A platform that serves the people is necessary for cultural development. Taicang is endeavoring to construct a platform for cultural development by creating a demonstration zone of public culture facilities and services. The platform embodies Taicang's culture and presents a roadmap for cultural development.

Taicang theatre

Taicang Museum Taicang Museum is located at No 100 Shanghai East Road in Taicang. The museum is shaped like a grain storage silo, drawing on Taicang’s ancient reputation as a "grain storage" center. With an investment of 126 million yuan ($20 million) and covering 14,000 square meters, the museum is nicknamed the “container god”. It represents the traditional Chinese values of inclusiveness and humanity in Taicang.

Upon entering the museum, visitors can enjoy vivid photographs and high-tech multimedia demonstrations elucidating Taicang’s history. The demonstrations retrace Taicang’s history, highlighting its economy and flourishing culture.

4D cinema in Taicang library

As an important showcase, the new museum is a cultural brand with local Taicang characteristics. It has hosted 12 exhibitions since the beginning of 2012. The museum has also brought these exhibitions to armies, schools, rural areas and enterprises in the form of traveling tours. Taicang museum is an important platform for conveying traditional Chinese culture and carrying forward Loudong culture.

Taicang Theater Since its opening in July 2011, Taicang Theater has presented many reputable plays from home and abroad. It has been influential in promoting art, supporting community-level cultural development, enhancing artistic tastes among residents and serving the government and institutions. It has become one of the most important and modern theaters in southern Jiangsu province. Drawing from the cultural industry of Suzhou and Shanghai, it is exploring its own way to develop the cultural industry in Taicang.

Children's reading room in Taicang library

"Over the past year, the theater has attracted 1,450 members," Ma Minhui, the general manager of Taicang Theater said. "People can come here to reflect after watching plays. I think it is a good platform for cultural feedback and inspiration." The theater has held several nonprofit cultural lectures in hopes of cultivating interest in the arts.

Ten percent of tickets for many plays will be sent to schools teaching children of migrant laborers or underprivileged families in welfare housing. The government will foot the bill for these people and work with the theater to execute a plan to benefit residents through culture.

Electric reading room in Taicang library

Taicang Children’s Library Taicang Children’s Library welcomes children and parents to share stories and make handicrafts. An online information platform for the library has been established. Calligraphy and paintings from Taicang are exhibited in the main reading room. A series of nonprofit lectures have invited many famous teachers and become a large attraction for the library. The library also offers “floating” services to remote countrysides, schools and enterprises where books can be borrowed directly on location.

Taicang library

Completed on Dec 1, 2010, Taicang Children’s Library is equipped with advanced facilities, automated control systems, and automated integration systems for library business management. It houses 740,000 books and serves roughly 947,000 people. It shares more than 10 databases, such as Wanfang Data and CNKI, with the Suzhou public library.