Huizhou Fish Lantern, a traditional folk art originating from Shexian county, Anhui province, was honored as one of the Top 10 IPs in the Intangible Cultural Heritage & Cultural Relics category at the 2025 World IP Economic Development Conference & Global IP Licensing Expo in Guangzhou on May 11.

This recognition was earned after Huizhou Fish Lantern was selected from a competitive pool of 2,368 entries, and it shared the spotlight with blockbuster cultural IPs such as Ne Zha, Sanxingdui Ruins, and Li Ziqi, marking it as the only award-winning entry from Anhui province.

The acknowledgment of Huizhou Fish Lantern not only highlights the successful integration of tradition with innovation but also underscores the revitalization of Shexian's folk culture in the modern era. The county intends to pursue additional cross-industry collaborations under the "IP+" model, injecting new vitality into this cultural treasure.

The 2025 Top 10 Annual IP Awards, a highlight of the expo, was co-organized by Sina Finance and Weibo, with guidance from the China Copyright Association and the China Entertainment Industry Association. The event celebrated outstanding IPs across ten sectors, including literature, urban IPs, film and animation, and intangible cultural heritage.

The Fish lantern parade in Qiyun Mountain. [Photo/IC]