Shenzhen plans to become regional center for culture

Nurturing global players

While people enjoy diversified artistic and cultural activities in the city, companies also benefit from the government's cultural policies.

Government statistics show the added value of the cultural creativity industry in Shenzhen reached 262.2 billion yuan last year, up 16.8 percent from a year before. It contributed about 11 percent to the city's GDP.

There are more than 50,000 cultural companies in Shenzhen, employing about 1 million workers, of which more than 40 were listed on domestic and overseas stock markets, official figures show.

Fantawild Holdings, one of China's top 30 cultural companies based in Shenzhen, is using new technologies to produce its latest cultural products.

"Cultural development has become more closely integrated with technologies," said Ding Liang, executive president of Fantawild.

The company is among the early players engaged in the development of new technology movies, according to Ding. When it successfully developed the first 4D dome-screened movie, the company applied for invention patents in both China and the United States, he said, adding that both the special system and movies will target overseas markets.

The company has exported the self-developed special film systems to more than 40 countries and regions. It has also produced films to cater to the equipment and exported more than 20 films annually, according to the company.

Cultural companies in Shenzhen are also attempting to combine culture with tourism, finance and arts.

China Merchants Culture Industries, a subsidiary under the listed company China Merchants Shekou and 147-year-old China Merchants Group, is focusing on cultural industry investment and operation.

General Manger Lai Qiaozhen said the company was using special multimedia effects to combine traditional Chinese painting with popular scientific knowledge in one of its shows.

chenhong@chinadaily.com.cn