​Gov't-funded cultural services to flourish across China

Retirees from Beijing's Dongcheng District rehearse for a play at the Beijing People's Art Theatre under directions of professional performer Zhu Shaopeng (second from right). [Photo: chinaplus]

Cultural services in China are set to expand across the whole country with a government bid to bridge the gap between big cities and the countryside.

Reading rooms, museums and mini theatres are among the many facilities the government is building for the benefit of ordinary residents at community and village levels. 

According to a state law, the country aims to carry forward “the traditions of Chinese culture and cultural confidence” through the construction of an inclusive public cultural services system. 

The law stipulates that public cultural services must be “people-oriented”, and urges governments from county-level and above to improve community cultural service centers, build more of them and offer more products online.

[The audio clip is from Horizons, a revamped daily features program produced by CRI that gets to the heart of Chinese society, life and economy. To know more about this program, you can download the China Plus App on your mobile phone.]