China is developing the Great Bay Area (GBA) around the Pearl River Delta to support the “Belt and Road Initiative”. Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao are the GBA’s main cities. GBA’s growth objectives, according to the “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area”, are cultural industry integration and innovation. Through coordinated planning and development among cities in the region, the practice is primarily carried out in five areas: construction support, introduction and cultivation of talents, international exchange and collaboration, cultural heritage preservation and inheritance, and cultural tourism.
As a result of “One Country, Two Systems”, the region’s cultural policies are constantly updated to meet development linkages, resource sharing and integration among the region’s core cities, and institutional innovation and improvement to integrate the outstanding strengths of each of the GBA’s four core cities. Policies and measures pertaining to intra-regional infrastructure, leisure and tourism, cross-border trade, finance and investment, research, healthcare, and foreign education have been enacted. For example, “Overall Plan for the Construction of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone”, “Opinions of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce on Various Special Measures to Relax Market Access in Developing Shenzhen into a Pilot Demonstration Zone of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics” and “Implementation Measures (Trial) for Hong Kong and Macao Tour Guides and Tour Escorts practising in Hengqin New Area, Zhuhai” etc. All of these policies lay the groundwork for the growth of the BGA’s cultural tourism business.
The GBA’s current policy prioritizes innovation and the enhancement of the cultural and tourism sectors. The “Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” defines the GBA’s cultural tourism development, guiding the Greater Bay Area to become a center of cultural exchange between East and West and a tourist destination. The GBA’s Cultural Tourism Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area establishes the path for cultural tourism development in the GBA, guiding the Greater Bay Area to become a center of cultural exchange between East and West as well as a world-class tourism destination. Hong Kong, as the market leader in this field, is the primary driver of this goal. The State Council’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–25) envisions Hong Kong as a hub for cultural and artistic interactions between China and the rest of the world. The plan envisions Macao as a hub for cross-cultural exchange and collaboration, with Chinese culture at its heart.
At the same time, due to the geographical proximity and cultural affinity of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, the GBA shares a common cultural foundation — the Lingnan culture. Cantonese opera, dragon boat, lion dance, and martial arts are examples of Lingnan culture’s intangible cultural legacy. Currently, the Greater Bay Area Cultural Arts Festival serves as a venue for promoting the display and exchange of culture and arts in the area. The Festival brings together the cultural resources of 11 regional towns and hosts over 100 cultural events. The “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural Industry Investment Fund One Period,” with a goal size of 1 billion yuan (RMB) and an initial size of 2 billion yuan (RMB) for Cultural Industry Development, was introduced in March 2023.
The cultural policies related to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) are still being adjusted and updated to meet the needs of the coordinated development of the industry. Although China has issued some measures at the macro level, the feasibility and sustainability of the policies still need to be continuously observed, especially from the perspective of industry stakeholders.