Development plan for Beijing’s artist town gets mixed reviews-Xinhua
November 6th, 2008 | by Editor |“The former rural town of Songzhuang, on the city’s eastern outskirts, has become one of the centers of Beijing’s burgeoning art scene over the last 10 years, drawing artists with its cheap rents and proximity to the capital’s growing markets and galleries.
But plans for a major new “cultural industry” development have sparked debate in the thriving community, with many artists fearing it could drive up rents and force the “commercialization” of the creative zone.
The Songzhuang town government announced on Oct. 28 that construction of the 10-billion-yuan development would begin next year, leading some of the town’s 3,000 artists to wonder if it was time to leave.”
Xinhua – Development plan for Beijing’s artist town gets mixed reviews_
