As the final echoes of summer still resonate, an artistic extravaganza took place at the square of the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum in Changyang Campus. Between August 23 and 25, Changyang Campus introduced the "Screen Wanderings × Changyang Lohas Fair".

The event presented a multitude of curated international animated films, creating a community that is both youthful and cosmopolitan through an "intangible cultural heritage (ICH) + handicraft" themed market. Citizens were invited to immerse themselves in the realm of digital imagery, to discover new visual experiences and to revel in the endless enchantment of animation, experiencing the fusion and transcendence of cultures.

At seven in the evening, the "Screen Wanderings" film screening commenced punctually at the museum square. The selections featured entries from the Dunhuang Animation Festival (DAF), Yao-Chinese Folktales from the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, and award-winning shorts from the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. Established in 1960 and held every June, the Annecy festival is the longest-running of the world's four major animation film festivals, often hailed as the "Oscar of Animation" or the "Cannes of Animation".

The "Screen Wanderings Project" is an outreach initiative of DAF, aiming to cast animated works onto broader screens through strategic curation and screening, thus pushing the boundaries of animation and creating new potentialities. At the screenings, audiences were treated to the exceptional creations of animators from around the globe. As a succession of both domestic and international animation masterpieces unfolded, viewers bore witness to the ongoing legacy and innovation of animation in the modern era. This event seamlessly wove imagination into everyday life, building an accessible artistic platform that encourages public engagement with an inclusive stance.

Among the invited exhibitors is the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. With a long history, rich film archive and numerous intellectual properties, it stands as a prominent animation company in China. The studio is home to over 500 animated films, including classics such as Havoc in Heaven, Little Tadpoles Search for Mother, Black Cat Detective, Calabash Brothers and Big-Eared Tutu, which have earned the studio an acclaim as a representative of the Chinese school animation on the global stage. The exhibition also features contributions from Shangying Film Infinity (Shanghai) Cultural Technology Development Co., Ltd. and Chloe.G.Culture Co., Ltd.

DAF, initiated by Dunhuang Culture & Tourism Group, utilizes animation techniques to exhibit a spectrum of global independent films, experimental shorts and conceptual artworks. Concentrating on new languages, methodologies, technologies and aesthetic inquiries within the international animation film sector, the event is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of animation cinema. By assembling thousands of distinguished pieces from across the globe, DAF offers extensive support and financial opportunities for these works. The platform also places a special emphasis on nurturing the artistic endeavors of animators of Chinese descent, facilitating the international exposure and acclaim of their creations.

Beyond the animation screenings, the festival venue hosted the yearly "Changyang Lohas Fair". With a theme of "ICH + handicraft", this year's fair was designed to be more inclusive, youthful and engaging, offering a platform for an enriched appreciation of ICH. It encouraged participants to tap into their creative and imaginative potentials to collaboratively delve into the boundless opportunities for artistic and cultural legacy.

We saw a host of independent ICH artisans passionately showcasing their creations and the stories behind them at the fair. The stalls, adorned with delicate velvet flowers, embroidered balls, sachets and ceramics, were a feast for the eyes, drawing throngs of locals eager to capture the moment. The event also featured engaging interactive experiences such as ICH lacquer painting, tarot and DIY bracelet making, inviting the public to immerse themselves in the creative process.

This event created a delightful atmosphere of "life with no boundaries" for the public. The three-day "Screen Wanderings Project × Changyang Lohas Fair" has not only invigorated Yangpu's community cultural scene, but also set a model for a stylish neighborhood, laying a solid groundwork for future high-quality development.

Changyang Campus, a green innovation and entrepreneurship zone with universities around within Shanghai's inner ring, stands as a testament to urban rejuvenation, repurposed from old industrial buildings. It now serves as a hub for nearly 25,000 innovative and entrepreneurial talents from prestigious universities around the globe and is home to 300 leading innovative and entrepreneurial companies, as well as SMEs characterized by innovation and entrepreneurship. Designed with knowledge workers in mind, Changyang Campus in the heart of Shanghai will persist in blending work, life and culinary arts, creating an artistic environment for knowledge workers and entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams of innovation and entrepreneurship.