On April 14, it is approved by the municipal government executive meeting on “Yichang Creates National Public Cultural Services System Model City Planning (2014-2016)” that all libraries, cultural centers (stations) and museums in the whole city will be open to public for free.

　　According to evaluation criterions of national public cultural services system model city, Yichang will establish an urban-rural integrated, five classes united public cultural services network. All public cultural venues will be completely standard, including the newly built Yichang Museum, Yichang Concert Hall, Yichang Planning Exhibition Hall, Yichang Science Activity Center, Yichang Olympic Sports Center and other key municipal cultural venues. All public libraries and cultural centers will meet national secondary standard, including the rebuilt Xiling District Library, newly built Xiling District Civil Construction Center, Wujiagang District Cultural Center and Library, Xiaoting District Library, Dianjun District Cultural Center and Library, Yiling District Cultural Center.

　　In order to encourage more people to be involved, various cultural centers will be open to public for free, such as science and technology museums, youth palaces, worker’s cultural halls, sports centers. Cultural and sports venues of schools or enterprises and institutions will be open to mass under jurisdiction. Meanwhile, all public libraries and cultural centers are encouraged to offer services for the young, the elder and the disabled. It is required in the “Planning” that more social sectors be actively guided to participate in public cultural services and the development of nongovernmental public welfare cultural organizations be supported. It is also proposed that a market-oriented and government-funded channel be adopted to effectively solve the problem of public cultural products insufficiency.      ( Reporter Zhao Wei)