November 2008
Art, entertainment groups struggle to become financially independent from government
In 2005, thousands of arts and entertainment organizations across the country were told by the central government to become financially independent. In 2008 many groups are struggling. more >
Intangible cultural heritage protection law expected to be passed
China's first national census on intangible cultural heritage is coming to an end, according to Zhou Heping, Vice Minister of Ministry of Culture. Collections of each province are expected to be published before 2010. more >
EU decides to create heritage label
European Union decided on Thursday to create its own label for its heritage. more >
China offers subsidies for heirs to intangible cultural heritage items
Heirs to state-level intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items will receive an annual work allowance of about 1,160 U.S. dollars from the central government, the Ministry of Culture has announced. The subsidy is to support folk arts, crafts and rituals, many of which are in danger of dying out.
more >
Massive state funding for culture projects
China will invest 800 million yuan (US$117 million) this year improving cultural facilities in rural areas where some 800 million people live. more >
China to name and shame lip-synching performers
China will name and shame artists who lip-synch or engage in other "fake" acts at commercial concerts, with repeat offenders getting their performing licenses revoked, local media reported on Thursday, citing the Ministry of Culture. more >
Out of Africa, a rich palette for art lovers
African artists recently had an opportunity to show their work in China. As many as 29 African countries took part in the event titled African Culture in Focus, which was held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The event was sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.
more >
October 2008
China to build largest contemporary art museum
China has announced it will build its largest yet museum of contemporary art at the Beijing Yihaodi International Artbase in the first half of 2009, according to the Ministry of Culture (MOC).
more >
China sets library standards for booming urban communities
China's Ministry of Culture on Tuesday set building standards of public libraries to ensure that they can meet the demands of the country's booming urban population. more >
Asia art forum
Asia Art Forum is a dynamic series of lectures, featuring respected members of the Chinese contemporary art world discussing the emergence and historical development of Chinese contemporary art and its cultural institutions, as well as issues pertaining to the collection and market of Chinese art. more >
September 2008
China bans Western religious music
China's culture ministry has banned public performances of Handel's Messiah and other major works of western religious music. more >
China officials to be punished for dance hall blaze
China's Ministry of Culture orders a national safety sweep on all cultural and performance facilities following a fire at an illegal dance club in southern China, just across the border from Hong Kong, which killed 43 mostly young people and injured 88. more >
China's State Council appoints new vice minister of culture
The State Council has ended Meng Xiaosi's term as vice minister of culture. Zhao Shaohua, a woman, has been appointed the new vice minister of culture. more >
August 2008
Using culture to smash the barriers
Staging Chinese cultural activities in foreign countries creates yet another way of showcasing Chinese culture. more >
Chinese leader pledges rich cultural activities during Olympic Games
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday pledged guests from all over the world could appreciate the cultures of different countries during the Beijing Olympic Games. more >
July 2008
1200 museums to be free of charge by next year
In an interview, Vice Minister Zhang Bo of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage said that by next year, 1200 of China's national museums will be free of charge. more >
Beijing Games cultural activities
The 6th Olympic Cultural Festival will not only show Chinese culture and international cultural artistic features, but the exchange and convergence of internationalisation and multiculturalism through broad international participation. more >
China bans entertainers who "offend sovereignty"
Overseas entertainers will be banned from the Chinese mainland if they are deemed to have "offended the country's sovereignty" during performances, says China's Ministry of Culture. more >
Earthquake-devastated culture fights for its survival in China
The Chinese Cabinet, or State Council, is weighing whether to establish a "cultural protection region" for the Qiang, the vice minister of culture, Zhou Heping, told Xinhua. more >
June 2008
Festival celebrating world culture
In a circular letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1906, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, invited members to an advisory conference to determine "to what extent and in what form the arts and literature can participate in the celebration of the modern Olympiads". more >
China commits 70 million dollars to preserve Tibet culture
China has agreed to commit 70 million dollars to an international fund for the preservation of culture in Tibet. more >
May 2008
Conversation with Professor Chengyu Xiong
An interview with Professor Chengyu Xiong - director of National Research Centre of Cultural Industries, Tsinghua University, and advisor to the Chinese government on cultural policy and creative industries - about Chinese creative visions and the burgeoning development of cultural and creative industries. more >
April 2008
China to strengthen control of cultural products for Beijing Olympics
China will heighten supervision and control of cultural products as part of the ministry's five-month campaign to create a 'safe and harmonious cultural environment' for the Olympics, an official of the Ministry of Culture said on Saturday.
