Shanghai unveils 15th Five-Year Plan to boost its cultural soft power

Shanghai released its 15th Five-Year Plan for the development of its cultural sectors at a news conference on July 23.

Fang Shizhong, deputy head of the city's publicity department, outlined the city's roadmap to 2030, aiming to cement Shanghai's status as a global cultural hub.

The plan builds on strong momentum from the previous five years. Shanghai's cultural soft power has seen significant growth. A series of TV, film and theater productions, such as the animation film Chang An, the hit TV drama Blossoms, and Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe's production The Snow of Tianshan Mountain, won prestigious national accolades.

Major infrastructure projects, including the Shanghai Library East and Shanghai Museum East, have enhanced public access to culture and arts. Notably, the Shanghai Museum's recent exhibition On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt drew over 2.77 million visitors and generated more than 760 million yuan ($112.26 million) in revenue, making it the best-attended single paid exhibition among museums globally.

The city has launched a series of new measures to facilitate the development of its art and creative industries. In 2025, Shanghai's cultural and related industry companies achieved record revenue of over 1.4 trillion yuan for the first time, with new cultural business models seeing a 10.0 percent year-on-year increase in revenue, making up 56.6 percent of the city's cultural revenue.

Moreover, Shanghai has firmly established itself as China's top inbound tourism destination, welcoming 9.36 million overseas visitors last year.

To drive future growth, the plan introduces several breakthrough initiatives. A key highlight is the upcoming completion of the Shanghai Grand Opera House. Spanning 146,000 square meters, this landmark venue aims to be China's premier performing arts center, targeting a grand opening on Oct 17 alongside the launch of a new state-owned performing arts group.

Economically, Shanghai is prioritizing high-quality cultural industry development. For the first time, the plan identifies targets to cultivate five "super-clusters" in the cultural sector, each exceeding 100 billion yuan in scale. These include film and TV production, art trading, performing arts, e-sports, and creative design. The city will also accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence into cultural creation and promote the deep fusion of culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions.