Organizers attend the opening ceremony of the Beihai Culture Week in Beihai, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, yesterday. Beihai is a famous historical city with a rich cultural heritage. It was the port of departure of the ancient “Maritime Silk Road” over 2,000 years ago. In 1876, Beihai was opened up as a trading port. Eight countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Italy, had set up consulates or offices there. Up to now, 28 historic Western buildings such as consulates, foreign firms and post offices have been preserved. The local government has promulgated a series of regulations to protect cultural relics and also made great efforts to introduce cultural companies to the city. In 2021, the operating income of cultural enterprises above designated size in the city reached 45.5 billion yuan (US$6.29 billion), accounting for 45% of the city’s total revenue. The cultural industry has become an important growth engine for Beihai’s high-quality economic and social development. By courtesy of Hong Kong Commercial Daily