more >
China takes piracy steps
Chinese officials say they’re taking major proactive steps to prove to the entertainment biz and the world that it is serious about stopping piracy. more >
China launches largest ever Tibet cultural relic preservation
China has launched a project to preserve 22 historical and cultural relics in the southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region. The project, China's largest protection move in the region, will last until 2010. more >
Culture sent to rural areas in Anhui
'Mobile Stages', a program of the national ministries of finance and culture that stages art performances in rural areas, In 2007 nearly 2,000 performances were staged to 1.6 million spectators. The program promotes the constructon of key cultural projects and enriches local people’s lives in rural areas of Anhui province. more >
Games to have international cultural appeal
China's Ministry of Culture on Tuesday released a tight schedule of major cultural events to be held in Beijing to celebrate the upcoming Games. more >
March 2008
Cultural roots need deeper protection
The country's top official overseeing intangible cultural heritage has tangible reasons for redoubling protection efforts. more >
Britain, China explore potentials in creative industries
The Center for Creative Business in London hosted on Thursday Creative Exchange with China, exploring the possibilities of business ventures between the two countries in the creative industry. more >
Bjork incident won't change China's attitude toward foreign artists
Icelandic singer Bjork's offending support to "Tibet independence" at a Shanghai concert earlier this month won't affect China's policy on inviting foreign artists to come and perform in the country, a senior cultural official said. more >
Non-material cultural heritage protection center to be in China
Deputy Minister of Culture Zhou Heping revealed that UNESCO will establish an Asia-Pacific region non-material cultural heritage Protection Center in China. more >
February 2008
China's cultural input generally inadequate
According to the Bureau of the National Secretary of Culture, China's culture investment is insufficient; and cultural facilities are backward, especially in rural areas. Public cultural input is seriously inadequate. more >
China's central gov't to compensate museums for free entry
The central government will offer funding to museums and memorial halls to support their operating expenses amid a drive to encourage more of these venues to offer free admission, according to statement from a senior official. more >
Chinese authority lists 10 'suitable' E-games for teenagers
China's Ministry of Culture has recommended 10 cyber games that are suitable for minors to play as part of its drive to purify the on-line environment for the young. more >
January 2008
China opens more museums, memorial halls for free
The Chinese government is to open more museums, memorial halls and national patriotism education bases to the public for free amid efforts to upgrade cultural services. more >
ASEAN nations agree to enhance cultural cooperation
Culture- and arts-related ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to enhance the regional cooperation in the areas of culture and arts. more >
December 2007
Our cultural industry needs a fresh look
China still lags behind other countries in its development of the cultural industry. more >
November 2007
The new cultural revolution
The Beijing Olympic Games have been described as the superpower's "coming-out party". The authorities are also slowly realising that the arts will play a central role in improving China's international image. more >
Gov't, business sponsors fuel booming Chinese arts scene
The booming Chinese arts scene can be partially attributed to support by both the government and private sectors. more >
China, Lithuania to promote cultural cooperation
Both sides agreed to enhance cultural cooperation and promote mutual understanding and friendship between peoples of the two countries. more >
Let a thousand artists bloom
Until recently, China viewed its artists with suspicion – but suddenly their work is winning global acclaim and record prices, and the establishment is embracing the avant-garde. more >
October 2007
African officials praise China's cultural project
Cultural officials from African countries spoke highly of China's national cultural information resources sharing project. more >
Chinese, African representatives discuss cultural policy
Chinese and African cultural representatives met on Friday to exchange views on cultural policy and implementation. more >
September 2007
Culture links tightened
China, Japan and the Republic of Korea have pledged to cooperate more on cultural activities to boost regional stability and prosperity. more >
Japan, China and Korea tighten culture links
At their first trilateral ministerial forum in Nantong, China, the culture ministers of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea have signed the Nantong Declaration to respect cultural diversity and encourage more cultural exchanges between the young people in the three countries. more >
Senior official stresses importance of meeting cultural needs of public
A senior Chinese official has called for more efforts to develop public cultural services to satisfy people with different needs. more >
