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Chengdu finds partners for large-scale cultural projects

Hong Kong activity attracts investors' interest in city's creative industry, Li You reports.

Chengdu aimed to attract local companies to launch or partner projects based in the capital of Sichuan province by carrying out a promotional activity in Hong Kong on Aug 24.

With the theme Tianfu Chengdu, Future of Cultural Innovation, the activity publicized Chengdu’s capability in cultivating the cultural innovation industry among investors mainly from Hong Kong, Macao and foreign countries.

At the event, a total of 13 Hong Kong-based and Australian companies and one brand institute signed agreements with Chengdu’s companies and institutes.

The projects involved film and television, radio, cultural tourism, stage performances as well as resort towns.

China Taihe Group, a Hong Kong-based finance company picked Dujiangyan, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, as the location of its water theme park project.

Construction of the 33-hectare theme park will kick off in October, hoping to thrill visitors from around the world.

"Dujiangyan itself is a resort city with worldwide fame. We are confident about our project because we chose Dujiangyan," said Wang Xiaoyong, chairman of China Taihe.

The goal is to establish a national-level landmark on water-themed park in Southwest China and the whole country.

"The theme of our water park project was tailored by WhiteWater, a major Canadian water park designer. The drafts have been finalized," Wang said.

The water park will be equipped with high-end laser technology, a huge wave pool that can make 3-meter waves and the world's first undersea walking system.

Ancient resort towns in Chengdu also caught investors' attention. OCT(H.K.) Co will develop a new sightseeing destination in Luodai, an ancient town in eastern Chengdu, established during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).

"Based on the current plan, we will upgrade the resort town and develop a new 3-square-kilometer tourism area," said He Haibin, chairman of the company. In addition to Luodai, the company also plans to build a holiday destination in Longquan Mountain Forest Park.

In the first half of 2017, the company outlined plans to establish more resort destinations.

In the end, they decided on Chengdu, now regarded as a key area in the company's expansion strategy. Whether in terms of cultural advantages, strong industrial foundations or customers' purchasing ability, Chengdu is the best choice, according to He.

Jiaxuan Culture Investment Co plans to establish a panda-themed theater in Chengdu to act on The Panda, a grand Chinese play on pandas. "We aim to attract more visitors from around the world to watch the show,"said Wu Li, chairman of the company, adding that the show achieved a great success in the United States.

Besides cultural projects, agreements signed during the promotional activity in Hong Kong also involved initiatives to cultivate the cultural innovation industry.

Chengdu Media Group signed an agreement with Arts China to work together to construct an innovative cultural industry cluster in Chengdu.

The project is expected to involve investment of more than 10 billion yuan ($1.54 billion), aiming to attract worldwide leading cultural groups to the cluster. During the promotional activity, Conor Roche, representative chairman of The World Famous Cultural City Forum, announced Chengdu would become a member city.

One of the 10 famous historical cities in China, the city has a history of more than 4,500 years' civilization and 2,300 years' of establishment.

In 2016, an estimated 15,000 legal entities were engaged in the city's innovative cultural industry, generating a total income of 260 billion yuan and added value of 63.36 billion yuan. In 2018, Chengdu will hold The Belt and Road City Cultural Development Summit.

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, attracts visitors from home and abroad by its modernity and traditional characteristics. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Artists perform the face-changing technique of the Sichuan Opera at an open theater in Chengdu.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A panda-themed musical event catches visitors' eyes in Hong Kong.[Photo provided to China Daily]