A promotional event focusing on the economy of movie-shooting locations has been held at the 9th Silk Road International Film Festival in Xi'an City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Tuesday, injecting new impetus for the development of film and television works and local cultural tourism industry.

Opened on Friday with the theme of "Silk Road for a Connected World, Films in Bright Chang'an," the five-day film festival was co-hosted by China Media Group (CMG) and the provincial governments of Shaanxi and Fujian.

"As the filming location for movies and television works, it must either have national characteristics, cultural characteristics, or product characteristics. At the same time, the place needs to match the content and spirit of our film and television works," said Li Dexin, secretary-general of the scenic area branch of the China Chamber of Tourism.

Representatives from eight national-level tourism filming sites delivered their promotions and showcased the achievements benefited by such economic pattern respectively at the serial event.

For example, Duyun City in southwest China's Guizhou Province adopted and transformed some abandoned factories to build film and television towns reflecting different eras and themes in recent years, boosting local economic development by integrating television, film and tourism.

"In 2021, the number of tourists in our [film and television city] reached more than 600,000. Every year, many film crews go to shoot, which will bring a lot of consumption in catering, accommodation and transportation, greatly stimulating the consumption economy," said Wu Honghui, deputy general manager of a film and television operation management company in Guizhou.

The film feast also held other events including film art night and film visual art exhibition to entertain the visitors. Various scenic areas in the city including the Datang Everbright City and the Xi'an Art Museum, have also been redecorated to fully showcase the vitality brought by the film festival.

"Through the platform of the Silk Road International Film Festival, we hope to build more platforms for various activities where the masses can share the culture, so that everyone can enjoy this cultural feast brought by the the film festival. Also, through such activities, we feel that it can promote the recovery of the city's cultural tourism," said Wang Qinghua, secretary-general of the international film festival's organizing committee.

Initiated in 2014, the Silk Road International Film Festival, carrying forward the spirit and culture of the Silk Road, has provided a major platform for exchanges and cooperation between filmmakers from various countries, and also served as an important carrier for promoting the high-quality development of Chinese films and introducing Chinese culture to wider global audience.