Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, recently introduced a series of incentives to promote high-quality development of the local cultural industry.

1. Support for the development of cultural companies

The local government will offer subsidies to cultural projects worth more than 100 million yuan ($14 million) which land in the city. Newly established cultural service or manufacturing companies can receive a subsidy of 50,000 yuan each, while newly established cultural retail companies can get 30,000 yuan each.

Cultural service companies, whose annual growth rate of taxable sales revenue reaches the average of the city's key service sectors, and reaches 10 million yuan, 50 million yuan or 100 million yuan for the first time, can receive 50,000 yuan, 100,000 yuan and 200,000 yuan in subsidies respectively.

2. Encourage the construction of a cultural industrial demonstration park

The government will place much emphasis on building industrial parks engaged in modern media, digital publication, cultural tourism, arts and crafts, creative design, film and television, and animation and games.

For cultural industrial parks that are ranked as national, provincial and city-level models, subsidies of 500,000 yuan, 200,000 yuan and 100,000 yuan will be offered respectively. Companies at each level can receive subsidies of 300,000 yuan, 150,000 yuan and 60,000 yuan, respectively.

3. Encourage the commercialization of intangible cultural heritage items

A 20,000-yuan subsidy will be offered to each newly registered company that has put Rugao's intangible cultural heritage items into mass production and sales revenue has surpassed 100,000 yuan for two consecutive years.

A 100,000-yuan subsidy will be offered to each company engaged in intangible cultural heritage items and that recently reached annual output value of more than 20 million yuan.

A 10,000-yuan subsidy will be offered annually to each business engaged in the production and sales of intangible cultural heritage items in scenic areas ranked national 3A-level or above, and rural tourism areas ranked provincial 4-star or above.

4. Support for high-quality art programs

A subsidy of no more than 30 percent of the total investment or 1 million yuan will be offered to high-quality art programs featuring Rugao culture.

Original art programs winning city, provincial or national-level honors will also receive an additional reward from the Rugao government, specifically no more than 600,000 yuan for each opera, no more than 800,000 for each film, no more than 1 million yuan for each TV series, no more than 500,000 yuan for each amination series, no more than 200,000 yuan for each documentary, no more than 200,000 yuan for each song, and no more than 100,000 yuan for each book.

5. Support for non-State-owned museums

Subsidies will be offered for the construction, transformation and extension of non-State-owned museums, specifically 150,000 yuan each for those with 2 million yuan in investment and covering 500 square meters and more, 400,000 yuan each for those with 5 million yuan in investment and covering 1,000 sq m and more, 800,000 yuan each for those with 10 million yuan in investment and covering 1,000 sq m and more.

A 500,000-yuan subsidy will be offered to each non-State-owned museum approved as a national third-class museum.

The local government will also encourage the museum to open free to the public by offering 100 yuan per sq m of exhibition space annually.

6. Support for renovation of cultural heritage sites

The local government will set up a special fund for renovation and upgrading of local cultural heritage sites. Those newly included on national, provincial or city-level protection lists will receive subsidies of 500,000 yuan, 300,000 yuan and 100,000 yuan respectively.

7. Support for the introduction and cultivation of skilled workers in the cultural industry

To encourage more young people to inherit local intangible cultural heritage items, the local government will offer subsidies to craftspeople who cultivate national, provincial or city-level artists, specifically with 100,00 yuan, 40,000 yuan and 20,000 yuan per person respectively.

Local vocational colleges that are approved to set up intangible cultural heritage majors will receive 5,000 yuan annually for each student.

8. Encourage companies and individuals to hold cultural exhibitions and take part in cultural contests

Participants who win awards at the city's cultural creative design competition can each receive a reward of no more than 100,000 yuan. 

Those taking part in provincial and national-level cultural fairs will receive subsidies covering 100 percent of their exhibition costs.

Those organizing national, provincial, Nantong city and Rugao city-level contests for intangible cultural heritage items with more than 30 participants will receive subsidies of 100,000 yuan, 80,000 yuan, 60,000 yuan and 40,000 yuan respectively.