The inaugural International Audiovisual Arts Carnival will take place from September 24 to October 18 in Shanghai's Jing'an District. During this period, two major commercial areas, Kerry Centre and Zhang Garden, will feature a diverse range of XR (extended reality) immersive experiences, exploring a new commercial model for virtual reality entertainment. This initiative aims to help Jing'an become a national birthplace for original XR content.
During the carnival, the Jing'an District Culture and Tourism Bureau, in partnership with the Shanghai International Film and TV Festival Center, will set up two distinctive experiential spaces. A dedicated XR audiovisual immersive venue will be established at the Broadway Cinematheque in Jing'an Kerry Centre, offering seated VR experiences. From September 23 to 27, multiple screening rooms will showcase premium VR works including Dreamscape: Infinite Players, Hide and Seek, and Mulan 2125. By wearing headsets and utilizing hand-tracking technology, audiences can engage in immersive storytelling, exploring a new path for the transformation of traditional cinemas.
Additionally, during the National Day holiday, the second floor of Building W7 in Zhang Garden will introduce an MR (mixed reality) immersive game theater, featuring the debut of the metaverse theater piece The Oath of Loulan. Visitors will take on the role of "Loulan Oathkeepers," experiencing a new form of digital entertainment that blends gaming with cinema, and enjoying the multi-layered sensory stimulation offered by MR technology.
By placing XR experiences within the city's core commercial districts, Jing'an is propelling virtual reality from technical demonstrations to mainstream, everyday cultural consumption. This strategy is building practical business models for the industry's commercial operation. In recent years, Jing'an has continuously deepened its focus on XR content creation and new spaces for live performance, yielding a steady stream of industry achievements.
For instance, the VR project Rock & Roll 1995, created by local enterprise Chuangxiang Lingjing, secured China's first virtual film "dragon mark" certification. The immersive experience The Vanished Pharaoh, developed by the Vers Immersive Exploration Center, held its Asian premiere in Jing'an and quickly became a landmark cultural tourism project, driving over 100 million yuan in consumption across the surrounding commercial area. Subsequent Asian premieres, such as The Age of Life, have also been launched in the district. Jing'an now hosts more than ten market-ready premium XR projects, marking a significant overall enhancement in its product and service supply capabilities.
To cultivate a comprehensive XR industry ecosystem, Jing'an is focusing on technology innovation and content production. The district has optimized its cultural and creative industry support policies, explicitly encouraging businesses to leverage cutting-edge technologies like AI, VR, AR, and MR. These policies promote the digital development and application of excellent cultural and creative resources and support the creation of new offline consumption scenarios, including digital-intelligent entertainment spaces and immersive experience venues, with maximum support reaching 5 million yuan.
Furthermore, Jing'an has established a full-cycle service system covering introduction, establishment, operation, and success, providing enterprises with integrated support in site coordination, licensing, and promotional activities. Through the International Audiovisual Arts Carnival platform, Jing'an is committed to building a marketplace for industry dialogue, technology display, and content transactions. Looking ahead, the district will continue to optimize its business environment, attracting XR creators, technical talent, hardware manufacturers, and investors from around the globe. The ultimate goal is to build a cultural and creative industry hub with global influence.