Culture near every doorstep in line for 'City of Art'

The Zhuhai government will devote resources and funds to create a "City of Art" with many physical bookstores, libraries, cultural centers, art galleries, theaters, and museums. Along with this would come a cultural industry with value-added output accounting for 5.5 percent of the city's GDP by 2020.

The Action Plan on Zhuhai Cultural Development & Reform (2018-20) was recently released. It states that the city should be "comfortably off" in culture within three years. In that time, the comprehensive index of "cultural well-being" should reach 100 percent and major cultural indicators surpass that of many other cities in the Pearl River Delta.

Zhuhai Opera House, culture, and art buildings

Toward that end, a cultural circle is to be formed with appropriate facilities no more than 10 minutes from urban dwellings and a large cultural-dedicated venue no more than 5 km (3 miles) from rural homes.

By 2020, Zhuhai's per capita public cultural expenditure should exceed the national average and lead the Pearl River Delta region.

According to the government, the new Zhuhai Museum at the intersection of Central Lovers Avenue and Haihong Road in Old Xiangzhou is to open this year. The Gu Yuan Museum of Art not far away on Meihua Road and Zhuhai Library in New Xiangzhou will soon undergo upgrades and transformations.

Gu Yuan Museum of Art

In addition, the Xiangzhou Library & Museum and Doumen and Jinwan district libraries are being built to national standards and will open in the near future. By 2020, the city's holdings of public library books should reach 1.2 volumes per capita.

There will also be a promotion of all 24 cultural centers in towns or sub-districts to provincial special-station standards. A group of civic art centers will be in place integrating training, communication, exhibition, and entertainment.

Not only libraries, museums and cultural centers will be highlighted. Zhuhai will increase the number of brick-and-mortar bookstores and have at least 25 movie theaters by 2020.

The combined floor space of public cultural buildings should reach 1,650 sq m (1,973 sq yd) devoted to every 10,000 people. 

Chimelong Ocean Kingdom [Photos courtesy southcn.com]

Moreover, the Zhuhai Cultural Industry Investment Fund will support cultural projects. The first phase will have 200 million yuan ($31.6 million) and benefit from cooperation with the Guangdong New Media Industry Fund.

According to the plan, by becoming a leader in cultural development, Zhuhai will play a larger and critical role in building Guangdong into a cultural powerhouse.