Wang Jingli

wangjingli0715@163.com

SHENZHEN will build 10 new cultural facilities in three years that cater to the city’s ambition to build itself into a world-class metropolis.

Shenzhen Opera House, Shenzhen Reform and Opening-up Exhibition Hall, Creative Design Hall, Shenzhen Hall of the National Museum of China, Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum, Shenzhen Oceanic Museum, Shenzhen Nature Museum, New Hall of Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen Innovation and Creative Design Academy and Shenzhen Conservatory of Music will be built over the next three years, Zhang Heyun, director general of the city’s cultural and sports bureau, said at a press conference yesterday.

The locations for the facilities have yet to be announced.

Additionally, the city will endeavor to improve 10 culture-themed neighborhoods, namely Dapeng Fortress in Dapeng New Area, Nantou Ancient Town in Nanshan District, Dafen Oil Painting Village in Longgang District, Guanlan Print Village in Longhua District, Gankeng Hakka Village in Longgang District, Dalang Creative Fashion Town in Longhua District, Dawan Ancestral Residence in Pingshan District, Shekou Sea World in Nanshan District, OCT LOFT in Nanshan District and Huaqiangbei Science, Fashion and Culture Neighborhood in Futian District.

Historically, Shenzhen has undergone two massive rounds of cultural facility construction, once in the 1980s and again in the new millennium.

In the 1980s, eight landmark cultural facilities, including Shenzhen Museum, Shenzhen Library and Shenzhen Grand Theater, were built, and since 2000, five major projects in Futian CBD, including Shenzhen Concert Hall, Shenzhen Library (New Library) and Shenzhen Book City CBD Store, have been built. Some sports facilities, such as Universiade Sports Center in Longgang and Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, were built for the 2011 Summer Universiade.

However, compared to other first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Shenzhen still lags behind in cultural facilities. Beijing and Shanghai have 179 and 125 museums, respectively, while the number in Shenzhen is only 47, which is 14 fewer than in Guangzhou. As for performance venues, Shenzhen has 11, a quarter of the number in Beijing and Shanghai.

Shenzhen now boasts 50 cultural facilities with a floor space exceeding 10,000 square meters and 21 stadiums with at least 3,000 seats.