The Bei Wei Dynasty 398 Art Zone, in Datong, Shanxi province, is under construction in order to be ready for the Datong Musical Festival on August 15. Li Junming, mayor of the city, led his administration to the site and applauded the construction's progress.

Datong Yungang Tourism Festival Opening Ceremony

Last year, the Datong government signed a contract with Beijing Dream City Investment Co. to transform a local gas plant into a culture and creativity center—the Bei Wei Dynasty 398 Art Zone. The project's first phase, which will cost 1 billion yuan ($160.1 million), will be partly open to celebrate Datong Musical Festival. It will include a music-themed park, artists' studios, performing arts space, a museum, a children's center, a night-life area and more. According to the project manager, the area planned for the festival will stretch 120,000 square meters.

Li urged the construction staff to speed up the project's beautification to make it attractive to visitors as the musical festival is a key activity of this year's Yungang Tourism Festival. The Festival is associated with the Yungang Grottoes, a renowned tourist site in Datong.

After viewing the site, Li held a seminar with the project staff and encouraged a more detailed allocation of responsibilities. Li stressed that the musical festival, as a major activity for all in Datong, should be well planned and organized in advance. He also pointed out that the site's planners should take traffic, food safety and other safety issues into consideration. Finally, he added, only the cooperation of the construction team and the government can ensure a successful event.