A Prosperous Performing Market

Guangming Daily January 15

The market of performing art in Beijing maintained stable growth in 2017. According to statistics from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and the Performing Art Association of Beijing, a total of 24,557 shows were held in the city last year, attracting a total audience of 10.76 million and creating a revenue of 1.72 billion yuan ($266.7 million).

Apart from Beijing, the market for performing arts and entertainment is booming in many Chinese cities. In recent years, a number of Chinese cities have constructed new theaters as landmark buildings and hosted cultural and art events regularly, promoting market prosperity and building up the cities’ reputation.

However, performing arts remain a small part of the entire cultural market. In 2017, the cartoon and electronic games industries in Beijing created a total value of 62.7 billion yuan ($9.75 billion), up 20 percent year on year. Pop concerts also attract much more attention, especially from young fans, than do drama and classical music.

Performing arts, such as drama and music, might not generate large box office revenues, but it is important for improving the artistic appreciation of the people and building up a city’s cultural atmosphere. Therefore, the government, the public and companies should work together to promote the prosperity of the performing art market.

To reach this goal, cities must have their cultural development strategies, artists must have a sense of mission and local governments must offer sound public cultural services. Today, China is open to all kinds of performing arts, from ballet to hip-hop. But only a prosperous market can enable performing art to secure a solid base among the people.