Organizers of the 10^th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival said the six-day event witnessed the signing of contracts worth 13.8 billion yuan, or around US $2.2 billion.

The festival, which is considered as one of the biggest animation event in China and the world, also attracted a total of 1.36 million participants, the most in the event's 10-year history, the organizers said on Saturday.

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Held annually in Hangzhou, the capital of China's Zhejiang Province, the event was participated in by at least 600 animation films and organizations in the animation and cartooning industries from 73 countries around the world.

"A total of 400 animation-related products were released and 12 industry and trade exchange activities were conducted during the six-day gathering," the organizers said.

China's animation industry, which has seen rapid growth in recent years, has been attracting global attention, with foreign companies setting up animation centers in the country. In 2013, 30 home-made animated films were shown in China.

The domestic animated films also contributed 646 million yuan, around US $103 million, to the country's total box office last year. The figure showed that total movie receipts of China's animated films increased 48 percent year on year, said the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

In the first four months of this year, five out of 20 top box office performers were animated films, a sign that the genre is gaining popularity in China, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

A western animated film, "Despicable Me", continues to rake in millions of yuan in the local box office even if it was released nearly six months later than in the US. The film generated 326 million yuan in ticket sales.

"Boonie Bears: To the Rescue", a local animated film, also did well in the box office, raking in 248 million yuan.

Tagschina cartoon festival, 10th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival