Chengdu Extends an Invitation from the Hometown of Pandas at the World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles

The Chengdu Science Fiction Society

CHENGDU, China, Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At 5 p.m. local time on August 29, the "Invitation from the Hometown of Pandas - Chengdu's Digital Cultural and Creative Industries in Los Angeles" exhibition and exchange event, hosted by the Chengdu Science Fiction Society, was successfully held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Los Angeles, the venue for the 84th World Science Fiction Convention.

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Following its successful hosting of the 81st World Science Fiction Convention in 2023, Chengdu carried that momentum into this year's event, showcasing its homegrown sci-fi and digital creative industries in a bid to expand their overseas reach and further polish its international profile as "China's Sci-Fi Capital".

At this year's convention, 22 IPs and products from 12 local digital cultural and creative companies were on display. The exhibits ranged from the AI panda Kormo - the mascot of the 2023 convention - and animated feature All Wishes Come True!  and Chinese animation Shrouding the Heavens , to the popular Chinese game Honor of Kings, and Walulu AI smart toys, along with INMO AR smart glasses. Spanning film and animation, smart hardware, collectible designer toys and derivatives, and literary publishing, the showcase offered a panoramic view of Chengdu's fully developed science fiction and digital cultural and creative ecosystem, drawing over 2,000 science fiction directors, screenwriters, investors, and fans.

At the "Three-Year Rendezvous: See You Again in Chengdu" roundtable held during the convention, Huang Hongjiang, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, shared his personal reflections, noting that Chengdu is both the hometown of the giant panda and a city brimming with imagination and creativity. Los Angeles is a major global center for the film and entertainment industries, while China continues to sharpen its creative capabilities in animation, film, and other fields. He said there is potential for further exchanges with U.S. film and television institutions to explore new opportunities for content creation and industrial cooperation.

Robert J. Sawyer, a Hugo Award-winning science fiction author, spoke highly of the 2023 convention in Chengdu, noting that China's profound, time-honored history and culture provide fertile creative ground for science fiction. Carolina, Chair of the European Science Fiction Society, also praised Chengdu for its open and inclusive character and international-standard services, expressing hope for deeper exchanges and collaboration with the city's science fiction community.

Since the 2023 convention, Chengdu has been translating the convention's influence into industrial momentum. Leveraging the supportive policy of "13 Measures for Science Fiction" and the science fiction industry fund of 3.3 billion yuan, and with the Chengdu Tianwen Chinese Science Fiction Literature Contest serving as a creative source, the city has built a full-fledged science fiction industry ecosystem spanning IP incubation, AIGC creation, copyright trading, and derivative product development.

Through its engagement and exchanges in Los Angeles, Chengdu is not only taking its homegrown IPs, cultural and creative products, and urban brands to international audiences, but also building a network of overseas institutions and creators and identifying potential partners for the Chengdu Science Fiction Week.

Contact person: Ms. Hou, Tel: 86-10-63074558