Sichuan provincial capital eyes culture, creative hub using HK's strategic role

Panda-mania, it seems, may not be enough for Sichuan to beef up its tourism credentials.

Chengdu - the capital city of the southwestern province that boasts a 2,300-year history - is going the extra mile with an eye on turning itself into western China's culture and creative hub, and a port of call for travelers on the global stage, using Hong Kong's "super-connector" role.

Both cities, known for their rich culture and tourism traditions, share a highly similar "cultural core", said Fan Ruiping, a member of the Standing Committee of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee,

This spells potentially huge opportunities for the two regions, he told a forum entitled "Chengdu to Build the National Center of Culture and Creativity" in Hong Kong on Thursday.

The event is an integral part of the ongoing "Sichuan-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation Week" being attended by a top-level delegation from Sichuan led by Governor Yin Li who's in the SAR to boost international economic and trade relations under the nation-led Belt and Road Initiative.

Up to 14 deals were inked between Hong Kong and Chengdu enterprises during the event, at which a five-year plan spelling out the provincial capital's goal to become Western China's cultural and creative center was unveiled.

It also saw Chengdu take its place at the World Cities Culture Forum as its 34th member, making it the third mainland city after Shanghai and Shenzhen to join the elite club.

"History tells us it's cultural force and creativity that determine the altitude a city could reach. Creativity and innovation are naturally inherent in Chengdu's 'cultural gene'," Fan said.

As of last year, more than 15,000 Chengdu-based legal entities had been engaged in cultural and creative industry-related establishments, generating revenues of more than 260 billion yuan ($39 billion), and industry-wide added values of 63.4 billion yuan and contributing 5.2 percent of the city's gross domestic product.

Chengdu, which will host the 22nd General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization next month, aims to raise the added value of its cultural and creative industry to more than 260 billion yuan, and its proportion of the city's gross domestic product to above 12 percent over the next five years.

Hong Kong, hailed as a melting pot where the old meets new and East meets West, has long earned a name for itself in such diverse areas as film and television, museums, creative design, performance and entertainment, literature and artwork, as well as anime and games.

Chan Pak-li, the SAR's under-secretary for commerce and economic development, said the city's cultural and creative industry has emerged as its fifth key economic sector after the four traditional economic pillars in terms of value added.

He said Hong Kong is more than willing to help Chengdu take a leaf from its book and bolster its vision of becoming a magnet for cultural and creativity-related establishments, as well as a meeting point for art-conscious talents from around the world.

sophia@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 08/25/2017 page19)