On February 18th, the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council unveiled the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The plan says that building the Greater Bay Area is not only a new attempt to promote the formation of comprehensive opening-up, but also the new practice for developing the course of “one country, two system”. By 2035, the economic system and mode of development mainly supported by innovation should take shape in the Greater Bay Area, with its economic and technological strengths vastly increased and its international competitiveness and influence further strengthened, according to the plan. In the meantime, the markets within the Greater Bay Area should basically be highly connected, with very effective and efficient flow of various resources and factors of production; the coordination of regional development should remarkably improve, with the influence on neighboring regions further strengthened. The people should become wealthier; the level of social civility should reach new heights, with cultural soft power demonstrably strengthened, Chinese cultural influence broadened and deepened, and exchange and integration between different cultures further enhanced. Meanwhile, the levels of conservation and efficient use of resources should be significantly improved, the ecological environment should be effectively protected, and an international first-class bay area for living, working and traveling should be fully developed.
opment plan tells that it is expected to jointly build a cultural bay area. It advocates upholding the cultural significance in the bay area, sticking to cultural confidence and working jointly to advance the inheritance and development of the fine traditional culture of China. It is hoped to step up joint efforts to protect the significant cultural heritage as cities within the Greater Bay Area are naturally connected in geography and culture, and to hold various exhibitions and shows for cultural heritage. In the meantime, it is advised to protect, broadcast and utilize the Linnan culture including boat race, Wushu and lion dance to demonstrate its unique beauty. Besides, it calls for measures to enhance the cultural soft power of the Greater Bay Area, further foster appreciation of fine culture, enhance social etiquette and civility as well as enrich cultural connotations of the Greater Bay Area. It is advocated to absorb the fine parts of Chinese traditional culture, vigorously spread the spirit of cultivating oneself with incorruptibility and performing one’s duty with heart and soul, foster incorruptibility-worship atmosphere, safeguard the morality of integrity and build a clean government-business relation, thus seeing that the daily life is imbued with incorruptibility.
The plan calls for measures to promote cultural prosperity. It is required to complete the public cultural service system and the industry system of cultural innovation; nurture cultural elites; create fine cultural products; prosper cultural market and enrich people’s cultural life. In addition, it is hoped to make a push for the development of industries as news, publishing, radio and films, and reinforce the construction of national music base in the interests of developing music industry. Moreover, it is desired to strengthen the exchanges among art groups, schools and institutions in the Greater Bay Area, and support the exhibitions featuring collaborative planning by museums, as well as facilitate the performance of the art groups within the Greater Bay Area. It is expected to support some important cultural programs, such as cultural museums of the Forbidden City in Hong Kong and Xiqu centers in the West Kowloon Cultural District; to enhance the Hong Kong’s ability to combine China and the west, and to attracted elites and cement the position of the innovative capital through the international events. Shenzhen is encouraged to import high-end designs and vigorously develop cultural industries. In order to build the capital of eating, the culture of eating should be spread in Hong Kong, Marco, Guangzhou and Foshan(Shunde). It is also necessary to step up efforts to advance the development of the sports and organize international competitions.
Efforts will be made to strengthen exchanges among teenagers in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. It is requested to support the implementation of significant projects including “the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Cultural Tour”, “the Funding Program for Youth Exchanges with Mainland” in Hong Kong and “the Recruitment Program of Global Experts” in Marco in order to enhance youth exchanges and cooperation within the Greater Bay Area. The Greater Bay Area will provide young people with opportunities for enterprising, working and volunteering, and encourage them to communicate with each other and commit themselves to national construction. It is required to reinforce patriotic education among teenagers of mainland, Hong Kong and Marco, strengthen the education and broadcasting of the Constitution and basic laws, country’s history and national culture. Meanwhile, the plan also calls for pursuing research and study tourism cooperation, building the tourism demonstration base and holding the youth summit in the Greater Bay Area.
Efforts are resumed to push ahead with the exchanges and mutual learning between China and foreign countries. It is encouraged to enhance cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and other counties by drawing on the comprehensive advantages of the bay area including a long history of cultural exchanges and coexistence. At the same time, it is required to innovate the way of cultural and people-to-people communications; enrich the content of cultural exchanges and improve the level of cultural exchanges. Guangzhou will be supported to be built as the Lingnan cultural center and the door for foreign cultural exchanges, thus expanding its influence. Zhongshan is encouraged to dig out and spread cultural resources of Sun Yat-sen; Jiangmeng is supported to build important platform for overseas Chinese people to conduct cultural exchanges; Marco will be supported to give full play to the features of cultural coexistence of the east and the west, speed up the development of cultural industries and tourism and establish the cultural exchange centers for Portuguese-speaking countries; Hong Kong is expected to perform its functions as the platform of cultural exchanges between China and the western countries, as well as broadcast fine traditional culture of China.
It makes clear that a leisure bay should be built. To promote tourism development, diversified tourism products related to culture and history, holidays and medical care, are designed based on the strengths of the Greater Bay Area and the central position of Hong Kong in international shipping. In the meantime, it is important to enrich Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao tourism routes, develop high-speed railway featuring “one journey, many stations’, and enable the Greater Bay Area to be the world-class tourism destination.