Fantasy event attuned to ACGN trends

Eicher-Tia Jhaj, an 18-year-old from London, was completely caught by surprise on her first trip to China recently, where she came across the animated characters she loves at a pop-up at Shanghai's shopping district at Yuyuan Garden, an iconic city landmark.

Her favorite character, Cheng Xiaoshi, from the Chinese animated series Link Click, appeared throughout Yuyuan on July 3, when the 52-day 2026 Grand Yuyuan Summer Fantasy Night opened, offering immersive experiences, particularly for fans of ACGN (animation, comics, games, and novels).

Running through Aug 23 and spanning from Yuyuan Garden to the nearby Bund Finance Center, the event integrates massive ACGN elements featuring four popular original Chinese animations: The Legend of Luo Xiaohei, Heaven Official's Blessing, A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, and Link Click.

Widely known for its ancient buildings and traditional vibes, Yuyuan has been transformed into a unique universe that blurs the boundaries between old and new, tradition and modernity, and spans fashion, generations and cultures.

In collaboration with the video-sharing platform Bilibili, installations featuring the main characters from the four animated hits are scattered across malls. Visitors are invited to engage in real-time augmented-reality interactions using their mobile phones.

With dazzling lights illuminating the night, a special concert was held at Yuyuan's Central Plaza on July 3 to mark the fantasy's opening. Pop singers Huang Ling and Li Xinyi, pop/folk singer Qian Runyu, young rappers, and virtual idol Aza took the stage to present the opening, ending and interlude songs for the four productions, breaking down the walls between ACGN and the real world with immersive sounds.

While enjoying the feast with other fans who share the same love and passion for the productions, Jhaj was also deeply impressed by the dancing, the performers' traditional outfits, and the tea and authentic local foods. That night, she felt more connected with Chinese culture.

"I'm really excited for the new season of Link Click to come out. I started watching it about a year ago, and I've been really into it. The character designs and their personalities are really cool, and I like the artistic style a lot.

"It's quite interesting to learn about different cultures. I also play some Chinese games, and Chinese culture is so different from Western culture. I think it's important to see different cultures and get to learn about other perspectives and traditions," she says.

Launched last year, the Grand Yuyuan Summer Fantasy Night has expanded in scale and offers richer experiences this edition. A number of traditional restaurants, stores and time-honored brands in the malls are participating in the event, offering collaborative set menus, customized dishes and pastries, special discounts, and merchandise related to the animation IPs.

Across the malls, visitors will encounter staff members dressed as non-playable characters from games to deliver unique greetings, with additional highlights, such as cosplay parades, stamp collecting, markets, and intangible cultural heritage experiences, expected throughout the event.

"Young ACGN fans have shown great potential in consumption power. During last year's event, we saw visitor numbers increase by 30 percent compared to the same time period in previous years, which greatly benefited the stores and brands in the malls," says Wang Peng, chief communications officer at Grand Yuyuan, the event's organizer.

He adds that Yuyuan hopes to draw more young visitors and establish long-term strategic collaboration with Bilibili. By combining the phenomenal ACGN culture with the traditional Chinese aesthetics of Yuyuan, Wang expects the landmark could also serve as a natural backdrop for more animation productions and help more young people discover the charm of Chinese culture.

Lyu Bo Lang, one of the most well-known and celebrated restaurants in Shanghai, is participating in the event again this year. Teaming up with the animation Heaven Official's Blessing, it offers fans a special hudie su (butterfly pastry) box set — a local interpretation of the Palmier, a French confection. The box set also includes a Heaven Official's Blessing-themed card case.

"The butterfly is an iconic element in animation, and thus a perfect match with our hudie su in terms of the shape. As a time-honored brand, we may seem old-fashioned to young people. But such collaborations proved to be successful last year, as many young visitors initially seeking the special sets eventually became our customers," says Wang Shijia, deputy general manager of the restaurant.

Another time-honored brand, Huxinting Teahouse, chooses to work with the animation A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality. Built in 1784 and becoming a teahouse in 1855, this traditional building matches fans' imaginations of the protagonist's small shop in the story. During the event, the teahouse serves two special tea-tasting menus and offers fans gifts such as badges and coasters (cup mats), according to Su Deliang, the teahouse's manager.

Enthusiastic ACGN fans of all ages are now flocking to Yuyuan for the extravaganza. Wu Anqi, a 14-year-old middle school student studying in Shanghai, arrived at Yuyuan early with her friends on the event's first day to collect stamps and limited-edition gifts of her favorite characters, while 12-year-old primary school student Wang Xinran came at night with her parents, heading excitedly to the restaurant collaborating with Link Click to check out the special menu.

Sharing the same love for ACGN culture, 25-year-old Fang Lan from Chengdu, Sichuan province, is a postgraduate student in Shanghai who has been engaged in ACGN culture and its community for over 10 years. She tells China Daily: "It has always brought me passion and power, positively leading my personal growth. Many of my peers might have stress, but I feel the ACGN world keeps me refreshed and more motivated."

"Every era has its own rhythm, which is usually represented by young people. Today, they are attuned to the latest trends, passionate about ACGN culture, and appreciate innovative expressions of Chinese culture. Behind all this, I see their growing confidence in our cultures," says Wang Peng from Grand Yuyuan.