An artist's impression of the impressive Xiwang Center, currently under construction in Changchun city. [Photo/Changchun Release]
Changchun – capital of Northeast China's Jilin province – is set to develop itself into a cultural and creative city, further promoting its prestige within the cultural world, according to its new urban development plan.
Under the five-year blueprint announced last month, plans are to promote the nascent Changchun International Automobile City. There are also ambitious plans for Changchun to develop itself into a modern agricultural city, a low-carbon demonstration city, a science and technology innovation city, an emerging consumer city, as well as a cultural and creative city.
Changchun is projected to develop a cultural tourism industry cluster with an annual output of 100 billion yuan ($15.7 billion). This will boost its total tourism revenue to 300 billion yuan annually and as a result, the cultural industry's added value will account for more than 5 percent of the city's GDP.
Changchun's Kuancheng district is making every effort to build a number of high-quality cultural industry projects – and create a new model for cultural industry projects – to drive economic development in the region.
Kuancheng is understood to have rolled out a series of district-themed cultural intellectual property products and also created a number of classic literary and artistic works with strong local characteristics.
At the same time, by leveraging its rich cultural resources – including the Museum of the Imperial Palace of "Manchukuo" and the century-old pedestrian mall on Changjiang Road – the district is set to promote the integrated development of its history, culture, creative industries and health tourism.
Its Xiwang Center – currently under construction in the city – will cost 1.28 billion yuan and have a total floor space of 166,347 square meters.
When completed in 2023, it will feature a cultural and creative commercial block, including state of the art offices, cultural and creative centers, commercial streets and star-rated hotels.