LAOSHAN District in the east of Qingdao is a cultural attraction housing a number of cultural facilities.

    The Qingdao Grand Theater has presented a variety of performances to citizens since it opened Oct. 27. These included a magic show by Liu Qian, Richard Clayderman Piano Concert, Lang Lang Piano Recital, ballet on ice “Swan Lake” and “Cinderella.”

    The Huacheng International Cinema started trial operations a month ago, with box-office takings reaching 600,000 yuan (US$90,000).

    There are also a number of other cutural facilities in Laoshan District, such as the Guoxin Sports Center, Qingdao Museum, Qingdao International Beer City, Seaside Art Center, Sculpture Art Center, International Convention and Exhibition Center.

    Stadiums and concert halls were built at universities such as Ocean University of China and Qingdao University.

    The district will be the fixed venue for the China Domestic Film Trading Fair. The China Film Trading Center, yet to be built, will host premieres for more than 50 domestic films each year.

    The Qingdao Grand Theater will arrange more than 100 commercial shows and 30 non-profit shows each year, according to the management.

    The cultural industry in Laoshan District has experienced rapid development. There are more than 518 cultural companies in the district employing more than 7,000 people.

    In 2009, the revenue from the cultural industry reached 1.85 billion yuan, an increase of 11 percent compared with the previous year.

    Revenue for 2010 is expected to reach 2 billion yuan.

    (Tina Chen, Wang Liyan)