Cultural makeover hits crescendo with renovations

The small town, which can only accommodate 200 people at one time, holds an annual music festival in May, when enthusiasts flood into the town to enjoy performances.

About 70,000 visitors came to the town during the weeklong event last year, Ge says.

"Our final goal is to turn the town into a national workshop for original music," Dong, the manager of the project, says.

Playing a different tune

Eyeing global appeal of local music

To this end, the company and the county government will increase the size of the village from its current 0.8 square kilometers to 6 sq km. It will have six districts with specific functions such as demonstration and manufacturing. The village will also have high-quality recording studios.

After the development is completed, Zhouwo will be a powerful promotional vehicle for the music industry, Dong says, adding that it is expected that income from all the services offered in Zhouwo will reach 650 million yuan ($104 million).

The town is well on the way to realizing its aims, says Jia Ruifeng, a publicity official from the county government.

This year, construction started on a 320 million yuan entertainment center and museum, both of which will offer attractions for tourists who are not music fans.

The county has also started to nurture its own musically talented teenagers. The county government and the Beijing-based Lute company opened a special school in 2011 that provides professional musical education for young students.

"Residents in the town did not buy our belief in the music industry, saying the school could not develop that much," Dong, also the school president, says.

But the villagers have realized the advantages of children learning music from a young age, as last year four local students were accepted by professional music schools in Vienna. Now, more than 500 children from primary and middle schools are studying music.

"They are the future of our music industry in the county," says Dong.

Zhouwo's development model of combining an industrial foundation with tourism and education has set a good example for other areas, says Zeng Zemin, general secretary of the China Musical Instruments Association.

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