New Vice-Minister for Culture
Yu Youjun has been appointed Vice Minister of Culture and Communist Party of China (CPC) chief in the ministry of culture, taking over from Sun Jiazheng. more >
August 2007
2,200 in cultural exchanges between Chinese mainland, Taiwan
A total of 2,209 people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan participated in cross-Strait cultural exchange activities in the first half of 2007, according to the Ministry of Culture. more >
July 2007
China donates computers, mobile phones to Cultural Ministry
The Government of the People’s Republic of China donated 10 computers and 14 mobile phones to the Cultural Affairs Ministry last week to enhance China-Sri Lanka Cultural relations and to mark 50 years of bilateral relations between the two countries. more >
Harmonious culture and cultural harmony
At the 8th Congress of Writers and Artists, President Hu Jintao, outlined the direction and position for the development of China's culture, to create a new glory of the national culture and to upgrade the soft power of the country. more >
June 2007
Chinese culture minister visit Malaysia
A Chinese delegation led by Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng met Malaysia's Arts, Culture and Heritage minister Rais Yatim on Friday. more >
April 2007
China publishes dictionary of intangible cultural heritage
The Encyclopedia of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage was published Friday, using more than 3,000 pictures and 600,000 Chinese characters. more >
March 2007
Art world looks to Asia for painters and patrons
Art collectors, dealers and auction houses are increasingly looking east for inspiration and investment opportunities, eyeing the rising stars of Asian painting as well as the region's super-rich patrons. more >
January 2007
American director's theater foray into China
Drama in Beijing is no longer only the preserve of the top-billing, professional artists at the Peking Opera House. Community theater has come to Beijing -- and in English. more >
November 2006
Cooperative set up to boost China's cultural industry
More than 50 academic institutions, universities and companies from China's mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan on Friday launched a platform dubbed the China Cultural Industry Cooperative (CIC), which aims to promote and coordinate the booming sector. more >
COOPERATIVE SET UP TO BOOST CHINA'S CULTURAL INDUSTRY
More than 50 academic institutions, universities and companies from China's mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan on Friday launched a platform dubbed the China Cultural Industry Cooperative (CIC), which aims to promote and coordinate the booming sector. more >
CHILE CALLS FOR PROMOTING CULTURAL CO-OP WITH CHINA
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said on Thursday that Chile and China should strengthen cultural cooperation in order to boost the comprehensive development of bilateral ties. more >
Chinese premier urges writers, artists to speak the truth
"Chinese writers and artists should reflect reality in society and encourage people to seek the truth," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told delegates of Chinese art and literature organizations in Beijing on Monday. more >
October 2006
China to stage series of African cultural events during China-Africa forum
A series of African art performances and exhibitions will be staged in Beijing during the third ministerial meeting of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in November, said a Ministry of Culture (MOC) official on Wednesday. more >
Beijing to build 10 open-air theatres by 2008
Beijing plans to build 10 open-air theatres before 2008 - Olympics year - and will ensure that every urban community can project films, local government sources announced on Wednesday. more >
September 2006
"Regulation" for Foreign News Agencies in China
Xinhua News Agency on Sunday promulgated a set of measures to regulate the release of news and information in China by foreign news agencies and the subscription of such news and information by users in China and to promote the dissemination of news and information in a sound and orderly manner. more >
100 million to study Chinese worldwide by 2010
You may be able to find a Chinese teaching class close to your home sooner than you think. more >
August 2006
Calligrapher Politicians from Japan and China Hold an Exhibition in Beijing
While there are plenty of issues that divide Japanese and Chinese politicians, the two countries' shared tradition of calligraphy is one pastime they both seem to enjoy. more >
China bans foreign cartoons from prime-time television
Regulators have barred foreign cartoons from TV from 5 to 8 p.m. in an effort to protect China's struggling animation studios more >
July 2006
China considers karaoke club copyright fees
The Chinese government could soon force karaoke clubs to fork over as much as one per cent of their revenue to pay for the copyright of the music and videos they use, according to several news reports. more >
Pop revolution to rock Great Hall of the People
Beijing's Great Hall of the People is set to become the Great Hall of Pop when it stages its first ever pop concerts in August. more >
China popularises cultural heritage among youngsters through cartoons
