VIDEO CREATIVITY IN REGION HELPS TO PROMOTE CHINESE CULTURE OVERSEAS

New Media

Malanshan area in Changsha was once a less-developed area where people had little to no interest in investing. However, things changed after the Malanshan (Changsha) Video Cultural and Creative Industrial Park was established in 2017. The area has become a cultural creativity hub in China that has attracted thousands of companies and spurred cultural industry growth in Changsha. It is leading China's television programs and film production, mobile internet services and entertainment industry. The emerging opportunities in this creativity center also help many young entrepreneurs and talent turn their dreams into reality. Innovation and creativity are among the keys which contribute to Malanshan's success and will be further promoted to maintain its long-term development.

The Malanshan Video Cultural and Creative Industrial Park, a 15.75-square-kilometer area in Hunan province, has boomed since it was set up in late 2017 and wants to develop into a noted zone, local media reported.

Malanshan had been a populous area with dense illegal buildings in Changsha, the capital of Hunan, until the park's establishment. The park is led by digital video creativity and has gathered more than 3,200 cultural and creative companies.

Changsha decided to develop cultural and creative products and brands in the area due to its unique industrial advantages. The city's broadcasting, publications, cartoons and performances have gained popularity at home and abroad in recent years.

The mobile internet industry has also become one of its strengths. Leading companies, including Baidu and Huawei, have launched business in Changsha. The city is home to more than 30,000 mobile internet companies.

Several films and television programs produced in Malanshan have helped to promote Chinese culture overseas.

Sisters Riding the Winds and Breaking the Waves, a reality show featuring song and dance, was evaluated as one of 2020's excellent works broadcast overseas by the National Radio and Television Administration.

Mango TV, a key culture exporter, operates an international app and produced The Day I Ran China, a reality show related to professions, with Discovery Channel. Views of the show on the Mango TV platform have exceeded 170 million.

The park makes science and technology a priority and has been evaluated as a demonstration center for the integration of culture and science and technology by national authorities including the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2019.

It has invested 220 million yuan ($34.08 million) in developing a cloud platform for ultrahigh-definition video sharing and production, which can help to reduce the production cycle and cost of audiovisual programs by 30 percent.

In total, 57 companies have used the platform online since Sept 17, 2020.

The park has sped up development of the cloud audio and video industry innovation center that it built with Huawei and has promoted industrialization and digitization of the audio and video industry.

It also launched a project for the restoration of "Red" classics. The first example was the black-and-white film Lei Feng that finished restoration and coloring in March.

Zhou Suyue, chief expert at the park, said: "We have so many Red classic films and other precious images and should restore and inherit them."

Zhou studied digital film and television technologies in Hollywood in the United States 15 years ago. He then applied advanced technology into domestic film and television production when he returned to China in 2009.

The park also boasts a wealth of young people. It is home to more than 50,000 employees and their average is 26.7 years old. Park executives said they need to support youths' work and development.

Chen Qingyu, a corporate representative from the park, said that as a young entrepreneur, he felt Malanshan is the home of young professionals.

He is originally from Guizhou province and started his business in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. He moved to Changsha as office rent and living costs were high in Shenzhen. Malanshan boasts an excellent industrial environment and low costs for running a start-up, Chen said.

A documentary filmed by him won an important prize and the park was thus awarded 100,000 yuan last year.

The park's executives said professionals are central to its development. An industry-university-research-application center was founded in Manlanshan in December. The park will cooperate with several universities in Hunan, such as Hunan Normal University and Hunan University, and attract more than 100 people who have earned a doctorate to work there.

The center wants to launch the local research and development of artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, the internet of things and 5G and will take advantage of the diverse range of professionals in the park.

Malanshan is closer to its aim of becoming a cultural and creative landmark that is globally competitive, local media reported. Companies in the park saw their revenue exceed 31.95 billion yuan in the first seven months of 2021, a year-on-year rise of 50.14 percent.

The park's development has benefited from policy support, its executives said. The Hunan government released several policies to further support the park's development in August. It will help the park to achieve its goal from eight aspects, including encouraging technological innovation and reducing companies' operational costs.