Shaanxi province's cultural industry has surged in the past five years, becoming a major driving force of the local economy.

From 2012 to 2016, the added value of the province's cultural industry increased from 50.07 billion yuan ($7.54 billion) to 80.25 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 12.5 percent. The added value of the industry accounts for 4.14 percent of the province's GDP.

During the same period, the number of cultural companies in the province increased from 15,000 to 22,000, including 13 companies traded on stock exchanges.

To make full use of the local historical and cultural resources, the local government has initiated more than 30 provincial-level cultural projects, including: the Sima Qian cultural park; a cultural park named after the novel White Deer Plain; the Yanxiang innovative cultural industry valley; and the Yellow Emperor Mausoleum National Cultural Park. Seventeen of the projects have already been completed.

Shaanxi has a total of 12 national-level cultural industry demonstration zones, including the Xi'an national culture and technology integration demonstration base, the Xi'an national printing and packaging industry demonstration base, the Xi'an national digital publishing base, and the Xi'an Qujiang national cultural industry demonstration zone.

A total of 361 studios produce a large number of films every year, with annual yields ranking No 6 nationally.

Traditional folk art forms including porcelain-making, paper-cutting, shadow plays and farmers' painting, are becoming more and more popular.

Shaanxi has put great effort into fostering the local cultural industry since 2012, conducting institutional reforms, upgrading its business environment and increasing financial support.

From 2012 to 2016, Shaanxi has invested 411.53 billion yuan in fixed assets in the cultural industry, with the investment increasing on average by 39.3 percent annually.

In 2014, the Shaanxi cultural industry investment fund was established to encourage excellent projects. The size of the fund has reached 1.5 billion yuan. A film and television fund was also launched this year, with 200 million yuan in the pot.

To bolster small-sized cultural companies' growth and development, the local government has reduced administrative fees and allocated governmental funds for them. They are also exempt from value-added tax, income tax and property tax.

Each year, the Shaanxi government holds a series of promotion activities to help local projects to attract investors.

With the support of the provincial government, a large number of project promotion conferences have been held in major cities and areas such as Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macao, Beijing and Zhejiang province.

Shaanxi is located in Northwest China. Along with areas in its neighboring Shanxi and Henan provinces, it forms one of the cradles of Chinese civilization.

The Terra-cotta Army is located in Lintong district in Xi'an, the province's capital. The life-size terra-cotta warriors and horses revive the past glory of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China (260-210 BC).

Thirteen feudal dynasties established their capitals in the province during a span of more than 1,100 years, from the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC) to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), leaving a total of 50,000 historical relics.

Today, Shaanxi residents are striving to rejuvenate local cultural platforms. A Silk Road-themed international art festival, film festival and tourism expo took place in the province one after another, continuing to provide a cultural feast for visitors.

liyou@chinadaily.com.cn

(HK Edition 11/16/2017 page20)