China's major animation festival bustles with 9 mln visits

HANGZHOU, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The 20th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) wrapped up in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, on Sunday, drawing over 9 million online and offline visitors.

During the five-day event, 233,000 visitors attended activities at the main and secondary venues, and the value of on-site deals and intended contract agreements totaled 1.28 billion yuan (about 180 million U.S. dollars).

According to the organizers, 2,156 companies and institutions from 52 countries and regions participated in this year's CICAF, attracting 3,072 business representatives and showcasing 147,000 exhibits from across the globe.

The festival featured various activities, including an international animation game business conference, a cosplay event and a voice actor contest.

Organized by the National Radio and Television Administration, China Media Group and the Zhejiang provincial government, the festival has been held annually in Hangzhou, one of the animation hubs in China, since 2005.