Eighth Binhai cultural fair wins investment over five billion yuan

On October 21, the 8th Tianjin Binhai Cultural and Creative Exhibition Fair, co-sponsored by the Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, the Municipal Wenguang Bureau and the Binhai New Area Government, was successfully held.

More than 300 high-end cultural enterprises participated in the fair, with over 200,000 exhibition participants, and an area of nearly 30,000 square meters. The aim of the fair is to display the advanced concepts and outstanding achievements of many global cultural industries.

Taking the opportunity, the new district signed cooperation agreements with a number of renowned cultural and creative enterprises such as Tuniu Tourism, Xingyi Oriental Travel Performance, Cat Eye Culture, Logical Thinking, Green Fruit Smart, and Dolly International with the total investment reaching 5.26 billion yuan ($757.11 million).

During the fair, the area published Three-Year Action Plan for Cultural Development in Binhai New Area (2018-2020). According to the plan, the area will complete construction of National Public Cultural Service System Demonstration Zone and enrich the cultural format during this year. 2019 will witness the official operation of major projects such as National Maritime Museum of and the Juilliard School of Music and the second phase of the Binhai Cultural Center. In 2020, the zone will be completed, and the coastal cultural city effect of Binhai will be visible.

To implement the plan in enhancing soft power, the new area schedules to take measures in ten aspects, including increasing financial input, developing content industries, supporting key projects, enlarging market entities, expanding financing channels, providing land base, gathering talents, broadening market access, improving public services, and implementing policies.

Financial support for the cultural industry will come in various forms such as awards, subsidies and funds. Among them, original works and works winning major awards at home and abroad will be given direct rewards of up to 2 million yuan ($287,873.34); national-level R & D centers, laboratories and other innovative platforms 3 million yuan ($431,810) to 30 million yuan ($4.32 million) for settling down in the new area; the approved cultural and creative industrial parks and bases no more than 100 million yuan ($14.39 million) depending on types; shared work space for start-ups, incubator and accelerator 300,000 yuan ($43,181), 500,000 yuan ($71968.33) and 1 million yuan ($143,936.66) dependently.

The new district will also establish "Top Ten Coastal Cultural Enterprises and Top Ten People in Coastal Culture and Entrepreneurship". The new area has also set up awards such as "Binhai annual top ten culture companies" and "Binhai annual top ten culture people”with a one-time reward of up to 1 million yuan to encourage the development of the cultural industry.  Other favorable conditions include convenient access to land resources such as spare industrial plants.

Cultural and creative exhibits brought by the Hebei Provincial Pavilion.[Photo/enorth.com.cn]