Cultural hub aims for intl recognition

Chengdu will hold a special event at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center on Aug 23, aiming to introduce and promote the unique charm of its rich culture and the potential development of the city's cultural innovation industries.

The event will also show visitors Chengdu's intention to establish itself as a cultural and creative center in western China, as well as demonstrate its policy advantages and highlights.

A series of strategic cooperation agreements, related to fields including cultural creativity, cultural tourism, track transportation and conventions and exhibitions, will be signed by businesses based in Chengdu and Hong Kong.

Other events, including a flash mob featuring music, Tai Chi and street dancing, will also be held in Hong Kong during Aug 21-24, together with a city tour activity named Panda BUS.

Chengdu will provide an opportunity for Hong Kong residents to learn about Tianfu culture. The surrounding Chengdu Plain was known as tianfu, namely the "land of abundance" in the ancient times.

The national central city with a history of 4,500 years is promoting the development of its cultural innovation industry and building itself into a global city of culture.

A white paper released by the historical city in July said it will build a world famous national cultural innovation city, highlighting ancient Shu culture, its Three Kingdoms period (220-280) heritage and giant pandas.

Chengdu aims to strengthen cultural protection in its central districts, including protecting historical and cultural blocks, and maintaining its ancient Shu characteristics.

By 2022, added value from the cultural innovation industry will account for 12 percent in the city's total GDP, according to the local government.

It added that the city will become a hub for cultural exchange with Belt and Road Initiative-related countries and regions.

The city has proposed a new pattern of development for its cultural innovation industry, focusing on building two core areas and developing two belts. A culture-driven industrial cluster will take shape.

Of the two core areas, one is the central urban area. Relying on the central area's rich cultural resources, it will become a characteristic cultural industry core area.

The other is the city's Tianfu New Area, which will support the development of the creative design and modern culture industries, including digital media and publishing.

Of the two belts, one is the Longmen Mountain cultural industrial belt in the south of the city, which features rich cultural resources, primarily giant pandas and ancient Shu culture. Chengdu plans to build the area into an international tourist destination.

The other is Longquan Mountain cultural industrial belt in the city's east, which will focus on the development of cultural innovation tourist sectors, such as mountain and aquatic sports activities.

Several cultural landmarks are either under construction or are included in the local government's agenda, such as Shuhan Town, the Chengdu Center, the City Music Hall and an Olympic center.

Shuhan Town is scheduled to be located to the east of the city's first ring road, to the west of the Temple of Marquis Wu and Nanjiao Park. It includes the Temple of Marquis Wu and Jinli Ancient Street, both of which are scenic spots featuring the culture of the Three Kingdoms.

The town is designed to serve as a Three Kingdoms-focused cultural center, integrating exhibitions, research and experiences.

It will reorganize and upgrade its current resources to reach that goal, said an official with the Chengdu Planning and Management Bureau.

The Temple of Marquis Wu is one of China's most influential museums in terms of cultural relics relating to the Three Kingdoms. Jinli Street, located next to the temple, was one of the busiest commercial areas during the Shu Kingdom.

Construction started on the music hall project, covering an area of about 30,000 square meters, on Oct 18 last year. It is due to open to the public in 2018.

With a total investment of nearly 2 billion yuan ($300 million), the project includes a concert hall with 1,400 seats, an opera house with 1,600 seats, a theater with 400 seats and an art-themed hotel.

Festival

Chengdu International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage is the first national and international-level event of its kind, aiming to promote intangible cultural heritage protection.

According to the organizers, it has become a "shiny name card" of Chengdu and introduces Tianfu culture.

Chengdu launched the sixth International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage on June 10.

Exhibitions including elegant Shu embroidery, crystals, silver, silk, jewelry, lacquerware and stylish bamboo utensils attracted over 3 million visitors from home and abroad during the nine-day event.

"As a famous cultural city in China, Chengdu has formed unique cultural diversity after thousands of years of accumulation, which can provide inspiration to cultural innovators," said Yang Jirui, head of the China Consumer Economics Society.

He said that Chengdu's cultural and creative industries have great vitality, which will help the city to develop itself into a hub for those sectors in western China.

Currently, Chengdu houses many cultural projects that enjoy a high reputation among industrial insiders, such as Redstar 35 Cultural Creative Industrial Park, Blue Roof Art Center and Eastern Suburb Memory.

(China Daily 08/23/2017 page10)