150,000-person doujin migration packs a small Guangdong town

Summary

This year's CPG 08 in Shunde, Foshan, was a phenomenon. It was the first time Comicup, one of China's largest doujin conventions, was held in Shunde. After organizers started site visits in March, the venue was announced in June as the Tanzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, triggering playful comments like 'Shunde finally admits it belongs to Foshan' and a string of food-related jokes. On Day 1, the venue's network signal cut out, prompting attendees to raise their phones skyward in search of a signal—a scene compared to a mysterious ritual. A viral comment joked that the venue could host the college entrance exam without signal jammers, gaining over 7,000 likes on Xiaohongshu. Artists also drew sketches of people searching for signals. Nearby delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers lost their positioning signals, likened to entering the Bermuda Triangle. The massive migration of 150,000 attendees overwhelmed the small city. This is noteworthy because Comicup's expansion to a second-tier city reflects the decentralization of convention economies. Meanwhile, the network issues highlight infrastructure gaps for large-scale events, yet the community's humorous response showcases the resilience and creativity of doujin culture. For players and the industry, it underscores the boom of offline gatherings while reminding organizers to upgrade communication and…