Beijing was ranked 10th among Chinese cities in terms of animated TV productions in 2012, with an output of 23 animated TV series, reaching an overall 9,950 minutes, according to a statement recently released by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).
The ten Chinese cities producing the greatest number of animated TV series in 2012 are Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Wuxi, Shenzhen, Ningbo and Beijing.
Some cities have witnessed a substantial growth in their animated TV industry thanks to the various preferential policies issued by local governments.
Beijing, due to various factors, is slower than other major producers in its development of animation, Deng Lili, director of the Animation and Game Research Center with the Institute for Cultural Industries at Peking University, said.
Nonetheless, there lies no use in pursuing numbers only, Deng stressed. She explained that what Beijing needs to do, is to foster top-notch works that can not only gain high critical acclaim, but generate box office revenue as well.
Only outstanding works can win over the market, Deng said.
The top five provincial regions in the animation industry are Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Anhui.
The country yielded 395 animated TV series, totaling at 222,938 minutes in 2012, down 40 and 14.66 percent, respectively, year on year (the first drop since 2008).
The statement also shows how the animation industrial bases across the country made 210 series, totaling at 123,715 minutes in on-screen time and accounting for some 55 percent of the national total.
China surpassed Japan to become the world's biggest animation producer in 2010, when it produced more than 220,000 minutes of animated TV series, signaling the country's effort in boosting its cultural sector.
The animation industrial clusters in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and Bohai Rim regions have been mature, while the industry in central, northern and northeastern China is now booming, according to the statement.
It's normal that the number of the home-made animated TV series dropped last year, Deng said, adding that the national industry needs adequate adjustments after a rapid growth over the past five years.