Fuxing Island, the only inland island along Shanghai's Huangpu River, will host a major anime culture expo from Aug 8 to 10.

The event, Red Land: Open World Adventure Island, is organized by RedNote, a popular Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform also known as Xiaohongshu.

The expo will transform 80,000 square meters of the island into an immersive playground inspired by classic video games and anime. It is being billed as the world's first anime-themed island.

More than 50 popular anime and gaming franchises will be featured, including classics from Pokemon, Aniplex, Toei Animation, and the Yuewen Group, alongside hit games such as Honor of Kings, Genshin Impact, and Cyberpunk 2077.

Notable Asian pop culture artists, including MARiA and Sunny Lai, also known as Lai Meiyun, will perform live, delivering a spectacular audiovisual experience with iconic anime and game soundtracks.

Visitors can explore themed environments, interact with props, trade fan merchandise, and take part in team-based games. A major highlight is the global debut demo of Ubisoft's Anno 117: Pax Romana.

Instead of sticking to the usual indoor venues, RedNote is bringing the anime convention outdoors for the summer.

Fuxing Island offers a uniquely varied landscape — ancient trees, retro warehouses, and a massive shipyard — making it the ideal setting for open-world adventures, gear-hunting quests, and mecha-themed experiences. During the event, these three areas will be transformed into distinct thematic zones.

Inspired by online games, the event lets visitors "log in" as characters, explore storylines, complete missions, and fully immerse themselves in a real-life gaming narrative that spans the entire island.

To enhance the visitor experience, organizers have arranged dozens of shuttle buses, installed industrial-grade cooling systems, and provided large canopy shades and free summer kits to help guests stay cool.

Several themed service stations will offer anime-style snacks inspired by in-game items, ideal for a quick energy boost.

The event is also supported by the Yangpu district government, which has partnered with 1,000 local businesses to issue 5 million yuan ($690,000) worth of discount coupons. These include ACG-related vouchers, shopping district coupons, and hotel discounts, all designed to encourage visitors to explore Yangpu’s broader cultural and commercial offerings.

In addition, popular shopping centers, cinemas, and museums in the district — including Wujiaochang, Wanda Cinemas, and the WorldSkills Museum — will launch ticket-linked promotions, offering exclusive deals to visitors who present their Red Land event tickets.

Fuxing Island, covering 1.2 square kilometers, was originally formed in the 1920s through river dredging.

Source: Jiefang Daily