On the morning of September 4th, a themed press tour focusing on the "Coordinated Development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region" organized by the Press Center of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Information Office of the Beijing Municipal People's Government invited nearly 60 journalists from over 40 Chinese and foreign media outlets, including Zambia News Agency, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Kazakhstan's "Adil Soz" Newspaper, Kyrgyzstan's NEWS.KG news agency, Uzbekistan's "Uzbekistan 24" national TV channel, and People's Daily, to visit three major cultural facilities in Beijing's sub-city center. The journalists gained a comprehensive understanding of the planning and construction of the Beijing Performing Arts Center, Capital Library of China (Beijing Library), and the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing in the fields of culture and tourism, as part of accelerating the development of the sub-city center and building a modern metropolitan area in the capital.
The first stop was the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing, which boasts a total construction area of approximately 99,700 square meters and comprises a shared hall, exhibition buildings, and a leisure waterfront, designed based on the elements of boats, sails, and water found in ancient canal scenery. Before entering the main exhibition hall, Chinese and foreign journalists were captivated by a map of Beijing's Tonghui River displayed on the second floor of the main building. According to the guide, "On July 27th this year, Beijing's Central Axis was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This mosaic mural depicts ancient Beijing from Yongdingmen to the Drum and Bell Towers, with the Forbidden City's buildings featuring gold foil craftsmanship, enhancing both the artwork's aesthetic appeal and underscoring the Forbidden City's pivotal position on the Central Axis."
Leaving the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing, the group proceeded to Capital Library of China (Beijing Library), which has been open for over half a year. As the new home of the Capital Library of China, it covers a total area of about 75,000 square meters and adopts the architectural concept of "Amidst the Mountains, Beneath the Trees, Diligent in Reading," housing 8 million books and 2,400 reading seats. The library features various functional spaces, including a mountain-themed reading area, a children's library, an ICH-themed and local literature library, an ancient book library, an art literature library, a metaverse experience hall, a 24-hour reading area, a cultural exchange area, and a leisure reading area. Highlights include the world's largest single-structure library reading room and China's largest intelligent three-dimensional book storage system.
Entering the library from the south gate, media journalists were immediately drawn to the scenic garden. Following the paths, they marveled at the stunning reading environment. Here, they visited the metaverse experience hall, the 24-hour reading area, and the intelligent three-dimensional book storage system, learning about the efforts of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and Capital Library of China to create a new generation of smart libraries and continuously promote the construction of a "Capital of Books."
The last stop was the Beijing Performing Arts Center, a vital component of the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA). Inspired by the shape of an ancient canal granary, the Beijing Performing Arts Center has a total area of 125,000 square meters. Upon its operation, the NCPA became the world's largest theater complex under the same city and management entity. Since its establishment, the Beijing Performing Arts Center has adhered to the NCPA's people-oriented, artistic, and international mission. It introduces classic repertoires from the NCPA while emphasizing modernity by presenting musicals, modern dances, avant-garde theater, immersive performances, and other art forms. Regularly hosting public-oriented exhibitions and art education activities, it creates new performance venues and attracts young audiences, becoming a popular destination for urban cultural life. Chinese and foreign media journalists visited the opera house, theater, and small theater, deeply feeling the unique charm of this "cultural granary."
The Chinese and foreign journalists expressed keen interest in the three cultural facilities in Beijing's sub-city center. They remarked that the distinctive architectural designs, intelligent and convenient infrastructure, and rich cultural content of the Beijing Performing Arts Center, Capital Library of China (Beijing Library), and Grand Canal Museum of Beijing left a profound impression on them. These facilities vividly demonstrate outstanding achievements of Beijing's sub-city center in promoting international cultural exchanges, enriching the literary and artistic ecosystem, and facilitating the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. They all gave thumbs up to these three cultural facilities.
Translator: DING Zhizhong
Reviewer: JIANG Yuanqin
