|
21 July, 2011
Deputy Director-General of the Culture Department of
Guangdong Province to Dim Sum TV reporter:
Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau jointly
raising Greater Pearl River Delta cultural profile
The “Updates on the Development of the Guangdong Public Cultural Service Infrastructure” press conference was held on July 21 in Guangzhou. In response to a question posed by Dim Sum TV reporter Ms. Crystal Chen, Mr. Du Zhu-xiang, Deputy Director-General of the Culture Department of Guangdong Province, said that the department’s priority in moving forward will be the promotion of joint efforts between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau to raise the cultural profile of the Greater Pearl River Delta region. Some of the key comments:
Ms. Chen of Dim Sum TV asked Mr. Du: since the signing of the Agreement to Establish a Network of Cultural Exchange and Co-operation Points last year, what are some of the highlights of your department’s work? How do you collaborate and maintain a dialogue with Hong Kong and Macau as part of the process of cultivating Guangdong’s image as a cultural frontrunner and driving the growth of the public cultural service sector?
Dim Sum TV reporter Ms. Crystal Chen posing her question at the press conference.
Mr. Du said that as a result of the signing of the Agreement to Establish a Network of Cultural Exchange and Co-operation Points last year, 32 Cultural Exchange and Co-operation Points were established in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau in the first half of last year. Of these, 16 are in Guangdong, 8 are in Hong Kong and the rest are in Macau. By the first half of this year, these focal points have initiated a total of 183 cultural exchange and co-operation projects, an average of 11 projects per location.
It is worth noting that the closer cooperation of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau cultural exchange has made possible the systemization of exchange and development of a solid platform for joint initiatives. An example of the work that has been done is the successful trilateral nomination of Cantonese opera as a leading regional Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Deputy Director-General of the Culture Department of Guangdong Province, Mr. Du Zhu-xiang, responding to Ms. Chen’s question.
Looking ahead, Mr. Du revealed that the focus will be on synchronizing efforts to develop the region into a complete cultural eco-system as well as a distinct geo-cultural brand, with a view towards elevating the overall cultural standing of the Greater Pearl River Delta. The plan calls for an integration of urban developments in the Guangdong/Greater Pearl River Delta area, the cultural hub in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon, and Zhuhai’s new Heng Qin district to establish a cultural and creative heartland in southern China.
The department will also be working to strengthen co-operation between creative industries, explore new expressions of and vehicles for cultural creativity, and help facilitate the economic transformation and social development of the 3 areas. Also in the pipeline are new cultural industrial parks in Shenzhen’s Qinhai, Zhuhai’s Heng Qin and Dongguan’s Donshanhu, a move that would provide the missing links in a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau chain of cultural and creative enterprise.
From left to right: Deputy Director-General of Press and Publication Bureau of Guangdong Province, Mr. Han Au-gui; host of the press conference, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department and Director of the Information Office of Guangdong Province, Mr. Mo Gaoyi; Deputy Director of The Publicity Department of Guangdong Province, press conference spokesman, and Director-General of Radio, Film & TV Administration of Guangdong Province, Mr. Yang Jian; Deputy Director of The Publicity Department of Guangdong Province and Director of Guangdong Provincial Civilization Bureau, Mr. Gu ZuoYi; Deputy Director-General of the Culture Department of Guangdong Province, Mr. Du Zhu-xiang.
|
