The 2008 version of Olympic Games will be held in a new Beijing which boasts complete cultural facilities, active artistic performances and vigorous cultural industries. According to an official from Beijing Municipal Government, in the coming four years the capital will be made into a national cultural center in six aspects with cultural industries taking up 9 percent of the city's GDP.

A 2004-08 development plan for cultural industries in Beijing has recently been formulated, serving the aim of basically achieving modernization in 2008 ahead of other Chinese cities and of hosting a high-standard Olympics with Chinese characteristics. According to the plan, Beijing, based on existing cultural facilities and making use of its state-owned capital, social resources and overseas funds, is determined to build itself into a national cultural center in the following six aspects:

Artistic performances. Around the dense cultural facilities along the Chang'an Avenue, such as the State Grand Theater, an area featuring artistic performances will be planned and constructed. Reforms in cultural groups will be deepened and non-governmental funded performance groups will be encouraged to form a situation in which cultural enterprises of different ownerships exist side by side and compete with each other.

Publications and copyright trade. Institutional reforms will be accelerated in publishing organizations such as Beijing Publications Distribution Group Co., Ltd, which will complete sales over 2 billion yuan by 2008. Annual output value of the printing industry will exceed 10 billion yuan by then, and publications of audio & visual, electronic and online works will also flourish to turn the city into a national publication center, a major publications distribution center as well as the largest retailing market nationwide.

Production and trade of television programs and films. Resources will be mainly put into large-scale television and film enterprises. Mobile televisions will draw more attention and a production base will be built in Chaoyang District. The distribution of cinemas will be optimized with the aim of achieving 3 billion yuan box-office income by the year 2008.

Research and production of animated films and online games. Special funds will be set up to create industrial chains in this field, and digital production bases and Internet bar outlets will be forged.

Cultural exhibitions. Function of landmark cultural facilities such as the National Museum, the National Art Museum and China Millennium Monument will be given full play to create world-class brand names in exhibition sector. The aim is to achieve an average growth rate over 20 percent in annual income and 100 established exhibition names.

Antiques and curiosities trade. The trade volume of antiques and curiosities is planned to reach 4 billion yuan by the year 2008, turning the city into an antique trade center along with New York and Hong Kong.

By People's Daily Online