During the 2026 Spring Festival holiday, conversations about the availability of "Dingsheng Gao" cakes were frequent at Mr. Yang's pastry shop on Xueshi Road in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Nearby, Qianwang Temple attracted a continuous stream of visitors, many drawn by its appearance in the TV series "Peaceful Era" and the associated fish-shaped token merchandise, which sold 11,000 units within 24 hours of launch.
The series has ignited tourism interest in the temple, local snacks, and related products, illustrating the vigorous growth of Hangzhou's cultural "new trio": online literature, online film/television, and online gaming. These sectors are becoming a new calling card for Chinese culture globally.
The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposals emphasize that cultural prosperity is a key marker of Chinese modernization. In the first three quarters of 2025, large-scale enterprises in Hangzhou's cultural "new trio" sectors reported revenues of 127.36 billion yuan, accounting for over 80% of Zhejiang's total, with a growth rate of 9.5%. These cultural products now reach over 1 billion young users worldwide.
**1. Cultural Innovation Sparks Global Emotional Resonance**
The fantasy story "Shangyuan Huan," about a celestial being celebrating the Lantern Festival in the Southern Song Dynasty capital, saw its adapted micro-drama translated into multiple languages in 2025, garnering over 30 million overseas views and winning an international communication award. Author Wang Yurong, a resident of the China Online Writers Village in Hangzhou, highlighted the incorporation of authentic Song Dynasty clothing and daily rituals to help global audiences appreciate Song culture.
Similarly, NetEase's game "Justice Online" International Server topped app store charts in Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia upon its November 2025 launch, fueling a "Song aesthetic" trend abroad. The China Online Writers Village, home to over 350 writers, serves as a key platform for exporting high-quality online literature, with works like "Library of Heaven's Path" and "Battle Through the Heavens" achieving massive overseas readership.
The "15th Five-Year Plan" calls for fostering a healthy cultural ecosystem and enhancing original creativity. By drawing from traditional culture, Hangzhou's cultural exports are building a cohesive global presence. Experts advise shifting from a volume-driven approach to value-led content, establishing translation centers, and crafting narratives that evoke universal emotions like camaraderie, culinary passion, and familial bonds.
**2. Technology Enhances Export Quality**
In Hangzhou's Linping District, AI script analysis systems evaluate the compatibility of scripts with real-world locations, integrating AIGC across the entire content chain from creation to distribution. The "15th Five-Year Plan" advocates for cultural-technological integration and digital transformation.
AI is enabling ambitious projects like the micro-drama "Lantern Spirit," allowing for grand visual scenes without prohibitive costs. Linping, aiming to be a national hub for micro-dramas, hosts over 200 related enterprises and has served more than 700 production teams. The district recently held an industry conference to deepen AI integration.
Leading exporter Huace Group has developed proprietary AI models like "Youfeng" and "Guose," which can translate subtitles for a series like "Kingdom of Beauty" in under a minute with over 70% accuracy, cutting costs by 50-60% while boosting efficiency. The group manages 82 YouTube channels with over 6,000 videos and 8 million subscribers.
AI technology is now deeply embedded in the creative process, reducing production cycles and enhancing content quality, as noted by Hangzhou Capacity Interactive Media.
**3. Ecosystem and Policy Support**
The release of a holiday short for "Black Myth: Zhong Kui" sparked international discussion, illustrating how domestic success naturally extends abroad. Industry experts stress that strong local reception is a prerequisite for global expansion.
The "15th Five-Year Plan" emphasizes improving the cultural industry system and market, nurturing enterprises, and implementing supportive policies. Hangzhou plans to strengthen national cultural-tech integration bases and guide the healthy development of new cultural formats.
In Yuhang District, the National Base for Foreign Cultural Trade offers online and offline services to facilitate exports, addressing challenges and streamlining processes. The district's 52 major cultural enterprises reported nearly 10 billion yuan in revenue for the first three quarters of 2025, supported by policies providing subsidies for overseas sales, translation costs, and user testing rewards.
In Binjiang District, proposed policies include a 5 billion yuan special fund, with up to 5 million yuan for original content and 2 million yuan for IP adaptations. Qiantang District has also leveraged supportive policies, contributing to a domestic micro-drama market exceeding 50 billion yuan in 2024, with several short drama apps ranking among the top globally in revenue.
A collaborative ecosystem involving government, enterprises, platforms, and universities is crucial for sustainable growth. West Lake District offers tailored support, including dedicated service agents and policy packages covering rent subsidies and creation incentives, directly benefiting companies like Capacity Short Drama.
Comments