Science and imagination collide in emerging sci-fi center of Chengdu

Ancient city to embrace a world of futuristic possibilities when it plays host to World Science Fiction Convention

A city with a profound civilization of more than 4,500 years and an urban history of over 2,300 years, Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, will be the first city on the Chinese mainland to host the World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society and one of the world's largest and most influential sci-fi events.

The 2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Convention, which will be the 81st, will be held from Oct 18 to 22, attracting sci-fi fans and experts in the fields of sci-fi, games, literature and education from around China and overseas.

More than 200 events are to be held, including an opening ceremony, the Hugo Award ceremony, a closing ceremony, themed salons, exhibitions, voting for future convention sites, business meetings and the Hugo Night lakeside party.

Prominent guests include Chinese sci-fi author Liu Cixin, Canadian sci-fi writer Robert J. Sawyer, filmmaker Richard Taylor, publisher and editor of sci-fi and fantasy David Geddes Hartwell, editor and publisher Neil Clarke, Chinese actor Wu Jing, film director Guo Fan, author Wang Jinkang and sci-fi writer Han Song.

The organizing committee of the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon chose "Meet the Future" as the slogan for the event.

Yao Haijun, honorary co-chair of the organizing committee and president of the Chengdu Science Fiction Society, said: "The slogan embodies Chengdu's vision of embracing the world and exploring an infinite future with sci-fi imagination."

Three ceremonies

Three ceremonies are major highlights of the convention: the opening ceremony will provide an audiovisual feast for audiences through immersive experiences; the winners of the 2023 Hugo Awards, the world's top prizes for sci-fi literature, will be announced at the Hugo Award ceremony; and the closing ceremony will honor and thank all the co-creators who have supported the convention from bidding to hosting, and encourage the promoters of sci-fi represented by the winners of the Nine Days Award for excellent sci-fi works, and carry out the convention's symbolic token transfer.

A thematic exhibition featuring three sections: the lobby, a corporate exhibition area and a fan exhibition area will open at 9 am every day during the convention, together with a series of themed activities, including book signings by domestic and international sci-fi writers such as Sawyer, Yang Xiao, Tan Kai, He Xi and Yao Haijun, sci-fi art exhibitions and special events for the fan community.

Voting for future convention sites will last for three days at the Fan Zone Location Voting Area on the first floor of the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum from Oct 18 to 20; and the business conferences will be held at the Meteor Pavilion in the World Science Fiction Park from Oct 19 to 22.

In addition, the Hugo Night lakeside party will be held on the third-floor platform of the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum at 9:15 pm on Oct 21. Fans are also invited to participate in various parties and the online Worldcon with themes such as "Living with AI (Love)" and "Gazing at the Stars, Heart as Vast as the Sea".

More than 200 salons

As the most distinctive part of the Worldcon, more than 200 themed salons will also be held, covering multiple themes including Sci-Fi and Literature, Sci-Fi and Art, Sci-Fi and Film & Television, Sci-Fi and Gaming & Animation, Sci-Fi and Academia, Sci-Fi and Technology, Sci-Fi and the Future, and Sci-Fi and Industry, showcasing a series of imaginative ideas about science and the future.

An industry development and promotion conference during the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon will invite domestic and international sci-fi experts to deliver keynote speeches on movies and literature; and there will also be themed roadshows on sci-fi culture, artificial intelligence satellites and technological innovation, as well as the release of a list of sci-fi industrial opportunities and the signing of sci-fi intellectual property projects.

Heavyweight guests including Sawyer, Clarke and Liu will announce the annual sci-fi scenarios, travel destinations, projects, themed cities and the world's top 10 sci-fi cities at the annual forum on future outlook during the convention.

The Sci-Fi Visual Effects Summit will highlight the development trends and current status of visual effects in the Chinese film and television industry and future layout.

At the Sci-Fi Design Summit during the convention, guests from all walks of life will engage in "thought collisions" on topics such as digital immersive curatorial art, sci-fi film/game scene design, sculpture, sci-fi film visual presentation, futuristic architectural design and robot design.

Writers such as Wu Yan, Jiang Bo and Bao Shu will share the selection process and their experiences and announce the winners during the release ceremony of the "Top 10 Future Technologies in Sci-Fi"; and there will also be discussions on the development of the sci-fi industry and IP protection.

Guests from various fields will conduct research and dialogue on topics such as sci-fi IP strategies and the prosperous development of the Chinese sci-fi ecosystem, the creation of high-quality sci-fi IP and the integration of capital and industry, the metaverse and the development of the whole sector.

wangjinhui@chinadaily.com.cn