Xiangshan Art Commune, one of the key projects of the Zhijiang Cultural Industry Belt, was officially unveiled in Artinno Town of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in December 2018. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The cultural and creative industry of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province has grown from an emerging "fledgling" industry to a new engine for its economic development, according to statistics from the Hangzhou Municipal Statistics Bureau.

In 2018, the city's cultural and creative industries realized an added value of 334.7 billion yuan ($49.96 billion), a year-on-year increase of 11.6 percent and accounting for 24.8 percent of the city's GDP.

A total of eight areas were highlighted last year, including the flourishing emerging industries, innovative development of local enterprises, cultural exhibitions, talent cultivation and integration of cultural and financial industries.

In June 2018, the local government unveiled a blueprint for the Zhijiang Cultural Industry Belt, pledging to develop four industries covering cartoon and video games, art creation, filmmaking and digital culture. To date, a total of 55 key projects have been underway.

In late September, Hangzhou issued a guideline on developing cultural and creative industries, heralding a new chapter in the growth of the city's cultural and creative industries and serving notice of Hangzhou's ambition of staying at the cutting edge.