At this year's China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference, known as ChinaJoy 2025, gaming fans and international exhibitors discovered a new must-visit destination in Shanghai: the Video Game Museum of the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association.

Located in the Xuhui section of the Caohejing Hi-tech Park, the 1,000-square-meter museum has attracted numerous international exhibitor groups since ChinaJoy opened on Aug 1.

Established last year through a collaboration between Xuhui district and the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association, the museum debuted with a collection of more than 5,000 artifacts.

Highlights include the world's first video game console from 1972, China's beloved Xiaobawang console, and a remarkably complete collection of Nintendo products — some of which are not even found in the official Nintendo Museum in Japan, according to Zhou Wei, executive curator of the museum.

Since its opening, the museum has continued to receive strong backing from the gaming industry.

Leading Shanghai-based companies such as miHoYo, Hypergryph, and Papergames have contributed original franchise memorabilia from blockbuster titles like Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero.

Many of these items are rare, limited-edition pieces that even the most devoted fans may have never encountered in person.

The museum's collection now exceeds 18,000 pieces. Approximately 1,000 are featured in the permanent exhibition, with the remainder showcased through various special exhibitions and industry events.

The museum opened on Sept 13, 2024, after a soft launch in July. In just over a year, it has attracted nearly 100,000 visitors, with families making up 40 percent of the total.

One visit that particularly impressed Zhou involved an eight-member family who flew from Beijing solely to explore the museum during their vacation.

Caohejing Hi-tech Park is also home to many of China's influential game developers, such as Tencent, NetEase, miHoYo, Hypergryph, and Lilith Games.

To further enhance its standing in digital culture, Xuhui district has launched the Neo World project, a metaverse-themed creative zone covering 1 square kilometer and stretching 1.9 kilometers in length.

Source: Jiefang Daily