On Feb. 25th, a seminar concerning innovation in public cultural services in rural areas was held in Beijing. The seminar focused on problems in public cultural construction in rural areas. Experts gave advice on improving the system, quality and effectiveness of public cultural services in rural areas.

The most prominent problem of our public cultural services system is the imbalance between developed urban and rural areas and inadequate development in the countryside. Wu Licai, a professor from Central China Normal University, said that in future work, we should attach great importance to securing our foundations, following the principle of investing in different areas according to need, and pushing ahead with the equal access to public cultural services in rural areas by fiscal means. Specifically, we should undertake this task as follows: First, we should establish and perfect a financial investment mechanism that provides financial support constantly and steadily to public cultural services. Second, we should transfer the resources and content of public cultural services to villages and groups of villagers. Third, we should transform the function of township cultural centers, cultivate and guide cultural services teams in villages, and create a public cultural services system at the primary level in rural areas.

Gao Hongcun, deputy director of the Research Center for Cultural Policy and Management under the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance), put forward that cultural services should become an area inhabited by industries with local characteristics in rural areas and that they should highlight the comprehensive value of culture when innovating with public cultural services. He advised that our innovation keep a perspective focused on the people in need.

Qi Shuyu, director of the Research Center for Cultural Policy and Management also under the Party School, said that we should respect cultures in different regions and ages and cultures’ diversity and differences, formulating cultural policies according to the reality of different villages. Public cultural services should delegate powers, enhance regulations and strengthen public services in general. Efforts should be made to avoid providing services according to rigid plans, rather letting villagers decide what kind of public cultural services they most need.

(Edited by Su Xuan)