China is attempting to popularise cultural heritage protection and traditional culture among young people through the medium of cartoons. more >
May 2006
Foreign cultural ministers expect more co-op with China
The fast development of China's cultural industry brings increasing opportunities for cultural cooperation, said cultural ministers from many foreign countries, who were attending a cultural fair in the South China city. more >
More Chinese prefer electronic reading
Electronic books, e-bookstores and digital libraries are becoming more popular in China. more >
Chinese heritage specialists training
At least 100 Chinese heritage specialists will be trained in protecting the cultural heritage sites and relics along the Silk Road over the next five years as part of a joint project between China, Japan and South Korea. more >
China to mark first national cultural heritage day
Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili on Monday called for nationwide efforts to mark the first national Cultural Heritage Day. more >
April 2006
Chinese artists cross the red line
Police stage political crackdown on Beijing's booming contemporary gallery district. more >
Our cultural deficits
At a press conference yesterday in Beijing, an assistant to the Minister of Culture illustrated a "seriously unfavourable imbalance" suffered by the country in its international cultural exchanges. more >
March 2006
China, Spain seek new channels to cement cultural exchanges
China and Spain are making joint efforts to promote the founding of an Institute of Confucius in Spain and a branch of the Cervantes Institute in Beijing in the near future, according to a document issued Wednesday at a China-Spain forum. more >
February 2006
China is the world’s second largest exporter of art
A UNESCO report on global trade in cultural goods and services includes two surprises. The first is that China has now become the second largest exporter of “visual arts”, accounting for 19% of world exports in this category (particularly statuary). more >
January 2006
Culture-related spending hit 830 bln yuan in 2005: report
Culture-related expenses such as education and entertainment took 830 billion yuan (103.75 billion US dollars) out of Chinese pockets last year, said a report issuedby the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Thursday. more >
Cultural sector urged to deepen reform
Cultural institutions across China are urged to deepen the structural reform, according to a circular recently issued by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). more >
Cultural industry to drive consumption
Just as housing and cars drive today's consumption in China, the cultural industry including cultural and entertainment products and services will be an engine of economic growth, a top Beijing-based think-tank says. more >
Cultural sector sees progress in 8 aspects
Chinese Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng said here Tuesday that China's cultural sector saw progress in eight aspects in the past five years, when China carried out its 10th five-year (2000-2005) plan. more >
Cultural Heritage Day designated
The State Council, China's cabinet, has designated the second Saturday of June as the Cultural Heritage Day to strengthen heritage protection in China. more >
State councilor outlines cultural development in coming 5 years
State Councilor Chen Zhili on Monday called on local governmental officials to improve culture-related work in the next five years. more >
Ministry seeks public opinions on cultural heritage
The Ministry of Culture has unveiled a list of 501 such heritages online, so as to solicit public views about China's most important living cultural heritage. more >
National Cultural Trade Research Base launched
The National Cultural Trade Research Base of China has been launched in Beiijng, at the Communication University of China (CUC). more >
December 2005
National Cultural Trade Research Base launched
The National Cultural Trade Research Base of China was launched here Thursday in Beiijng, at the Communication University of China (CUC). more >
Purge on Beijing's first gay festival
Organisers had planned to hold their festival of films, plays, exhibitions and seminars on homosexuality at one of the trendiest artistic communities in China, but police shut down the opening of China's first gay and lesbian culture festival in Beijing on Friday. more >
China to build 300 new museums
China is planning to build another 300 museums in the coming five years. more >
Heritage needs to be protected says Chinese official
The head of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in China, Shan Jixiang, has stated that the country has a long way to go towards protecting heritage sites. more >
China to boost cultural development in rural areas
The Chinese authorities have called for efforts to boost cultural development in rural areas. more >
UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy launched
UNESCO launched the Confucius Prize for Literacy, the first international award named after a Chinese person, in Beijing yesterday afternoon. more >
November 2005
Wreckers put art colony out of the picture
The 126 Chinese, Asian and Western artists in Beijing's leading art community Suojiacun are seeing red, after hearing their illegally built work and living spaces may be torn down in the coming week. more >
