Guangzhou's Tianhe district has plans to integrate international cultures and be built into an international metropolitan center known for its unique charm and development vitality by 2025.

This was proposed in the district's cultural development plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), which was released on March 21.

Tianhe district. [Photo/thnet.gov.cn]

According to the plan, Tianhe will ensure 2,500 square meters of public cultural facilities for every 10,000 people by 2025. It will also build 91 new libraries, renovate over 25 immovable cultural heritage sites, construct no less than 12 cultural demonstration parks at city-level or above, and have 40 schools with traditional sports features. Within the same period, the added value of the district's culture and related industries will account for no less than 9 percent of its GDP.

The three-level public cultural infrastructure in Tianhe, consisting of districts, neighborhoods, and communities, will be further improved during this time.

Well-preserved ancient buildings in Tianhe. [Photo/thnet.gov.cn]

In addition, the district will expand the scale of its trade in digital cultural products, which includes games and animation, mobile digital marketing services, virtual reality technology research and development, and application services.

By doing so, Tianhe will boost the digital transformation of its cultural enterprises and the development of its e-commerce platforms in the cultural field. The application of technologies like 5G, cloud computing, VR/AR, artificial intelligence, and internet of things will be also advanced in the cultural industry.

Tianhe also has plans to build itself into an e-sports economic center by utilizing the Tianhe CBD, the Tianhe Road Business Circle, the Tianhe Sports Center, Shahe Area, and Tianhe Smart City as the cores. By the end of 2025, the district plans to become a world-class e-sports center with interconnected industrial and spatial development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.