Guangzhou's culture sparkles with vitality thanks to the reform and opening-up policy introduced 40 years ago, said Huang Shusen, honorary president of the Guangdong Literary and Artistic Critics Association, during an interview conducted by Guangzhou Daily on July 6.

Guangzhou used to be known as the "Window to the South" for its accessibility to Hong Kong and Macao. During this time, Huang was able to first introduce Liang Yusheng's wuxia (a kung fu literary genre) novel, the Bride with White Hair, to the Chinese mainland, which had an impact on the literary market of China.

Guangdong's publishing industry also saw many reforms, giving rise to mass culture and the emergence of many talents. Television, pop music, sculpture and so on were recognized as new cultural works, greatly broadening people's horizons, Huang noted.

"Guangzhou has an inclusive environment and is open to different opinions and cultures," he said.

Speaking of the cultural boom in the 1990s, Huang said that he is proud of the successes of the Guangzhou Broadcasting Network and Guangdong Radio and Television in producing acclaimed TV shows, but he also expects Guangzhou to keep bringing forth new innovations and reach new heights.

Huang Shusen is known as the man who introduced Hong Kong books to mainland China. [Photo/gzdaily.dayoo.com]