The fourth Hangzhou Rose Festival kicked off with a playful twist—popular gaming IPs “co-branding” with different rose varieties. The anime-infused event has already become a hit among Gen Z visitors. At the Binjiang sub-venue, students from the animation program at Hangzhou Vocational School of Finance and Economics stole the show, parading in Chinese anime character costumes and drawing crowds of all ages for photos and high-fives.

Turns out, the school and the Hangzhou Baima Lake Eco-Creative City Management Committee are doubling down on their partnership to help make Hangzhou’s “everlasting anime festival” vision a reality—one where anime culture blends seamlessly into daily life.

As the permanent home of the China International Cartoon & Animation Festival, Baima Lake is building a year-round anime ecosystem that invites people to experience, participate in, and shop from. Next up, the vocational school is setting up a dedicated indoor space in Baima Lake Park. It will be a long-term hub for students to showcase and sell original anime-inspired creative products and run hands-on events. Think classroom learning, creative work, and real-world market action all under one roof. It’ll help turn Baima Lake into a go-to anime destination for sightseeing, hands-on fun, creative entrepreneurship, and local economic buzz—bringing anime straight from campus to the community.