Beijing zone a beacon of Chinese art

The zone "started out as a place where artists in Beijing could get access to affordable studio and display spaces," said Paul Gladston, professor of contemporary art at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

"798's status as an international art hub came about largely as a matter of happenstance and location rather than careful long-term planning," he said. "It has, though, spawned numerous government and privately supported art districts across China that, among other things, support urban development and the development of cultural industries."

However, he said, "The symbolic significance of 798 as a conspicuous marker of China's renewed cultural openness nevertheless remains."

Since it first gained prominence for its community of artists in the early 2000s, the 798 Art Zone in Beijing's Chaoyang district has grown to cover nearly 300,000 square meters, including more than 500 art studios, galleries, institutions and related establishments from 25 countries and regions, according to the local administrative committee.

The increasing commercialization of the zone, with restaurants, cafes, bookshops and retail outlets, has also helped make it one of Beijing's top attractions.

The zone has adopted a collaborative approach, described as government-guided and enterprise-oriented, to develop its art institutions. The UCCA's Tinari said this has led to the successful management of a cultural district, which, he added, is the envy of many Chinese cities that are trying to repurpose their own industrial infrastructure.

Wang Yanling, head of Beijing Sevenstar Huadian Science and Technology Group Co, which runs the zone, said 798's hosting of the highest concentration of contemporary art institutions in China offers an unmatched platform for Chinese influence on the field's international presence. He said Beijing is now one of the world's top five cities for contemporary art.

The zone attracted more than 8.08 million visitors from home and abroad last year alone, including heads of state and other dignitaries, Wang said.

"The 798 Art Zone is a cultural pillar of support, with the growing global influence of Chinese contemporary art and its rising role in the dialogue between East and West," he said.