A total of eight cultural industry categories have become competitive and are leading sectors in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, according to a municipal government spokesman on October 16.

The industries include film and video production, performing arts, cultural products research and development, publication and print, animation games, cultural festival exhibitions, cultural innovation and cultural tourism.

The added value of Qingdao’s cultural industry totaled 51 billion yuan in 2011, accounting for 7.7 percent of its GDP. A total of 35 cultural parks, including animation innovation industry base, cultural street and painter village, have been established and a total of 17 distinctive cultural street blocks have taken shape in Qingdao, according to a formerly released report.