Specially-designed works take the center stage at the creative design show on Thursday, November 19, 2009 which marks the start of a week long campaign aiming to boost the development of the creative industry in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

A series of activities aiming to boost the development of the creative industry in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, kicked off in the city on Thursday.

The Creative Chengdu 2009 campaign was designed to demonstrate the city's fruitful achievements from the cultural and creative industries in recent years and to step up its efforts to scale up and industrialize the local creative sector, the event organizer said.

"The creative design industry plays a vital part in transforming China to a great country of innovation from its current role only as a major manufacturer. The creative industry can efficiently serve the manufacturing sector in terms of further upgrading the industries and increasing the added value of the products," said He Huazhang, a culture official of the city, at the opening ceremony Thursday morning.

The creativity stems from the daily life and the cultural industry serves people's lives in return. He added, noting the city attaches high value to the creative industry that can create a better life for the people.

An eye-catching creative design show shed dazzling light to the eight-day event that also included forums and exhibitions. Unique works in the fields of the creative industry, arts and fashion by well-acclaimed local artists and designers stole the show.

At present, the burgeoning cultural industry communities and related theme parks have taken initial shape in Chengdu. The city expects the creative industry is to be the new driving force to its economy and has endeavored to become one of the largest creative cities in China, which topped its Five-year Plan for the period between 2008 and 2012.

Statistics showed that the creative industry produced a daily output amounting to US$22 billion worldwide, which is shooting up by nearly 5 per cent every day. The United States is leading the industry around the globe as the creative sector has contributed the most to the country's gross economy, outplaying its heavy industry, aerospace and aviation and auto industries.

The industry also developed fast in Chengdu. In 2008, the city's annual output from the industry rose to 59.6 billion yuan (approx. US$8.5b) from 23.3 billion yuan (approx. US$3.3b) in 2004, contributing 4.8 per-cent to the city's gross economic growth, up 1 percent from that in 2004.

Between 2009 and 2012, Chengdu will strive to increase its yearly added value of the industry by over 18 per cent and in 2012, the value is expected to account for 4.2 per cent of the city's GDP.

In a long-term blueprint, the city plans to build a national top digital content industrial base, a cultural tourism base, a creative design base, an entertainment and performing arts center as well as a modern artistic creation and trading center between 2015 and 2020 amid its efforts to shape the creative sector as one of its pillar industries.

(Source: Chengdu Overseas Media Service)