Beijing and Chengdu top the China Sci-Fi Cities Index

The latest China Sci-Fi Cities Index was released on October 18, with Beijing and Chengdu topping the list, providing a benchmark for Chinese cities to develop their sci-fi industries and learn from each other. the others

Professor Wu Yan speaks at the release of the China Science Fiction City Index Report 2024 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province on October 18, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Science Fiction Research Center from China)

The 2024 China Science Fiction City Index Report, compiled by the China Science Fiction Research Center, the Chengdu Institute for High-Quality Development and the Growth Foundation of Shenzhen Science and Fantasy, considers various factors such as economic base, technological innovation, cultural consumption and political environment. . The report assessed 26 cities in China, each with a GDP of more than 1 trillion yuan by 2023.

“We hope to build a scientific evaluation index system to comprehensively and objectively reveal the differences and characteristics of different cities in terms of science fiction development, providing a reference for cities to develop science fiction and learn from each other,” said Wu Yan. , a Chinese science fiction pioneer, scholar, writer and professor at the Humanities Center of the Southern University of Science and Technology. Wu presented the report on behalf of the project team during the award ceremony of the TianWen 2024 Chinese Science Fiction Literature Competition, which was held last weekend in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

In designing the indicators, the project team followed four main principles: “scientific and practical”, “stable and dynamic”, “measurable and comparable”, and “comprehensive and representative”. Based on the basic concepts and strategic orientation of the evaluation, they developed three main indicators: “industry development”, “cultural diffusion” and “fusion capabilities”.

Each primary indicator was made up of secondary indicators, such as the intensity of science fiction film and television consumption, and the number of science fiction-related political documents, science fiction writers, science fiction books published and science fiction events. The selection of secondary indicators focused on measurability and representativeness, with the aim of systematically assessing the level of development of science fiction in cities in a multidimensional way.

The top 10 cities according to the selection criteria were: Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Changsha.

Beijing, China’s capital and resource-rich city, scored 81.01. The city has developed a sci-fi industry that includes content creation, IP conversion, special effects production, hard technology and immersive experiences. In 2020, the China Science and Technology Association and the Beijing Municipal Government agreed to establish a science fiction industry cluster in Shougang Park. The following year, Shijingshan District, where the park is located, launched measures to support and fund the formation of the country’s science fiction industry consortium.

Chengdu, known as the “Science Fiction Capital of China” and host of the 81st World Science Fiction Convention in 2023, scored 78.44. Science Fiction World magazine, a leading global science fiction publication for over 40 years based in the city, has launched the careers of many outstanding writers, including Liu Cixin. The city also has prestigious awards such as the Galaxy Awards and the Chinese Nebula Awards.

In 2023, the revenue of Chengdu’s science fiction industry reached 23.52 billion yuan, up 17.49% from the previous year, showing robust growth. Chen Ling, secretary general of the China Science Writers Association and executive deputy director of the China Science Fiction Research Center, highlighted the crucial role played by Chengdu’s science fiction industry in national development, adding that the city excels in reading, games and merchandise.

Another city worth noting is Shenzhen, which ranked first in terms of sci-fi integration capacity. Over the years, the city’s significant economic resources, strong innovation environment and talent attraction have laid a strong foundation for integrating various industries with science fiction. In particular, in technological innovation and urban construction with science fiction, Shenzhen has shown significant leadership.

San Feng, a science fiction researcher and project leader of the report, told China.org.cn that after Beijing and Chengdu, the other eight cities in the top 10 include cities in the Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong. Greater Macau Bay Area, which benefits from unique geographical advantages and supportive policies that enhance its competitiveness and potential for science fiction development. Cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou in the Yangtze River Delta stand out for their science fiction content industry and leisure tourism, with significant advances in science fiction films and games. Meanwhile, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area has shown strong growth in sci-fi animation, gaming and merchandise manufacturing.

Sci-fi development in other cities has yet to achieve economies of scale. However, as national policies expand and regional economies develop synergistically, taking advantage of local characteristics and resources, they can enhance the development of science fiction, San said.