Better protection sought for cultural market to survive

Rongbaozhai, with a history of more than 300 years as a maker of cultural artifacts in Beijing, has undergone drastic businesses changes in the past 10 years. Photo provided to China Daily

Ma Wuyi, a political adviser of the Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, called for better protection and promotion of Beijing's traditional culture, especially its time honored brands, in an interview.

Ma, 62, is the general manager of Rongbaozhai, an enterprise with a history of more than 300 years. The business, which markets painting and calligraphy, is one of the best known cultural brands in Beijing.

She suggested that Beijing should strengthen supervision and management to ensure a prosperous and well ordered cultural market environment, which she said is crucial to the survival and development of time honored brands.

She cited the cultural area of Liulichang as an example and pointed out problems, such as illegal parking and rampant illegal street vendors, that she said severely disrupt its market order.

Liulichang has developed into a hub for antiques and cultural products. It is one of Beijing's 25 protected historical and cultural areas in the old city area, and it is still home to a large number of traditional shops, including Rongbaozhai.

As one of Beijing's cultural landmarks, it attracts large groups of tourists and devotees of traditional culture.

In recent years, the municipal and district governments have made great progress in improving the infrastructure of the area.

As the art market prospered in recent years, illegal vendors, many of whom sell fake artworks, have been drawn to the area.

Ma said such activities have had a negative effect on the image of Liulichang and the order of the cultural market.

The ancient streets in the area are generally narrow and often clogged by vehicles illegally parked by employers, tourists or customers. These vehicles not only affect traffic but also the operation of shops, she said.