Changsha boosts cultural and creative industries

Exports of cultural products from Changsha reached a value of 2.63 billion yuan ($384.59 million) in the last seven months, up 45 percent year-on-year and ranking first in Hunan province.

Among the total export value, 1.68 billion yuan was entertainment products, up 21.6 percent, 290 million yuan was flower paintings and sculpture handicrafts, 4.2 times the value of the previous year, and 290 million yuan was toys, 5.6 times the value of the previous year.

Traditional cultural products, such as Hunan embroidery and Hunan fireworks, have been popular with foreigners.

According to Wang Jinbin, vice general manager of Hunan Embroidery City Group, the company has exported eight million dollars in embroidery products in the past eight months. The manager said that exporting Hunan embroidery products would help spread Chinese culture.

Data from the Liuyang Administration of Fireworks and Firecrackers show that the total value of firework and firecracker exports was 1.9 billion yuan from January to July, up 8.4 percent year-on-year. Xu Yunxiang, general manager of Zhaofung Firework Co, said that the company exports more than 200 million yuan in products to Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom every year.

Hong Kong and the United States are major export destinations for Hunan cultural products. From January to July, Hunan exported 2.66 billion yuan in cultural products to Hong Kong, up 18.2 percent. Exports to the United States reached 1.99 billion yuan, up 37.7 percent, and accounting for 26.4 percent of total exports. In addition, exports to countries along the Belt and Road also increased by 10 percent, with a total value of 1.04 billion yuan.

Private enterprises had strong performance in the past few months, with exports of cultural products valued at 6.22 billion yuan, up 21.1 percent and accounting for 82.8 percent of the province’s total exports of cultural products.

Next, Changsha will make efforts to develop cultural industries. The added value of Changsha’s cultural industries is expected to exceed 120 billion yuan by 2020, accounting for more than 10% of the region's GDP. Cultural industry exports are expected to reach 55 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 25 percent.