Culture industry zones with distinct features and strong connections

Art gallery with examples of animation work, in the Jilin Northeast Asian Cultural Creative Technology Zone. [Photo/China Daily]

The culture business in China's Jilin province is growing faster than ever, and the province is noting its influence on both individuals and the region and wants to tap into this resource, according to the provincial Party secretary.

"Culture's power is becoming more obvious to people all over the world. It can have an influence on people and even regions in the economy, behavior, and their image," said Sun Zhengcai, the Jilin provincial Party secretary.

In 2006, the culture business only accounted for 3.71 percent of the province's GDP. But, it went to nearly 5 percent by 2009, and it is expected to grow to more than 6 percent by 2015.

"We have to make ourselves aware of the importance of cultural development," he added. "So, we'll expand the sector, develop a number of well-known brands, and promote our cultural products on a global scale."

He also said that the government will support and help reform the culture business.

In fact, two of Jilin's culture enterprises -Yuping Handicrafts Co Ltd and Vixo Animation, Comics & Games Technology Co Ltd - were designated national culture industry demonstration bases, last year. And the province has dozens of TV drama, movie, and animation bases.

There were not many companies in the culture business, as recently as a few years ago. But now the province has a number of key culture enterprises and industrial zones to develop resources more efficiently.

Many of these zones are in the provincial capital, Changchun. They include the Jilin Asian Cultural Creative Technology Zone, Zhihe International Animation Industry Park, and Changchun Software and Animation Outsourcing Park.

"These industrial zones have their own distinct features, but the businesses in them have strong connections," explained Sun.

"And, thanks to this, the industrial chain in the city of Changchun, even across the province, is expanding."

The Jilin Northeast Asian Cultural Creative Technology Zone is one of the city's key projects under the province's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015). It has attracted nearly 90 companies in the animation, video game, software outsourcing, design, financial services and education fields.

The zone gets technical support from a public service system for animation and video games.

The Zhihe International Animation Industrial Park, in the Jingyue Economic Development Zone, has attracted 300 million yuan ($46.2 million) in total investment by now.

Top: Artists at work in a Jingyue Animation Industry Park studio. Above: Personnel engage in artwork at the Jingyue Economic. Development Zone's Zhihe International Animation Industry Park. [Photo/China Daily]