Wuxi Grand Theater [Photo/wxrb.com]

Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu province will issue a cultural support fund worth over 94 million yuan ($13.3 billion) to promote high-quality development of the cultural industry, local media reported June 28.

As the only cultural export base in East China's Jiangsu province, Wuxi released 18 measures and a three-year initiative oriented to the cultural industry in July 2019, saying the city will make efforts to build over 1,000 cultural enterprises above designated size and two cultural industry clusters whose revenue will exceed 10 billion yuan by 2021. The cultural industry is expected to account for over 5.5 percent of the city's total GDP in three years.

The first batch of 18 firms which have been recognized as cultural enterprises above designated size will be given a subsidy of 100,000 yuan each.

The director of China Opera Wharf surnamed Xue said the company will spend the subsidy inviting more masters of Wuxi Opera and pingtan (an ancient storytelling form that originated in Suzhou) to perform in Wuxi.

In addition, five dance dramas will receive subsidies totaling 4.45 billion yuan, including Erquan, which is based on the life story of Wuxi's visually impaired folk musician Hua Yanjun, commonly known as A Bing.

The local government said it will give more support to more potential culture, film and television and cultural tourism enterprises in the future.