Beginning April 21, Shenzhen will commence a four-month art festival to mark the Second China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair (ICIF), which will be held in mid-May.

The festival is part of Shenzhen's endeavor to boost the city's cultural reputation and make it a cultural hub in South China, said officials with the Shenzhen Municipal Culture Bureau and Shenzhen Municipal Publicity Department yesterday.

More than 20 high-quality performances will be staged in the four months of the art festival. Among the performances scheduled are the dance "Shaolin in the Wind," a concert by German pianist Tina Zeller, a pop concert by Taiwan musician Jonathan Lee, and a concert by French pianist Benoit Fromanger. Another highlight is the Australian Film Week during which seven Australian movies will be screened.

The festival will also include 10 performances recommended by the Ministry of Culture. Among them are the Henan opera "Orphan saved by Cheng Ying," the drama "Balled from the Yellow Earth," the dance "Dynamic Yunnan," the drama "Life and Death," and the ethnic dance "Red River Valley."

"We are honored that all the 10 credited shows will be staged in Shenzhen shortly," said Chen Wei, chief of Shenzhen Municipal Culture Bureau. "These shows represent the highest artistic standard of China, though most are new to local audiences," Chen said.

Guo Yonghang, deputy chief of Shenzhen Municipal Publicity Department commented: "Shenzhen government is willing to give financial incentive to encourage local cultural community to create high-quality original works while introducing excellent artworks from home and abroad. It's also likely that the government introduces venture capital to promote the art production." He also announced the city's ambition to host international music festivals and music contests in the next five years.

(Shenzhen Daily April 13, 2006)