The Shenzhen government has recently decided to develop the culture industry as the fourth pillar industry in Shenzhen.

In the future the culture industry, which consists of newspapering, advertising, animation and oil painting production and marketing, will become the economic backbone of Shenzhen along with high-tech, logistics and finance industries.

Culture industry in Shenzhen realized added value of 16.339 billion yuan in 2004, accounting for 4.77 percent of the city's GDP. According to the plan, the "fourth pillar industry" will increase its proportion in the city's economic aggregate to 10 percent in five to ten years, reaching the level of Britain that is quite developed in culture industry.

It was learned that annual output of the printing industry in Shenzhen has topped 19 billion yuan, making Shenzhen one of the three printing bases in China together with Beijing and Shanghai. The Shenzhen Press Group has a total capital of over 5 billion yuan, making it one of the largest press groups. It has over 100 million yuan annual revenue from each of its four main newspapers.

Culture tourism featuring theme parks such as the Window of the World, Splendid China and Folk Culture village are also attracting tourists from all over the world.

The animation industry in Shenzhen turns out more than a hundred million yuan worth of exports. Many overseas animation producers have made their home in Shenzhen. Parts of famous cartoons such as the Lion King and Planet of The Apes were made in Shenzhen.

By People's Daily Online