Aircrafts on exhibition during the Aviation Week in Hengdian Township, in East China's Zhejiang Province Photo: Courtesy of Zhejiang Hengdian Aviation Industry.

Aviation Week kicked off in Hengdian Township, in East China's Zhejiang Province, on Wednesday.

During the week, exhibitions featuring fixed-wing airplanes, helicopters, drones, and hot air balloons are being held, as well as an air show.

Additionally, a photography contest and training course are being held, giving participants the opportunity to learn more about shooting photos of different aircraft.

Built in the 1990s, Hengdian World Studios is one of China's biggest bases for film production, as such it is sometimes referred to as China's Hollywood. The base has stepped up its efforts in developing local tourism, with film and aviation related activities the two main selling points.

Film sets featuring recreations of ancient buildings such as the palace of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, are major attractions for tourists. Similar to theme parks such as Universal Studios, Hengdian World Studios has its own theme park called Dream Valley.

To attract travelers looking for some adventure, in recent years the park has gradually launched activities such as parachuting and aerial tours.

Alongside the aviation week, a forum on aviation and regional economic development was held from Wednesday to Thursday.

"The development of our film and tourism industries need the support of the aviation industry," said Ge Jingbing, the chairman of the Zhejiang Hengdian Aviation Industry.

Currently, Hengdian only has one small airport that does not provide passenger service. Tourists who want to travel there by plane must first fly to Yiwu or Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province and then take an inter-city bus or a cab to get to Hengdian.

A project to expand the general aviation airport in Hengdian will be launched this year.

"The expansion of the airport will have a significant impact on the development of the local film and tourism industry. First, it will be more convenient for the film companies and crews to travel to Hengdian. Second, tourist arrivals will expand from East China to encompass the entire country, maybe even Southeast Asia," Ge told the Global Times.