Cultural centers attract young enthusiasts across China

An increasing number of young people in China are turning to cultural centers in their spare time to learn new skills, enrich their lives, and make friends.

These centers, located across the country, offer courses during evenings and weekends to accommodate the needs of employed young individuals.

A woman learns Peking Opera at the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo/Chen Zhongqiu)

At the end of 2023, the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, hosted a variety show and an achievement exhibition for students participating in its art courses. Some students sang in a chorus performance, performed in a drama, and played guzheng (Chinese zither). Others exhibited calligraphy, photography, porcelain carving, and buckle knot works, impressing all the attendees.

Just a few months ago, many of the confident performers on stage were complete novices. Some of the calligraphy displayed was produced by students without previous experience with the art form.

Wang Qin and Zhao Xue, both born in the 1990s and new to playing the cello, said that their lives began to change the moment they successfully enrolled in a course at the cultural center. Last September, they joined the cultural center's cello class and became good friends.

A teacher instructs young people on how to knit a buckle knot at the cultural center of Shijingshan district, Beijing. (Photo/Feng Di)

"Although I have to take a subway ride for an hour to get to the class each time, it's one of the happiest parts of my day. Learning my dream musical instrument and meeting different people is very meaningful to me," said Zhao with a smile.

Many students in their 20s and 30s, like Wang and Zhao, attend the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center. "I was fortunate to secure a spot in the course and am happy to gain new knowledge. The performance also made me feel proud," said a young student at the cultural center.

In 2021, China issued guidelines to promote the high-quality development of public cultural services, focusing on strengthening cultural and artistic training for the public and transforming cultural centers into venues for urban and rural residents to receive lifelong aesthetic education.

One year later, the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center conducted a survey and found a significant demand among professionals for art and culture.

"Young people have a greater demand for a rich and high-quality cultural life. As a cultural center, it's our duty to enable them to gain knowledge, experience refinement, and feel the warmth of culture and our city," said Ruan Jing, curator of the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center.

The cultural center offered 157 courses in 2023 to accommodate young professionals, primarily scheduled after 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday and on weekends. Throughout the year, these courses benefited more than 90,000 individuals.

In early 2023, the Zhuzhou Cultural Center in Zhuzhou city, central China's Hunan Province, conducted a survey to better align with young people's expectations. Over 5,000 questionnaires were distributed to residential compounds, schools, associations, and training institutions. Based on the responses, the Zhuzhou Cultural Center started offering evening and weekend classes in tea art, Xiang embroidery, Baduanjin qigong, guitar, saxophone, and other subjects that proved popular among young people.

Students of the Zhuzhou Cultural Center perform on a street stage in Zhuzhou city, central China's Hunan Province. (Photo/Wang Wei)

"Since last year, we have been actively creating new public cultural service scenarios and have built street stages to give our students the chance to learn skills and have opportunities to perform," said Long Jingqing, curator of the Zhuzhou Cultural Center.

Statistics show that more than 1,100 regular performances and nearly 200 themed events took place on the 16 street stages across the city in 2023, attracting over 150,000 spectators.

"We receive professional guidance at the cultural center during our spare time and then showcase our skills on the street stages," said Tan Meiling, who attends choir classes at the cultural center every Thursday evening.

"I've never missed a single class. It helps me relieve stress and soothe my emotions," Tan added, praising the cultural center's excellent instructors and the opportunity to perform on the street stages.

"Our choir now has many fans, and we feel a greater sense of fulfillment," Tan continued.

Additionally, the street stages also serve as excellent platforms for voluntary services, allowing students to showcase the positive impacts of art popularization and thereby attracting more people to immerse themselves in art and the cultural center, Long said.

"As residents receive art training, they find peace of mind and enjoy friendly interactions. This, in turn, accelerates the cultivation of community-based volunteers in the cultural sector and voluntary service organizations," Long added.

There are 117 voluntary service organizations comprising 3,162 volunteers in Zhuzhou city, according to Long.