Culture-related expenses such as education and entertainment
took 830 billion yuan (US$103.75 billion) out of Chinese pockets
last year, said a report issued by the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences (CASS) Thursday.
"Among the total spending, education always takes the largest
part, occupying about 50 percent," Zhang Xiaoming, chief editor of
the report, was quoted by Friday's Beijing Morning Post as
saying.
Titled Development Report on China's Cultural Industry:
2006, the document summarizes the industry's pros and cons in
the past five years and draws a blueprint for the coming five
years.
The report estimated that in 2006 the online game market value
will reach 8.03 billion yuan (around US$1 billion) with global
revenue scoring US$5.6 billion.
China's film market raked in more than two billion yuan (around
US$250 million) in 2005, of which domestic films accounted for 60
percent and once again surpassed their imported counterparts, the
report said.
"Film has become a daily consumption item and a major part of
the zeitgeist," says the report.
However, among Beijingers, the number of movie-goers has seen a
decline, going from 17.8 percent in 2003 to 2004's 12.4 percent and
12.2 percent in 2005.
Experts explained that apart from rampant piracy and illegal
downloading, the face-saving psychology of "having seen the film"
has made some Beijingers think that going to the cinema is "not
necessary", disregarding the aesthetic acquired only at
cinemas.
(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2006)
