From cultural to creative industries

This article examines the present state of development of cultural industries in the Chaoyang District of Beijing and proposes corresponding strategies for the government. It is the result of a year-long research study commissioned by the district and is significant in three aspects: (1) it is one of the first policy researches commissioned by the Chinese government to a non-mainland body; (2) it is one of the first studies of its kind to use statistics complying with the new National System of Classification on cultural industries; and (3) it is one of the first studies that has led to some concrete follow-up of policies and that has been instrumental in transforming the official concept of ‘cultural’ to ‘cultural and creative’ industries.