Gansu launches record high number of cultural industry projects

Gansu province launched 70 key cultural industry projects in 2013, breaking its own record concerning the number of such projects. The Gansu authorities allocated a total of 154.53 billion yuan ($25.53 billion) to provincial cultural industry projects last year, a year on year increase of 148 percent, and 39.45 billion yuan has already been invested, a year on year increase of 467 percent, thus realizing a three-digit increase for the first time.

The province’s panel in charge of cultural promotion said that Gansu completed a series of major tasks in this field last year, including starting the construction of a cultural venture capital fund and formulating the Development Plan of Dunhuang International Cultural Tourism City .

The progress of these projects secured the continued political and financial support of the authorities for the development of Gansu’s cultural industries and also enhanced the competitiveness of the industries.

Lian Ji, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee, said that the added value of Gansu’s cultural industries hit 10.8 billion yuan, a year on year increase of 38 percent, contributing to 1.71 percent of the provincial GDP.

Lian also said that though there is a favorable momentum, there is still a long way to go before reaching the goal of making the cultural industries a backbone of Gansu’s economy, as they are still in their “initial phase with many kinds of problems.”

According to the plan of the Gansu provincial Party Committee, the province is set to promote the transformation and upgrading of its cultural industries, with the aim of realizing industrial added value of 14.15 billion yuan, and a growth rate of 31 percent.

Edited by Niva Whyman and Le Qin