Asian ministers sign pact
22 different Asian countries took part in a historic signing recently, with the ministers of cultural affairs gathering in China for the Cultural Asia Ministerial Forum. more >
Kennedy Center president receives China culture award
Michael Kaiser, president of the US John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has received a Prize for Cultural Communication from Chinese Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng for his role in Sino-US cultural dialogue and exchange. more >
BFA to hold int'l meeting on cultural industry
The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will hold its first international conference on the cultural industry in the city of Zhongshan in south China's Guangdong Province from Nov. 18 to 19, said forum Secretary-General Long Yongtu here on Thursday. more >
October 2005
Nation to hold globalisation forum on cultural diversity
China will hold a globalisation forum calling for respect for cultural diversity, according to a press conference held Wednesday. more >
September 2005
China strives for Sino-French cultural exchanges: CPPCC leader
Li Meng, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said on Friday that both China and France should summarise their experience in holding China-France Cultural Year, and strive for new growth of cultural exchanges between the two nations. more >
HK, Holland sign cultural cooperation pact
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China has bolstered cultural ties with the Netherlands by signing a cooperation agreement, the government said Thursday. more >
Europe sets stage for cross-continental arts festival
The European Union and China are celebrating three decades of diplomatic ties with a massive street festival in Beijing - the biggest cultural event ever staged by the European Union in China. more >
August 2005
Private fund OK'ed for culture industry
The Chinese Government issued a policy yesterday in Beijing to guide private investments into sectors of the State-owned culture industry. more >
2008 Games starts sculpture hunt
With exactly three years to go before the Olympic flame arrives in Beijing, the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad yesterday launched two artistic campaigns of contrasting scale. more >
China tightens control over culture
China will bar new foreign television channels and step up censorship of imported programming, adding to a sweeping effort to tighten the government's control over popular culture. more >
July 2005
Unhealthy performances to be banned
Cultural and art authorities in China will strictly ban 10 kinds of "unhealthy" and "reactionary" performances so as to make the art performance market develop in a healthy and orderly way. more >
June 2005
Future brightens for cultural heritage
China's intangible cultural heritage should be better protected under moves being made to preserve endangered art. more >
Scholars to discuss Chinese culture revival
A team of international scholars are gathering in Beijing next week to discuss what Chinese culture means today, and how to keep it alive while Chinese people are embracing Western ways. more >
International Advisory Committee of Memory of the World Programme to meet in Lijiang, China
UNESCO and the State Archives Administration of China will host the 7th meeting of the International Advisory Committee of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme in Lijiang (China) from June 13 to 17. more >
May 2005
Asian league planned
An "Asian Cultural League" is being drawn up to foster regional dialogue among 49 countries and regions in Asia. The idea has come from the Asian Cultural Co-operation Conference which was held in Beijing three days ago. more >
Why are Chinese museums on the edge of survival?
A recent photo in a Chinese newspaper showed foreign visitors to a Chinese museum staring at the museum staff as they held basins to catch raindrops under the leaking roof in the museum's exhibition hall. more >
Cultural commentators to gather in Beijing
World-renowned US film producer Lawrence Bender will join other distinguished speakers at a special Cultural Roundtable discussion to be held as part of the Fortune Global Forum in Beijing May 16. more >
Case of a pot calling the kettle black to halt artifacts loss
An official Chinese government campaign to reverse the outflow of China's cultural and artistic heritage has sparked off an impassioned debate about the pros and cons of free trade in art. It also questions the dubious record of the Communist Party leadership in protecting its cultural patrimony. more >
April 2005
Xinjiang's music may join world heritage list
Uygur Mukam, the melodious centuries-old music from Xinjiang, might soon become an art form deemed to be internationally-recognized intangible cultural heritage. more >
Suzhou to establish folk arts protection system
East China's Suzhou City will carry out a general survey on its folk arts and crafts and build a comprehensive database within the next ten years. more >
February 2005
Cultural relics see high-tech crime risk
The protection of cultural relics is under severe threat from increases in illegal excavation, theft and smuggling in recent years, Chinese heritage officials have warned. more >
January 2005
Can hi-tech save Peking Opera?
