By Zoey SUN
In a surreal scene that feels almost too ideal to be true, entrepreneurs in the Tianfu Long Island Digital Cultural and Creative Park in Chengdu High-tech Zone can walk just a few steps with a hard drive in hand to find partners. Outside the park, players can explore almost all of Sichuan simply by gaming. Yet, this seemingly utopian vision is unfolding in reality.
This is the birthplace of Ne Zha 2, a Chinese animated movie that became a global phenomenon, ranking fifth in global box office history and first among animated films. But this park is far more than just Ne Zha's birthplace. From Ne Zha 2's RMB 15.2 billion global box office to Honor of Kings becoming a cultural icon, and Rise of Kingdoms generating RMB 20 billion in global revenue, numerous digital cultural and creative enterprises have grown from here to reach the world. With support from the park, Chengdu's digital cultural creative industry is thriving, producing blockbuster successes one after another, and propelling the city to the forefront of high-quality development in the digital creative sector.
Industry clustering: Collaboration over a cup of coffee
Chengdu's High-tech Zone focuses on key areas such as gaming, e-sports, film and media, and digital music, nurturing more than 6,000 related enterprises. Within this ecosystem, the Tianfu Long Island Digital Cultural and Creative Park stands out as a flagship initiative, housing 64 leading companies, including Tencent's New Headquarters for cultural creation and Chengdu Coco Cartoon. Around 6,000 professionals pursue their dreams here.
The high concentration of enterprises has significantly shortened the physical distance between these companies, resulting in remarkable efficiency gains. From conceptualization to product development and IP design, companies often just need to "pop next door" for collaboration. Deals that might take weeks elsewhere can be finalized over a cup of coffee here. This proximity enables the creation of a comprehensive industrial chain, from content creation to technical support, fostering close cooperation throughout the supply chain.
This clustering effect not only boosts efficiency but also creates a virtuous cycle of innovation. Within the park, partnerships transcend basic business interactions, evolving into collaborative innovation networks. For example, gaming companies work with animation studios to co-develop intellectual property, while tech firms provide cutting-edge support to content creators. This cross-disciplinary fusion continuously generates new business models and accelerates industrial upgrades.
Policy support: Building a stage for growth
The rapid rise of Chengdu's digital creative industry is inseparable from the city's systematic policy support and institutional innovation.
Chengdu has introduced the nation's first support policy specifically tailored to nurture digital cultural and creative startups. The policy provides a full range of startup-friendly services, including ready-to-use office spaces, integrated financial services combining investment and loans, government-enterprise collaboration for digital cultural and creative scenario access, and project incubation with continuous tracking and guidance. This comprehensive support system spans nearly everything from workspace and funding to scenarios and talent, ensuring startups receive end-to-end assistance.
Moreover, the city offers demand-supply matchmaking services, copyright and intellectual property services, legal consulting and rights protection assistance, as well as entrepreneurial mentoring. Chengdu High-tech Zone is also rolling out a suite of inclusive policies targeting the industry, addressing the specific needs of enterprises.
In 2024, the added value of Chengdu's digital cultural and creative industry exceeded RMB 280 billion, with the Chengdu High-tech Zone's digital cultural and creative industry scale surpassing RMB 110 billion. Looking ahead, as the scale of the digital cultural and creative industry cluster in the High-tech Zone continues to expand, more phenomenal works like Ne Zha 2 are expected to emerge from here.
Cultural inspiration: Sichuan's rich heritage fuels creativity
Sichuan's deep cultural heritage and abundant historical resources provide an endless wellspring of inspiration for creative enterprises.
For example, Leenzee, a park-based company, developed the action RPG Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, set against the backdrop of Ming Dynasty Sichuan. The team employed advanced scanning equipment to meticulously recreate landmarks like Mianyang's Bao'en Temple and the Anyue Stone Carvings.
Similarly, Chengdu Perfect Tianzhiyou Technology drew on Sichuan opera elements such as fire-breathing and face-changing to design a female character in Jade Dynasty New Fantasy. "When creating the character, we also want to capture the essence of what people imagine Sichuan girls to be like," said Hu Yueqi, the company's operations manager.
Another standout project is Neo Artifacts, a mobile game by Chengdu Longyuan Network Technology that anthropomorphizes cultural relics. The game incorporates Sichuan-themed characters, complete with local dialect and cultural elements, making these relics feel distinctly "people in Sichuan."
By leveraging digital technology, these companies transform static cultural heritage into interactive, immersive, and shareable experiences. In this way, digital creative enterprises act as modern stewards of cultural heritage, revitalizing Sichuan's traditions in ways that resonate with contemporary audiences.
A City with warmth: Attracting and retaining talent
Chengdu has consistently ranked as China's "most livable city" for 16 consecutive years and has been named "China's best city for talent recruitment" for six consecutive years. Behind these accolades lies the city's unique approach to attracting and retaining talent.
With prestigious universities like Sichuan University and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu produces a steady stream of skilled graduates. However, the city's talent policies go beyond attraction to focus on retention. Instead of merely offering subsidies or incentives, Chengdu prioritizes creating platforms and ecosystems that empower talent to thrive.
For many, an initial opportunity in education and a job brings them to Chengdu, but it's the city's unique charm that convinces them to stay. Known for its relaxed lifestyle, Chengdu offers a rare balance between work and leisure. Whether walking along the 9,000-kilometer Tianfu Greenway or enjoying one of the city's 1,500 parks, creative professionals find inspiration in these green spaces, which serve as natural studios for both relaxation and brainstorming.
Equally compelling is the warm and welcoming nature of Chengdu's residents. From the tea houses where locals refill your cup unprompted to the friendly greetings shared across hotpot tables, Chengdu's sense of community helps newcomers feel at home. This openness and inclusivity allow creative professionals from diverse backgrounds to integrate quickly and feel a deep sense of belonging here.
Positive feedback loop: Enterprises boost local tourism
Chengdu's digital creative enterprises not only draw inspiration from the city but also give back by driving local tourism. Leenzee, for instance, launched an online campaign called "I'm a Tour Guide in Ancient Shu," which has garnered more than 2 million views. "Many of the in-game locations we designed highlight lesser-known sites, encouraging players to explore the hidden beauty of Sichuan," said the company's co-founder, Guo Xinyi.
As "games + tourism" becomes a rising trend, high-quality gaming IPs are playing an increasingly significant role in integrating culture and tourism. According to Hu Yueqi, games offer unparalleled interactivity and immersion, enabling users to engage with traditional culture in a lightweight yet compelling way. This low-barrier experience eliminates geographic and temporal constraints, allowing cultural heritage to be experienced by a global audience.
The synergy between online content and offline experiences creates a new model for cultural tourism. The emotional resonance players develop with in-game content often translates into real-world visits, while those visits deepen players' connection to the game. This virtuous cycle not only boosts local tourism but also breathes new life into traditional culture in the digital age.
Embrace the future: From Cultural and Creative Park to the World
Today, Chengdu's digital creative enterprises have extended their reach far beyond the Sichuan Basin to audiences worldwide. At Leenzee, as Guo Xinyi said, employees work across three time zones: Asian Time, North American Time, and European Time. This multi-time-zone working model reflects the internationalized operations of Chengdu's cultural and creative enterprises.
From a single park to the world stage, Chengdu's digital creative industry is evolving from isolated breakthroughs to systemic innovation. Here, digital creativity is no longer a sporadic burst of inspiration but a thriving ecosystem of talent, policies, culture, and technology. Internally cohesive and globally influential, this ecosystem is propelling Chengdu to the forefront of the global digital cultural creative industry.
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