The Seminar on the Building of "Beautiful Dongcheng District" was held on the afternoon of October 22, 2020, at Dongcheng District Party Committee, Beijing.
Cao Wei, a famous planner and designer, proposed the concept of creating a “slow-paced life” international performing and cultural area in Dongcheng District. Mr. Cao believed that in the building of a "Beautiful Dongcheng District", while protecting the tangible urban form and physical space, the cultural performance area built using the rich performing arts resources and small and micro theater resources is an indispensable element. It would give full play to the unique multi-form and multi-level cultural and performing art advantages of Dongcheng District, develop performance forms dominated by small and micro theaters, build a performance space with multi-dimensional urban theater groups together with large and medium-sized theaters, and create a slow-paced life performing art and cultural space. Specifically, efforts can be done from the following aspects: 1. Create a "slow-paced life" international performing art and cultural area.
While protecting the tangible urban form and physical space, performing art resources should be utilized and small and micro theaters should be built. Areas such as Wangfujing, Gulou, Longfu Temple and surrounding area, Nanluoguxiang and surrounding area, Wudaoying and surrounding area, and area of Tianqiao in Dongcheng are endowed with rich traditional culture and tourism resources, and should be encouraged to build a linked cultural block with small and micro theaters and museums.
Dongcheng District is most suitable for building an "International Performing Art and Cultural Area" featuring small theater performing art culture. Beijing is the city with the most concentrated and pioneering cultural and artistic spaces in China, and Dongcheng District, with its advantageous location where the old city and international culture are blended and history resides, is particularly endowed with rich resources of opera, performing art and history, unmatched even by other urban areas across the country, and many cultural performing arts have reached international standards.
Build a "Slow-paced Life" Montage Performing Art and Cultural Area
"Slow-paced Life" does not mean literally slowing down, but creating more advanced and higher-quality cultural life, endowing time and space for creation. The "Slow-paced Life" Performing Art and Cultural Area can utilize the unique resources of small and micro theater groups in Dongcheng District, build demonstration small theaters and cultural performance areas, and create a montage performance experience area. More pragmatic organizing and approval methods should be adopted to integrate different scenarios, and small and micro plays to create a multi-level and multi-space montage experience, fully utilizing different performance spaces. With the combination of different opera performances and multiple spaces, colorful and multidimensional business street spaces can be created to provide visitors with a unique experience.
Efforts should be made to rebuild the image of the old city and create an organic cultural life circle. The development of the performing art area can, through managing urban traffic flow, improve the cultural environment of the streets and the image of the old city. And at the same time, a diversified visitor experience can be created by adding local food, snacks, wine cellars, handicrafts, coffee, entertainment, experience, exhibitions, parent-child interaction, after-school tutoring and other elements along the streets.
While building an exquisite "slow-paced life" with cultural development as the pivot, Dongcheng District should also focus on three aspects:
