Culture taking center stage in Tianjin

During the recent National Holiday week, the concert hall of Tianjin Grand Theater was packed every evening for the Russian opera War and Peace, based on Leo Tolstoy's novel. Some of the audience even drove the 120 kilometers from Beijing.

Qian Cheng, chief manager of the theater, explained to China Daily how Tianjin, once primarily known as a port and industrial city, could build such a cultural reputation so quickly; especially since China's massive city building program has resulted in many brand new, exquisitely designed cultural facilities in other cities remaining largely empty.

Qian attributed Tianjin's difference to the city's innovative approach in working with the private sector.