Thousands of cosplayers and fans gathered at the main exhibition venue of the 17th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival in colorful makeup, unusual costumes and lavish hairstyles. The festival kicked off in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, on Sept 29 and will run through Oct 4.

As the only state-level event of its kind, the festival has drawn nearly 120 top animation and cartoon companies from over 50 countries and regions,with all activities held in-person and virtually. More than 300 renowned franchises are involved, including Hello Kitty, one of the world's most famous "cats", and the Marvel universe of superheroes.

Organizers revealed the festival has strictly followed a set of epidemic prevention procedures, with all participants -- including exhibitors, guests and spectators -- required to show a negative nucleic acid test taken in the previous 48 hours before entering.