Angels place their faith in an industry of the imagination

Science fiction is not just an art form or a genre of literature but a business, too. Chinese companies and local governments are making big investments in it because they believe there is huge and growing demand for stories that spark the imagination.

Growth of the mobile internet in China is the key. People want to watch science fiction short videos on their phones, and many games are based on science fiction stories. The market for virtual reality alone is expected to be worth 55 billion yuan ($8.3 billion) a year by 2020, according to Bloomberg. The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that China will surpass the US as the world's largest movie market this year. All those forms of media need content.

In an interview with National Business Daily, Jiang Lin, internet director of Science Fiction World magazine, said: "China boasts abundant sci-fi intellectual property works to develop derivative products like internet drama, TV series, films and games. I hope China Science Fiction City (which is to be built in Chengdu) can cultivate fertile soil for these products to take root and grow."