And there was plenty of youthful vitality on hand at the 5th Asian Youth Animation and Comics Contest over the weekend in Guiyang of Guizhou Province.

Cosplay, short for "Costume Play", is a performing art where participants portray their favorite characters in comic books, video games and movies through meticulous costumes, gestures and movements.[Xinhua]

The entire event is hosted by the Ministry of Culture and the local government, but the Cosplay Competition was the part that attracted around 600 fans. Let's check out the fun.

Cosplay, short for "Costume Play", is a performing art where participants portray their favorite characters in comic books, video games and movies through meticulous costumes, gestures and movements.

According to the contestants, cosplay is not just about spending weeks preparing their costumes: it's also about taking self-expression to a higher level, by being bold and pushing boundaries, which seems particularly attractive to young people.

Cosplay, short for "Costume Play", is a performing art where participants portray their favorite characters in comic books, video games and movies through meticulous costumes, gestures and movements.[Xinhua]

Members of the jury panel include renowned cosplayers, TV celebrities, art academy professors and animation masters from United States, New Zealand and Brazil. Judges praised the finalists for their creativity and ability to interpret different characters. The winners were chosen based on the accuracy of the costume, presentation, posing and props.

Winner of creativity award said, "I enjoy what I do and I will keep doing my best at cosplay."

Japanese animation and the J-pop music scene are essential resources from which most cosplayers draw inspiration. With that in mind, the organizer is using the event to promote Asian and Pacific animation development.