Quzhou cartoon character debuts at Content Tokyo 2019

Grandpa Nankong of Quzhou is on display at Content Tokyo 2019, together with 1,500 other anime characters. [Photo/people.cn]

Grandpa Nankong, a new cartoon character who has become a symbol of Quzhou in East China's Zhejiang province, made his debut at Content Tokyo 2019 from April 3 to 5.

Designed by renowned artist Xu Ming, Grandpa Nankong represents the southern branch of Confucianism in Quzhou and has won wide recognition in China.

In creating the character, Xu has integrated traditional Chinese Confucian culture with modern design.

Grandpa Nankong's bun is designed in the shape of a painting and calligraphy scroll, symbolizing the depth and profundity of Confucianism. Thick eyebrows cover his eyes, which commonly represents profound knowledge in cartoons. His heart-shaped beard is intended to signify the Confucian notion that every person can go to school and receive an education.

In addition, Xu also designed a series of emojis for Grandpa Nankong which are available on social media application WeChat.

The designer said in an interview that, considering China and Japan have been profoundly influenced by Confucian culture, Grandpa Nankong's exhibition in Japan was not only expected to introduce Quzhou to the world, but also strengthen cultural exchange between the two countries.

Content Tokyo 2019 is the largest comprehensive exhibition consisting of seven specialized trade shows related to content in Japan and attracted 1,350 exhibitors worldwide.