Chinese cultural researchers will adapt modern computer and video technologies to set up a national audio and video database for Chinese traditional opera. more >
Hong Kong-Shanghai rivalry goes creative
Over the past decade, China's premier business centers, Hong Kong and Shanghai, have engaged in a friendly rivalry. Now they are waking up to the theories of a growing number of experts that cities must nurture their "creative capital" in order to entice capital of a more conventional sort. more >
China urged, again, to protect copyrights and patents
Donald L. Evans ended his fourth and final visit to Beijing as the United States secretary of commerce on Thursday with the same demand he brought on three previous visits in the last three years: that China strengthen its protection of copyrights and patents. more >
Tibetan language website launched
A Tibetan language website on Tibetan culture and progress in areas inhabited by Tibetan people opened recently in Qinghai Province, a multi-ethnic area in northwest China. more >
Collectors pool resources for cultural 'buy-back'
Private collectors of Chinese national treasures, who have returned many valuable artifacts from overseas in recent years, are planning to pool resources to repatriate more of the country's heritage. more >
December 2004
Ancient central China capital to be restored
The local government will invest nearly 120 million yuan (14.46 million US dollars) to restore a 3,500-year-old ancient ruins in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province. more >
Cultural relics threatened as never before
Cultural relics in China are under critical threat from smugglers, tomb raiders and thieves, warned Shan Jixiang, Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. more >
November 2004
Official calls for cultural sector opening wider
The International Cultural Industry Fair Shenzhen has wound up, with a consensus that China's burgeoning cultural industry needs an edge. more >
Shenzhen emphasises cultural development
Shenzhen, the southern economic dynamo, is increasing investment in the young city's cultural sector. more >
Enhanced cultural cooperation in Asia
The three-day Asia Cultural Cooperation Forum wrapped up Wednesday afternoon, with participants agreeing that enhanced cultural exchanges and cooperation among Asian countries and regions would bring about social harmony and economic development. more >
Intangible Cultural Heritage to Be Listed
A three-day International Symposium on the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage started on Tuesday in Beijing. more >
Chinese minister calls for enhanced cultural cooperation in Asia
Speaking at the opening of the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum, Chinese Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng urged Asian countries and regions to step up cultural exchange and cooperation. more >
October 2004
Culture ministers: media to promote cultural diversity
Mass media based on modern technology is an important way to promote cultural diversity, say cultural ministers attending the 7th Annual Ministerial Meeting of the International Network on Cultural Policy in Shanghai. more >
China spells out five-point policy to preserve folk, ethnic culture
China has launched a new project to protect folk and ethnic culture this year, and plans to establish a matured preservation system by 2020. more >
September 2004
Shanghai's artists seek more freedom
Shanghai is raising the stakes in its battle to be seen as China's cultural centre, but artists and writers say the financial capital will not be able to create a thriving cultural scene the same way it builds infrastructure - by merely spending vast sums of money and mobilising government officials. more >
179 programs to launch Chinese 'French Culture Year'
Some 179 programs for 'French Culture Year' will begin in China next month, showing Chinese audiences a new and creative France. more >
August 2004
Convention approved on intangible cultural heritage
China's top legislature on Saturday voted to approve UNESCO's convention on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. more >
China prepares for French culture year
Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili Friday urged Chinese ministries and local governments to prepare well for the upcoming French culture year in China. more >
July 2004
Literature, arts prosper in Shenzhen
The cultural sector in Shenzhen has witnessed dramatic changes since the fourth assembly of local literary and art circles in 1993, according to Shenzhen Daily. more >
Along the silk road, China begins to guard its heritage
With China's economy expanding and tourism growing even faster, insiders and outsiders worry that China will not take the time and trouble, or have the resources and expertise, to preserve its rich cultural heritage. Much has already been lost. more >
Website cheering for world heritage bidding launched
In another effort to boost Macao's bidding for World Cultural Heritage, an official website on cultural heritage protection has been set up and gone into trial operations. more >
Projects concern plight of migrant workers
UNESCO's 'Together with Migrants' project is raising awareness of the plight of migrant workers through cultural events. more >
