Young people dressed in hanfu make zongzi-shaped perfume sachets at the celebration event. [Photo/cicaf.com]

A celebration activity for the 18th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival was held in Hangzhou, capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, on June 1.

During the celebration, youngsters dressed in hanfu made zongzi-shaped perfume sachets to pray for a safe year and celebrate the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival which falls on June 3 this year.

Installations were also set up for people to draw pictures and record messages of blessing. Outstanding drawings and recordings will be displayed at the festival, which is expected to take place in the city in November.

A man records a message of blessing for the China International Cartoon and Animation Festival. [Photo by Li Zhong for ehangzhou.gov.cn]

The cartoon and animation industry in Hangzhou has been maturing quickly in recent years, with many renowned animators and anime games enterprises setting up offices in the city.

By the end of 2021, the city had more than 350 anime games-related enterprises. In 2021, the output value of the city's anime games industry exceeded 32 billion yuan ($4.78 billion).