SINCE Futian District joined the second batch of national public cultural service model districts in 2013, Futian District has invested 800 million yuan (US$126 million) in public cultural facilities and services between 2013 and 2016.

    Among these, 210 million yuan has been used to improve cultural venues. Another 100 million yuan was spent on cultural and sports funds every year, said Wu Jing, a member of the Standing Committee of the Futian District Committee of the Communist Party of China.

    The district has 391 cultural venues covering a total area of 438,000 square meters. The district also has 106 public libraries.

    There are more than 5,000 cultural events organized in the district every year. For example, the Lianhua Hill Grass Music Festival last year attracted an audience of more than 130,000.

    Celebrities were also invited to the district to promote culture and sports. Within the past three years, 21 programs featuring 140 events were hosted in the district. Artists and athletes such as Lang Lang, Xie Jun and Yi Jianlian were invited to attend these events.

    The district’s cultural and sports fund has supported 232 programs with 147 million yuan. The programs include several international events such as Shenzhen International Percussion Festival and the China (Shenzhen) International Hip-hop Cultural Festival.

    Moving forward, the district will emphasize promotion of cultural and sports events and construction of sports venues.

    (Wang Yuanyuan)