Cultural and Creative Parks Contributing to a Better Life

Oude Theater at the XLLD Cultural and Creative Park at No. 15 Dongsi South Street， Beijing， is reputed as “the narrowest theater in the world.” The theater was built accidentally in the reserved staircase space in an old factory after renovation and became popular for its distinctive style.

In 2021， Sanyou Shopping Mall， which has a history of over 30 years， transformed into a cultural and creative park， alongside nearby old factories， alleys， and quadrangle residences. In this complex of over 9，000 square meters， eight gardens are nestled across an area of approximately 2，000 square meters. The Dripping Garden on the first floor of the complex looks like a corner of an old lane， from where you can walk directly into a courtyard through a gravel alley and a small gate.

In recent years， the 600-year-old historical block has become a popular tourist spot. Many people meet in internetfamous restaurants， bookstores， and coffee shops here， buy vintage clothes， and nibble ice cream in the flavor of douzhir（a fermented bean drink in Beijing） at the Good Life Market.

Nanluo Bookstore at the south end of bustling Nanluoguxiang is a must-stop for tourists. Inside the bookstore， the most dominant feature is the spacious and comfortable reading area. It is flavored with youth culture and new trends， comprehensively presenting the cultural creativity and social interaction of contemporary young people while offering cozy reading services， creative souvenirs， trendy toys， fashionable clothing， e-sports products， and more.

Among the quaint alleys behind the National Art Museum of China， a large chimney in a tranquil courtyard at No. 77 Meishuguan Rear Street can be seen from afar. This place was formerly Beijing Offset Printing Factory， which has been transformed into 77 Cultural and Creative Park.

Covering a total area of 3，500 square meters， the Beijing Drama Rehearsal Center in the park has 18 rehearsal halls ranging from 50 square meters to 90 square meters. It provides high-quality and affordable rehearsal spaces for cultural and artistic groups， and an average of over 200 original plays are rehearsed here every year. It is known as the “factory of Chinese dramas.”

In Dongsishitiao Lane and Dongsi South Street， two cultural and creative parks echo each other from afar with similar offerings， gardens， and life aesthetics. Next to the Temple of Heaven， Hongqiao Market was once a wholesale market featuring pearls and other commodities popular among generations of local residents. Now， it has transformed into a cultural and creative park featuring design and intangible cultural heritage. In 2020， the park welcomed its first Intangible Cultural Heritage Communication Incubator to settle.

As an important promoter of high-quality development of the cultural industry， Dongcheng District in Beijing has launched 47 cultural industry parks with different styles covering a total architectural area of about 1.06 million square meters and hosting about 2，300 enterprises. With great vitality， the parks inject strong momentum into the high-quality development of the cultural industry in Beijing.