Animation characters at the Shougang steel foundry. Photo: Xinhua

By Sun Yongjian

Fans will soon be able to enjoy animated games at the Shougang Group's 100-year-old giant steel foundry, which is ready to transfer its key steel production facility to its new foundry in Caofeidian, Hebei Province. The move is intended to make room for a new animation city. Jointly with the China Animation Group Company, Shougang started building the China Animated Games City in its former Shijingshan foundry Wednesday.

Around 400 animation companies will be based there. A fund of 100 billion yuan ($14.65 billion) in total will be established to meet financial needs, according to a Shougang press release yesterday.

"The animation park, entertainment areas, digital hotels, and business services will be built in the city, as well as
animation production and research institutions," said Li Husheng, general manager of the China Animation Group Company.

Animated films and games are huge businesses especially in these digital times; they have attracted many young fans In Japan, the animation industry is listed as No. 6 for GDP growth, said Sun Lijun, professor of the Beijing Film Academy yesterday.

Animated games are a very important part of the cultural creation industry, which receives financial support from Beijing's government. To enable the new facility to open as soon as possible, the government will add 100 million yuan to the fund every year, said Cai Fuchao, vice mayor of Beijing.

Even though it has been affected by the global fi nancial crisis, the cultural creation industry created 11.4 percent of GDP in Beijing in the fi rst half of this year, hitting a new high. "We are optimistic about the prospects for animated games," said Cai.

Ouyang Jian, deputy minister at the Ministry of Culture said that the animation city would be built as a model project for the whole industry in China.

An organization for the Beijing animated games industries has also been established, specifi cally to promote the production and sale of animated products such as books, magazines, films, games, mobile games, and education materials, according to the press release.

A staff member at Shougang's press office surnamed Wang told the Global Times yesterday, Shougang is working hard to cultivate animation talent..