More cultural institutions to offer free services

Operators of China's public libraries, art museums and culture centers, at a grassroots level, will get financial support from central and local governments in their latest efforts to offer free and better services to the public.

The central government will provide at least 1.8 billion yuan ($274 million) in 2011 "to help public libraries, art museums and culture centers, particularly those in underdeveloped West China to upgrade their facilities, train personnel and create more services for the general public", said Wang Jiaxin, deputy chief of the Education, Science and Culture Division of the Financial Ministry, on Feb 18, in Beijing.

In 2011, each public library or culture center at the provincial level will receive 500,000 yuan a year ($76,000) in subsidies, while public libraries or culture centers at the county level will receive a 200,000 yuan annual subsidy, and culture centers at township or village levels will get a subsidy of 50,000 yuan a year, Wang said.