A bird's-eye view of the Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center. [Photo/Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center]

The Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center has ranked first among the nation's newly opened venues in terms of exhibition scale in its inaugural year of operation, local media outlets reported.

The achievement underscored Hangzhou's growing strength as an international "city of events".

As the largest professional exhibition complex in East China's Zhejiang province, the center hosted more than 150 major exhibitions and high-level conferences in its first full year, most of them new additions to Hangzhou's event calendar.

Backed by strong transport links near Hangzhou International Airport, world-class facilities and coordinated policy support, the venue has quickly become a key engine for the city's exhibition economy.

The center is also the permanent home of the annual Global Digital Trade Expo and has attracted a range of top-tier national and international events, further enhancing Hangzhou's profile as a hub for global exhibitions, conferences, and major events.

Two humanoid robots play boxing at the 4th Global Digital Trade Expo in September. [Photo/Global Digital Trade Expo]