World stage

Chengdu will be the first city on the Chinese mainland to host the 81st World Science Fiction Convention from Oct 18 to 22.

As one of the world's largest and most influential sci-fi events, the 2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Convention, or the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon, will foster greater participation from sci-fi fans and experts in the fields of sci-fi, games, literature and education at home and abroad.

As early as 1991, the annual meeting of the World Science Fiction Society was held in Chengdu, organized by Science Fiction World magazine. Starting from 2017, the China (Chengdu) International SF Conference has been held every two years and has settled in Chengdu.

Thanks to the thriving growth of sci-fi, Chengdu has established a bridge for cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and the West.

It not only makes its sci-fi brand shine on the world stage, but showcases the charm of Chinese civilization and the distinctive features of Chengdu's Tianfu culture as a world-renowned metropolis.

The most important thing about hosting this event is to bring the Hugo Award to Chengdu, said Chen Shi, secretary-general of the Chengdu Science Fiction Society.

"At present, sci-fi consumption is still based on intellectual property items that have been accumulated in the past, lacking in new content, people and thinking. Introducing the Hugo Award is an opportunity to enhance extensive communication between Chinese and global works."

According to tradition, the Hugo Award sets up 19 categories, with 114 works and individuals being nominated each year.

"This time, more than 20 Chinese works and individuals have made it to the finals, creating a historical high point among works from non-English-speaking countries," Chen said.

In addition to gathering sci-fi fans from around the world, the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon will attract practitioners from digital economic industries such as game development, animation special effects and sci-fi peripherals.

La Zi, editor-in-chief of Science Fiction World, said that as the birthplace of Chinese sci-fi copyright, especially as the long-standing and important sci-fi base and headquarters in China, Science Fiction World has accumulated the country's finest works for more than 40 years. Therefore, for Chengdu's sci-fi industry, it has encountered a rare historical opportunity.

La said that Chengdu has made attempts in various areas including film, game, culture and creativity, cultural tourism, education, academic research and study tour. The city has also mapped out plans in terms of top-level design, industrial policies and talent policies.

In his view, priority should be given to the process of transitioning from a "sci-fi cultural center" to a "sci-fi industrial center", and this is the opportunity where Chengdu is most likely to form professional advantages.

"The sci-fi community that Science Fiction World has been cultivating and connecting for decades has already gone to various positions, and it is the driving force for the future development of the sci-fi industry."

In the next step, Chengdu will issue favorable policies for the sci-fi industry, launch high-quality sci-fi projects and attract more leading enterprises, talent teams and technological innovation platforms.

wangjinhui@chinadaily.com.cn