Forum on China's art industry scheduled for November
A forum on the development of China's art industry and an exhibition of Chinese and foreign art galleries will be held here in November, sources with the Chinese Ministry of Culture said Saturday. more >
Shanghai covets a big role on Asia's cultural stage
The city's investment in premium performance and exhibition spaces has given Shanghai not only a blush of self confidence but also a cockiness in its rivalry with Beijing. more >
Culture link ties Beijing and Paris
Culture is playing a significant role in the all-round strategic partnership between China and France as the two countries seek to enrich and extend their relationship, senior leaders from the two countries said at closing ceremonies of the China Culture Year in France on Friday. more >
China to ax World Heritage candidate sites
Half of the 100-plus properties on China's preparatory list for World Heritage sites will be canceled in about five to ten years, said Director Shan Jixiang of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, at the 28th session of the World Heritage Committee. more >
June 2004
28th session of World Heritage Committee kicked off in Suzhou
The 28th session of the World Heritage Committee kicked off in Suzhou yesterday, with over 800 participants, including 500 representatives, observers, specialists and delegates from over 140 countries, and 200 local and oversees journalists, present. more >
May 2004
Macao Museum participates in International Museum Day in Beijing, Canton and Hong Kong
To celebrate the International Museum Day, the Macao Museum has organised a series of activities and has participated in celebrations held in Beijing, Canton and Hong Kong. more >
Curators call for efforts to protect heritage
Nearly 200 curators from home and abroad participating in a forum this week in Beijing, appealed for the world museum circle to make more efforts to preserve intangible heritage from the threat of cultural homogenisation. more >
Independent Artists To Change Face Of Chinese Cities
The Eastern German Bauhaus architects who designed Beijing's no. 798 electronics factory in 1950 may have never imagined their work would become a citadel for China's independent artists half a century later. more >
April 2004
Cultural Revolution Museum To Bring Back Memories Of Unusual Past
China’s first museum dedicated to the 'cultural revolution' will bring back vivid memories of those unusual times. The museum is scheduled to open later this year in Dayi County, Sichuan Province. more >
Arts Centre Blazes New Trail
The Shanghai Orient Arts Centre is breaking the mould, inviting public bids for its management and operation. more >
China's First Film Law Ready To Make Debut
China's first-ever film promotion law should be drafted by May, and the final version is expected to be implemented next year, indicate media reports. more >
March 2004
New Rule Issued To Bolster Movie Industry
China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television is speeding up the draft of a movie promotion law as the first effort to create legislation for its movie industry. more >
Shanghai Invites International Designing For Urban Sculptures
The oriental metropolis of Shanghai is seeking bids internationally to design sculptures for major public places. more >
International Art Festival To Be Held In Anhui
The Sixth China International Folk Art Festival will be held in Huangshan City in east China's Anhui Province during the country's week-long national day period this year which begins from October 1. more >
Pudong Art Centre To Open
Pudong's Oriental Art Centre opens to the public this autumn after 2 1/2 years of construction. more >
February 2004
China Blocks Vagina Monologue
China's first performance of The Vagina Monologues, based on the book of the same name, has been cancelled because of Government pressure. more >
December 2003
Ethnic art facing life or death
China is working hard to salvage and preserve some of its diversified ethnic cultures threatened with extinction as a result of modernization. more >
Chinese artist awarded top medal of honor by Belarus President
Chinese artist Yuan Xikun has been awarded a top medal of honor by Belarus Minister of Culture Leonid Povlovich Gulyako in the name of the Belarus President Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko. more >
November 2003
Beijing arts forum attracts French Cultural Minister
French Minister for Culture and Communication, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, will visit Beijing in December to participate in the Europe Asia Forum, Unity Within Diversity.more >
Macao campaigns for Intangible Heritage of Humanity candidacy
Addressing UNESCO’s 32nd General Conference, the President of the Macao Cultural Institute proposed that Associate Members of the organisation be granted equal rights in candidacy for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity status. more >
October 2003
Cultural Institute of Macao preserves traditional pawnshop
A traditional Macao pawnshop has been given new life by its nation's Cultural Institute. more >
Dance and opera open Shanghai International Arts Festival
