Wanda Group ventures onto the global stage (4)

Creativity and investment

Wanda is well aware of that factor. In the Forbes interview, Wang Jianlin categorized the most popular cultural products as "innovative, dramatic, entertaining, but not preaching".

The group claims to have invested $80 million to produce movies and television content. In 2011 it produced or co-produced six films, and plans to produce more than 10 films annually after 2013. If it meets the target, the company will become the largest producer of films and TV on the Chinese mainland.

Wanda has also worked with the Franco Dragone Entertainment Group in the US on preparation for staging shows in five major Chinese cities, that the Wanda chairman said will be equal to the best performances in Las Vegas. The first show, set to be staged in Wuhan, Hubei province, will premiere in 2014.

It is still too early to tell whether Wanda will produce great cultural works, but senior cultural critic Tan Fei is optimistic about the "cultural flagship", as the company has been nicknamed. "Wanda did not start as a cultural industry player, but as a property developer, so its capital and marketing ability is far better than most cultural companies on the Chinese mainland now," he said.

Ben Ji, a senior industry insider and marketing director of Reach Glory Media Group, hoped Wanda will gain experience from working with top US companies.

"Hollywood has produced the best in terms of universally favored cultural products," he said. "The productions involve subtle techniques and decades of experiences. Wanda's cultural enterprise, starting with its exhibition business, will benefit a lot from its global partners."

We recommend:
Riding on BJ-GZ high-speed railway	The spending of China's rich	More Chinese cities see home price rise
Santa is coming and China takes a lot more notice	Harbin-Dalian high-speed railway starts operation	Nanjing Yangtze Fourth Bridge to open