On August 20, 2026, the Publicity Department of the Ya'an Municipal Committee announced that the 17th China Film Technology Forum will be held in Ya'an this September, along with the launch of the 'YaYun WanXiang' (Elegant Ya'an, Myriad Visions) themed AI short-film call for submissions. The call invites filmmakers, digital artists and art-school students across China to tell the story of giant pandas and thousand-year tea culture through AI-generated imagery.
The forum is co-hosted by the China Film Association, the Publicity Department of the CPC Ya'an Municipal Committee and the China Society of Film Art, organized by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Film Art Center and the Ya'an Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and executed by Sichuan Tea Tourism Group. As an innovative effort to advance the practical application of domestic AIGC technology, the call centers on giant pandas, tea culture and Ya'an's 'Three Wonders' (Ya'an rain, Ya'an fish and Ya'an women) as its creative core, encouraging creators to use AI video tools to explore standardized paths for revitalizing traditional culture through AI imagery. Submissions close at 24:00 on September 6, 2026. A total of 15 works will be shortlisted for the final review, from which industry experts will anonymously select one 'Outstanding Creative Work of the Year', one 'Outstanding Visual Effects Work of the Year' and one 'Outstanding Story Work of the Year' with creation subsidies, forum screenings and annual memberships to AI creation platforms.
Ya'an is the birthplace of the scientific discovery of giant pandas and the origin of world tea culture. Earlier this month, Mingshan District held a special symposium on restoring historic famous teas, advancing six systematic initiatives - building a boutique tour route, defining craft standards, establishing intangible-heritage workshops, nurturing a new generation of master craftsmen, developing innovative tea products and creating a marketing platform - to bring the thousand-year tribute tea culture back to life through ancient wisdom. From the restoration of historic tea craft to the digital revival through AI short films, Ya'an is weaving its 'Panda + Tea' dual IP into a new symphony of tradition and technology.
Panda Tea, rooted in Mengding Mountain in Ya'an, grows in tea gardens between 800 and 1,500 meters above sea level within the natural habitat of giant pandas. Adhering to eco-friendly planting with zero chemical fertilizers and zero chemical pesticides, the brand pioneered the patented 'panda-dung fertilization' technique, ingeniously combining the national treasure with millennia-old tea culture. Founder An Yanshi has infused the brand with his eco-friendly Chinese-character panda calligraphy art, making Panda Tea not only an ecological tea but also a cultural and intellectual-property tea - a philosophy naturally in tune with the idea of revitalizing traditional culture through digital technology.
A cup of ecological tea from the hometown of pandas is spreading its fragrance across the world on the wings of digital technology. Creators from around the globe are welcome to visit Ya'an, capture the charm of giant pandas, the misty tea mountains and the enduring heritage of Chinese tea through AI imagery, and join in writing a new digital chapter of the 'Panda + Tea' dual IP.
(Sources: Sichuan Economic Net, Chuanguan News, Ya'an CPPCC website and other public reports; cover image generated by AI)
