A season of culture set to enthrall

More than 400 cultural activities, including performances, dramas, art exhibitions, book fairs, movies and tourism events, are being held across the capital's 16 districts.

The details were announced at a media conference early this month at Langyuan Vintage, a cultural industrial park in the capital, for the 10th Beijing People Beneficial Cultural Consumption Season.

The season, first held in 2013, started on July 6 and is organized by the local authorities to encourage those in the city to take part in cultural events and enrich their leisure time. The activities will last until October.

The campaign this year aims to boost new business patterns and upgrade the service and quality of the culture industry. A special emphasis will be placed on boosting consumption and easing the burden on companies amid the recent COVID-19 resurgence.

A total fund of 50 million yuan ($7.4 million) will be provided to benefit the market players and consumers. While the former can enjoy subsidies, the latter can use discounts when purchasing items.

"Our focus includes attracting visitors to cultural venues, transforming and upgrading culture consumption, and boosting the confidence of the culture market," says Zhao Enguo, deputy director of the State-owned Cultural Assets Administration Center of Beijing Municipality, one of the organizers.

"More consumers will be attracted to the diversified cultural activities, with preferential prices," he says.

The organizers are cooperating with the capital's major cultural venues, such as Shougang Industrial Park, 798 Art Zone, Langyuan Vintage and Langyuan Station, to arrange colorful activities, ranging from cultural product fairs, live performances of music and art, and study tours for students. The target customers are book lovers, film enthusiasts and fans of television and drama.

They are also working with e-commerce and social media platforms, such as short-video apps, to promote the activities of the consumption season among potential consumers. They have invited influencers to share their experience of the cultural events online.

Digital culture consumption will be the key activity this year. The season's art festival offers online exhibitions and previews of auctions, using cutting-edge technology.

Other popular activities include live action role-playing games, fashion shows, camping and cycling events.

There are various online and offline events for consumers to choose from. For example, the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater is providing a reduced ticket price of 30 yuan for all performances during the season.

China Puppet Art Theater has joined the consumption season for a 10th consecutive year.

During the consumption season of each year, about 50,000 spectators watch their plays. The program includes Here Come the Elephants, which tells stories about the migration of Asian elephants.

Shi Bingwen, the theater's marketing director, says that parents can also bring their children to visit the China Puppet Museum, which was built last year, to learn about the history of puppets.

Companies and public institutions that participate in the consumption season can apply for subsidies, which will be paid to them after evaluation when the campaign ends.

Companies eligible to apply for the subsidies include those in the fields of theatrical performance, publishing, radio, film and television, cultural creative product manufacture, and online culture and entertainment consumption.