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# National sci-fi convention blasts off in Beijing

A captivating holographic visual show mesmerizes attendees at the China Science Fiction Convention 2023 opening ceremony held in Beijing, May 29, 2023. [Photo/China.org.cn]

The 2023 China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC), co-hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology and the Beijing government, took place from May 29 to June 4, 2023, in Beijing. Featuring 40 diverse activities, including forums, a sci-fi carnival, and exhibitions, this event was integrated for the first time as a parallel event into the Zhongguancun Forum, a national-level science and technology forum. Through the Zhongguancun Forum's international platform, the convention infused Chinese science fiction with advanced scientific concepts and innovative technologies, heralding a new era for the industry's development. The annual sci-fi industry report, jointly compiled by the China Science Fiction Research Center and the Research Center for Science and Human Imagination under the Southern University of Science and Technology, was released at the convention, highlighting a positive trend in 2022, with total revenue reaching 87.75 billion yuan. The convention also launched the inaugural and lucrative Science Fiction Planet Awards, honoring nine high-tech enterprises for their innovative breakthroughs. Notably, the venue for the CSFC, Shougang Park in Beijing's Shijingshan district, was renovated from an old steel plant into a hub for China's sci-fi and hi-tech sectors, aiming to build a cluster area for such enterprises. For example, at the convention, the local government officially granted business nameplates to the Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute, as well as to the studios of renowned Chinese sci-fi authors Liu Cixin and Wang Jinkang.