Cultural Products making strides in "Going Global"

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Category: Culture Ningbo

Published: Thursday, 08 December 2011 01:56

It was learned form the training class concerning cultural trade organized by the Ministry of Commerce in Ningbo, cultural product exports in Ningbo last year accounted for 3.34% of the export volume of the city, with a growth rate doubling the national average. During the first 10 months, it reached $380 mln, up 15.3% over the same time last year.
Some leading cultural enterprises like Soundking and Hailun have increased their export volume. After the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2008, Ningbo Soundking Group spent 70 mln Yuan on acquiring three other world-renowned audio brands (Studiomaster, Cardac, Carlsbro), which made it better known around the world. Recently, a group of 36 Europeans in purchase of super stereo musical instruments visited the Soundking Group and immediately signed intention agreements worth 10 mln Yuan. Another representative, Ningbo Hailun Musical Instrument Manufacturing co., Ltd., is known as the National Pilot Base for Cultural Industry, with its pianos exported to the EU, the US and the Asia-Pacific region. Building international sales networks has become a new alternative for Ningbo cultural enterprises. For example, Ningbo Kaku Cartoon Making Co., Ltd invested 2 mln HK dollars on establishing Maiquan & Keke International Cultural Media Co., Ltd in Hong Kong in October, mainly to promote its animations and derivatives, and to deal with orders from Japan, South Korea and other countries. Moreover, Zhejiang Xuanyi Internet Technology Co., Ltd, in collaboration with Chinese subsidiaries of game companies from Japan, America, etc, has brought its independently developed online game "The Revival of Empires" to the international market.

Other cultural enterprises such as Guangbo and Deli have also set up dozens of sales networks across the globe, especially in the European and US markets. Guangbo Group alone has founded 3 marketing companies in America, Dubai and Hong Kong respectively, and signed contracts with over 20 subsidiaries in Belgium, Italy, etc., exporting over 5,000 kinds of cultural products with a turnover of $90 mln per annum. 
It's shown by China's Customs Statistics that cultural products in Ningbo are mainly exported to the US and European market. During the first 10 months, a total of 140 mln dollars of Ningbo cultural products were exported to the US , up 20.4%, and 95.759 mln dollars to the EU, up 5.5%, among which visual artwork ranks in the first place (worth 300 mln dollars) ,with printing work the second ( worth 54.861 mln dollars).

In the next few years, as the NCDP (Ningbo Cultural Development Plan initiated during the 12th Five-Year Plan) puts it, we will give full support to the export of cultural products and services with Ningbo characteristics, attach great importance to international sales network construction. Driven by incentive policies, cultural products in Ningbo will go global at a rate never seen before

The 5th China International Vocal Competition to be held

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Category: Culture Ningbo

Published: Wednesday, 12 October 2011 06:45

On the evening of October 9, the Central Opera House, led by Yu Feng, Director of the Central Opera House and famous conductor of Ningbo origin, will perform Turandot, the grand opera by Puccini, the famous Italian opera master, in Ningbo Grand Opera House. This represents the beginning of the 5th China International Vocal Competition, sponsored by China Ministry of Culture and hosted by Ningbo Municipal Government. From October 9 to 20, 86 singers from 24 countries and regions will gather in Ningbo to present their performance. Audience can enjoy their interpretation of the aria by composers of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as Bach and Haydn, and the art songs by Beethoven, Dvorak, Debussy, etc.

As the only national culture-and-art event to be held in Ningbo, this year's competition demonstrates a significant international feature as the number of applicants and the number of overseas applicants both exceed those of the previous ones. There are 11 judges for the competition, 3 national and 8 international. The three national judges are Guo Shuzhen, Chair of the judge's panel, famous soprano and music educator, famous composer He Zhanhao, and famous conductor Yu Feng.

The competition includes preliminary contest, semi-final and final. 4 placing rewards will be given to male and female singing voices respectively. 2 best singers of Chinese art songs (including one overseas singer of non-China origin) and a dinstinctive young piano accompanist will also be awarded. Besides certificates and trophies, the winners will get a cash reward, ranging from $1000 to $20000.

As for the songs, singers are required to choose one from the 10 required Chinese art songs (such as That is Me and Ah, Chinese Field) by the organizing committee, besides the western classic arias, art songs and opera arias. This embodies the regional feature of China as the organizer of the competition.