This southern economic dynamo is increasing investment in its cultural sector.

The young city, developed as the most successful special economic zone in China in only two decades, has long been regarded as a cultural desert where local residents, mostly immigrants, have little local heritage or city culture to enjoy, said Yin Changlong, director of the Shenzhen Culture Research Center.

A recent government report shows that Shenzhen has the largest floating population and there is a huge gap between the city's poor and rich.

Unskilled laborers who earn little money regard culture as a luxury, while white-collar professionals are too busy to enjoy culture, said Yin.

Therefore, in recent years an investment of over 3 billion yuan (US$360 million) on culture-related infrastructure construction has been made by local government, including a 1.6 billion yuan (US$193 million) arts center, which has a music hall, a library, a theater and a television station.

In addition, development of the local cultural industry has been spotlighted, as the city seems to have gradually lost its leading status in terms of economic development in the country.

The government opened a biannual Shenzhen International Cultural Industry Fair (ICIF) yesterday to serve as a platform for the display and trade of cultural products.

The four-day event has featured many activities including an industrial design show, cultural industry development forums, TV and movie script auctions, an art auction, a printing equipment show, a book and magazine show, an animation and cartoon show and a painting performance.

Liu Zhuokeng, deputy director of Shenzhen Culture Bureau, has emphasized the culture industry as an important part of culture development and has an optimistic view on its market potential.

(China Daily November 19, 2004)