People select cultural products at a cultural and creative industries festival in Minhang District.

A cultural and creative industries festival kicked off on Thursday in Minhang District with a flash mob at the Aegean Shopping Mall singing “My Country and I.”

The festival, which will last until October 20, features a variety of events promoting shopping and local creative culture.

One of the main events will be a party atshopping mall at the weekend. A total of 19 local organizations and companies will bring along their cultural products to the festival.

People can try of traditional Chinese musical instruments or watch a projection of a kungfu show where all characters seem alive and within reach. They can also have some fun with an AIdroid from local startup Whales Bot. The droid is like a little Transformer in that it can turn itself from a bug-looking bot to a T-rex crusher.

According to the district authority, the gross value of production generated by the cultural industry last year was 25.1 billion yuan (US$ 3.54), 10 percent more than in 2017.

Minhang was once the powerhouse of Shanghai’s heavy industry, with the city’s electric machinery, turbine, boiler and TV factories all in the district.

Recent years have seenMinhanglisting creative culture as one of its key industries and releasing a number of policies boosting the cultural economy.