SHANGHAI, July 26 -- The 21st China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (Chinajoy 2024) kicked off at the Shanghai New International Expo Center on Wednesday, bringing together over 600 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions worldwide.

As an integral part of China's digital culture, the gaming industry has seen vigorous growth and steady market revenue increases in recent years. Cutting-edge digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the entire gaming landscape and further unlocking the industry's development potential, said industry insiders.

The actual sales revenue of the domestic game market in the first half of the year reached 147.3 billion yuan (about 20.3 billion U.S. dollars), up 2.08 percent year on year. During the same period, the number of game users in China reached a record high of 674 million yuan, according to an industry report released on Thursday.

Coinciding with the gaming expo, the Video Game Museum of China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association opened in Xuhui District in downtown Shanghai, covering 2,000 square meters.

It is reported to be the largest game museum in China, housing over 5,000 game-related items. It allows visitors to immerse themselves in the technology and cultural significance behind the games.