Dances and dramas, including the global success of Ireland's 'River dance' and China's folk dance drama 'Farewell My Concubine', kicked off the fifth China Shanghai International Arts Festival on Saturday. more >
Postponed national art festival rescheduled
The seventh China Art Festival, the top art festival in the country, will be held on September 10, 2004 in this capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, the organising committee has announced. more >
Survey launched to preserve traditional paper art
The first ever China-wide survey of the traditional folk art of paper-cutting has been launched as part of a 'Chinese folk culture salvation project'. more >
Government to preserve arts in 3D images
China's Education, Science and Technology Ministry plans to produce and preserve 3D digital images of historical structures, traditional performing arts and other government-designated cultural assets, according to ministry sources. more >
August 2003
Chinese art festival to take on African theme
China will stage the fourth 'Meet in Beijing' Arts Festival in 2004 with an African theme and atmosphere, as Africa will be the guest continent, Vice-Minister of Culture Meng Xiaosi announced. more >
July 2003
National Museum reopens
Lovers of Chinese art are to have pleasant weekends again, as the National Museum of China has reopened some of its exhibitions, which were closed during the past two months. more >
April 2003
Beijing theatres go dark for SARS
Beijing authorities have ordered all the city's theatres, cinemas, internet cafes and other public entertainment venues to close as it struggles to get a grip on the SARS virus. more >
February 2003
Beijing to invest 7 billion yuan on museums
China's capital is planning to invest seven billion yuan (854 million US dollars) in building and renovating museums, a vice-mayor of the Beijing Municipal Government said on Wednesday. more >
December 2002
Chinese officials study broadway musicals
A team from the Chinese Ministry of Culture comes to Broadway to try to learn its secrets. more >
Taiwan, Tibet top Chinese blacklist
Internet sites on democracy, Tibet and Taiwan were among Web destinations most frequently blocked by the Chinese government, a Harvard study of Chinese online access has revealed. more >
Architecture vs contemporary art
What is the relationship between architecture and contemporary art? Is it possible that buildings are not only places where people live, but also something they can enjoy? Artists and architects from China and abroad are presenting their views on topics like these at the on-going 2002 Shanghai Biennale, the fourth ever. more >
November 2002
Japan gives 280 million for Chinese cultural heritage project
The Japanese government has granted 280 million Yen (about US$ 2.3 million) to China for the initial funding of a cultural heritage protection project. more >
China assesses co-production potential with South Africa, Australia
The Chinese government is increasing its level of cultural exchanges with South Africa and Australia with a view to the development of potential film co-productions. more >
'Animal Farm' survives China censors
Director Shang Chengjun worried censors would ban his stage version of 'Animal Farm,' George Orwell's anticommunist satire of a barnyard revolution gone wrong. His anxiety was misplaced - the problem isn't the officials, it's the audience. more >
WIPO summit for China
The People's Republic of China has announced that it will host a WIPO summit on intellectual property, April 24-26, 2003, on the subject of 'Intellectual Property in the Knowledge Economy'. more >
Art gala opens in Shanghai
Art troupes from more than 20 countries and regions will attend this year's Shanghai International Arts Festival which opened on November 1. more >
September 2002
China blocks search engine AltaVista
The Chinese government has blocked access to search engine AltaVista as part of its campaign to prevent citizens from accessing material deemed unsuitable and threatening to the ruling Communist Party. more >
China moves to privatise the art trade
A draft law which circulated at this year’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the end of April proposed legalising private trade in antiquities for the first time since Communist 'liberation' in 1949. more >
August 2002
Underground museum plan for forbidden city
Custodians of the Forbidden City have drawn up secret plans for a three-storey museum under the sprawling palace in central Beijing to display masses of imperial artefacts that have never been shown to the public. more >
July 2002
16th Macao International Music Festival
Scheduled for the 16th consecutive year, the upcoming Macao International Music Festival will take place on October 4 - October 23, 2002 offering fourteen different concert programmes. more >
China's Great Wall under attack
According to experts China's burgeoning tourism and construction sectors pose a growing threat to the Great Wall, disfiguring swathes of its ancient facade and wrecking its landscapes. more >
Bringing it all home
A new generation of collectors is attempting to repatriate many of the artifacts, and in the process, is driving up the cost of Chinese art worldwide. more >