across the nation. The products generated 1.95 billion yuan in profit, an increase of 140 percent over 2010.

Seven of its animation companies are now on the national list of major export-oriented cultural enterprises, Shao said.

Hangzhou also hosted the China International Cartoon and Animation Festival in May that attracted exhibitors from more than 60 countries and regions and nearly 2.2 million visitors. Trade at the industry fair hit 14.6 billion yuan, an increase of 14 percent from 2011.

"The Hangzhou festival really boosts the whole (animation and cartoon) industry," Qu Jianfang, a famed Chinese animator and director, told chinanews.com.

According to a report by the Taipei-based Cultural Creative Industry Association, Hangzhou ranked third in creative competitiveness nationwide in 2011, following only Shanghai and Beijing.

Together with Sydney, Hangzhou won the global cultural industry academy award in 2011, the first Chinese city to receive the accolade, according to the Hangzhou Daily.

"Yet it is not time for us to rest on laurels," said Wang Xiaomei, a representative of the animation and cartoon festival's organizing committee. "We are aware that Hangzhou still has a long way to go compared with cities with really thriving creative industries around the world."

To further promote development of the industry in Hangzhou, Shao said financial support for companies is essential, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The city government earmarks at least 10 million yuan each year to help finance cultural enterprises. It has also built cooperative relationships with nine local financial institutions that have issued loans worth 210 million yuan to 115 SMEs, Shao said.

The government has also launched financial awards to encourage the development of the creativity industry, with listed companies in the industry entitled to receive up to 1 million yuan, according to a city government report.

An effort to train young professionals has also been launched to enrich the talent pool for the industry, local officials said.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/19/2012 page10)