Material for the press conference of the State Council Information Office

（Ⅲ）

Introduction to the Establishment of Chinese

Civilization Heritage Innovation Area in Gansu

(February 19, 2013)

The CPC Gansu Provincial Committee

ⅠThe significance of developing Gansu into a major cultural province by relying on establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area in the province

Gansu is the birthplace of the Chinese civilization and Chinese nation, which was an important passage for the exchanges between Chinese and western civilization in the past and is an important treasure house of Chinese cultural resources. It is of great importance to develop Gansu into a major cultural province relying on establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area in the province.

 (A) It is conducive to thoroughly implement major strategic decisions of the central committee in cultural development. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to Gansu's cultural development. On May 2, 2010, the general office of the State Council issued Opinions on Further Supporting Gansu's Economic and Social Development (Document No. 29 of 2010), in which proposed the strategic goal of developing Gansu into a major cultural province. To establish Chinese civilization heritage innovation area helps Gansu to thoroughly implement the spirit of Party's Sixth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee and 18th CPC National Congress, as well as National Outline for Cultural Reform and Development for the 2011-2015 Period and Opinions on Further Supporting Gansu's Economic and Social Development. It also accelerates Gansu's pace in developing itself into a major cultural province.

(B) It is conducive to carrying forward and promoting excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. Gansu boasts profound historical and cultural heritage, diversified ethnic and folk culture, and rich revolutionary culture. It is intended to establish Chinese civilization heritage innovation area by relying on such abundant excellent cultural resources, which will help to carry forward and promote its excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation, enhance the sense of belonging of the Chinese descendants at home and abroad, and the development of the common spiritual home of Chinese nation.

 (C) It is conducive to safeguarding national cultural security. Gansu has taken a strategic position since ancient times for it protects China's central area and borders Qinghai Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Urgur Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region. It bears the historical mission of integrating Chinese and external civilization. To establish Chinese civilization heritage innovation area, carry forward and promote national culture, promote Chinese culture to go global are consistent with the country's western development strategy and contribute to better safeguard cultural and border security of the country.

(D) It is conducive to promoting unity and common prosperity of all ethnic groups. Gansu has been inhabited by multi-ethnic groups since ancient times, which has witnessed reunification of the motherland and stability in border areas. In the context of large-scale development of the western regions, the establishment of Chinese civilization heritage innovation area would enhance national cohesion and cultural centripetal force in addition to exercising far-reaching impact on promoting ethnic unity and development.

(E) It is conducive to pushing forward Gansu's economic restructuring and leapfrog development. Under the circumstances of adverse natural conditions, fragile ecological environment, lagging economic and social development and economic indicators, Gansu must focus on adjusting economic structure, transferring economic development mode and searching for new economic growth point so as to achieve the ambitious target of entering into a well-off society in an all-round way with the same pace of the country by 2020. It is of practical significance for Gansu, an area with less developed economy but relative abundant cultural resources, to achieve economic restructuring and leapfrog development through developing itself into a major cultural province by relying on establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area and making cultural industry a pillar industry of the national economy.

ⅡGansu's advantages in developing a major cultural province relying on establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area in the province

With rich cultural resources, solid basis of cultural work and favorable policies for cultural development, Gansu has relatively mature basis and conditions for establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area.

(A) Obvious resource advantages. In Gansu, there are over 7,000 ancient cultural sites, 337 various cave temples, 73 national key cultural relics protection units, 4 state-level historical and cultural cities, and over 300 important revolutionary cultural heritage sites. Dadiwan Ruins dating back to 8,000 years ago is the origin of agricultural civilization, where unearthed the earliest painted pottery in the world. Chenqimo Ditch Site in Lintan County of Gansu is the most representative one in the third-phase origin exploration projects of Chinese civilization. The unearthed bamboo slips of the Han Dynasty, an important original material indicating national unity, exceeds 60,000 pieces in Gansu, accounting for 82% of the national total. In 1247, the Mongolian prince Guoduan met with Tibetan religious leader Saban in Liangzhou, marking Tibet's officially incorporation into the central government. Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and the Great Wall in Jiayuguan have been listed as world cultural heritages, the research and identification work of the Great Wall resources in Gansu has been completed, and the declaration work of the Silk Road as a world cultural heritage is proceeding smoothly. The local song "Hua'er" has been included in the lists of representative human intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. Gansu also has unique border bases of Shaanxi and Gansu left during the agrarian revolution, including Hadapu which served as the "gas station" for the Red Army and Army Forces Joining Place in Huining County where witnessed the bloodshed of the revolutionary martyrs of the West Road Army of the Red Army. The martyr cemetery in Gaotai County is the only national cemetery for commemorating martyrs of the West Road Army of the Red Army. What's more, Duzhe magazine ranks first in Asia and third in the world in terms of publication. The world famous dance dramas of Tales along the Silk Road and Dunhuang- My Dream Land are treated as milestone of its kind in China.

(B) Solid work basis. Since the provincial Party committee and government proposed strategic envisages of establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area in Gansu in March 2012, a number of relevant projects and events have been launched. Gansu Provincial Museum has been included in the second batch of state-level museums. A total of 2.9 million households have got access to direct broadcasting satellite TV signals. Jinchang City is proceeding smoothly in its work of establishing pilot zone of national public cultural service system. Lanzhou City has been approved to set up national cultural, scientific and technological demonstration bases. The establishment and declaration work of national demonstration park of cultural industry are ongoing orderly in Dunhuang City. Some cultural events have been successfully held, for example the First International Cultural Industry Conference, "Zhang Zhi Award" National Calligraphy Competition, the Ninth Chinese Folk Art Festival, and Jiayuguan International Short Film Festival. The short-term tasks of cultural restructuring have been fulfilled and the cultural industries are developing prosperously.

(C) Favorable policies. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to Gansu's cultural development. Chinese leaders have successively made important instructions or given guidance to the establishment of Chinese civilization heritage innovation area. Opinions on Further Supporting Gansu's Economic and Social Development issued by the general office of the State Council designates the strategic positioning of Gansu as an important national treasure house of Chinese cultural resources, and proposes strategic target for developing Gansu into a province relying on its strong industries, abundant cultural resources and sound ecological environment. Approved by the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission issued Development Plan for Guanzhong – Tianshui Economic Zone which highlights the regional strategic position of Gansu as a historical and cultural base of the Chinese civilization. The National Development and Reform Commission also issued Revitalization Plan for Old Revolutionary Bases of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia, which puts forward specific requirements for natural and cultural protection, construction of public cultural service system and the development of cultural industries. The introduction of these documents has promoted Gansu's economic, social and cultural development to the national strategic level, offering solid basis and favorable conditions for the establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area in the province.

Ⅲ General idea of establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area in Gansu

Guideline: It takes scientific outlook on development as guideline and tends to implement the spirit of Party's Sixth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee and 18th CPC National Congress, aiming to build socialist core value system, meet people's growing spiritual and cultural needs, accelerate the development of cultural programs and industries, and promote adjustment of economic structures and transformation of development mode, so as to protect, carry forward, display, innovate and develop Chinese civilization.

Strategic positioning: Taking Chinese civilization heritage innovation area as a platform, we will develop Gansu into a major cultural province that carries forward outstanding history and culture, improves public cultural service system, promotes cultural industries to drive economic restructuring and development, and pushes forward the innovation of modern culture. At the same time, we will explore ways of scientific development for an economically underdeveloped but culturally rich region like Gansu.

Development goals: In accordance with the relevant requirements of Opinions on Further Supporting Gansu's Economic and Social Development, our work will be carried out in two phases: during the first phase from 2012 to 2015, the general plan for establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area will be worked out and promulgated, and key projects will be launched. By 2015, major historical and cultural heritages will be under protection, basic public cultural service system will be established, and cultural industry will account for over 3% of GDP. In the second phase from 2016 to 2020, the construction projects of Chinese civilization heritage innovation area will be fully carried out. By 2020, most historical and cultural heritages will be effectively protected and fully displayed and a more robust public cultural service system will take place, resulting in developing Gansu into a distinctive base of cultural industry in China and an innovative development base of modern culture in the western regions. Meanwhile, the cultural industry will take up over 5% of GDP and become the pillar industry of the national economy.

Working layout: In line with the national strategic positioning of Gansu's development and requirements of constructing a major cultural province, we will reorganize the cultural resources and various factors of production in the province beyond the existing administrative boundaries. With the theme of cultural development and taking strategic adjustment of economic structure and fundamental transformation of economic modes as the main line, we will focus on developing one belt, three areas and thirteen blocks, namely “1313 project”. One belt refers to a cultural development belt along the Silk Road; three areas include the historical area in southeast Gansu with the theme of the ancestor culture, the ecological area in Hexi Corridor with the corn of Dunhuang culture, and Lanzhou metropolitan area focused on the Yellow River culture; thirteen blocks are the protection of cultural relics, protection of large heritage sites, protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritages, protection and utilization of historically and culturally famous cities, villages and towns, inheritance of ethnic culture, publishing of ancient books, promoting of revolutionary culture, integrated development of urban and rural culture, in-depth integration of culture and tourism, development of cultural industries, creating of cultural brands, construction of cultural talent pool, and holding of festivals, cultural events and exhibitions. Through launching major cultural projects, the reform of cultural system and mechanism and the development of cultural programs and industries will be pushed forward. And the protection, inheritance, display, innovation and development of the Chinese civilization will be integrated closely, which will keep pace with the times, promote Gansu's transformation and leapfrog development, and help people to meet their cultural needs. Furthermore, we will accelerate Gansu culture to "go global" so as to promote its international influence and publicity.

Ⅳ Comprehensive guarantee

(A) Organizational guarantee. Gansu Province has set up a leading group to better organize, lead and coordinate the work of establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area. It will accelerate the development pace under the principles of accurate positioning, systematic layout, orderly implementation and big breakthroughs. The local party committee, government and provincial departments will be mobilized to work together to fulfill specific tasks of establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area in the province.

 (B) Policy guarantee. We will actively seek the policy support from the central committee and national departments.  We will improve policy guarantee system by taping potentials in tax, investment, finance, industry, science and technology, land, prices, ecological compensation, human resources and assistance to ensure various favorable policies of western development strategy fully implemented.

(C) Fiscal and financial guarantee. While increasing government investment in public cultural service system, we will encourage active utilization of private capital in cultural development. We will set up cultural investment and financing channels at the provincial level, raise funds to the capital market from a variety of channels, and give great support to major cultural industry projects through interest subsidies, grants, awards, etc.

(D) Measure guarantee. A more detailed plan for establishing Chinese civilization heritage innovation area will be worked out as soon as possible after organizing experts to carry out feasibility studies and learning cultural development ideas from other regions. We will assign tasks, designate responsibilities, and enhance supervision and inspection so as to fulfill tasks. Moreover, we will actively plan the implementation of a number of major cultural projects that can absorb social investment, play leading roles and have good market prospects to promote development and opening up, and actively attract strategic investors and cultural enterprises at home and abroad to make investment and seek development in Gansu.