Shanghai has unveiled its 14th five-year plan for cultural sector development, between 2021 and 2025, with the main ambition to become an international cultural metropolis by the end of 2025.

New cultural venues, such as the Shanghai Grand Opera House, Museum of Art Pudong (MAP), as well as branches of the Shanghai Museum and Shanghai Library, will all make their debut before 2025, according to reports.

Director of the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism, Fang Shizhong said Shanghai has some 250 museums and galleries. Around 2,000 yearly exhibitions attract over 20 million people.

“Shanghai welcomes curators with original and innovative ideas. The city is planning an ‘art season’ in the future when the many art venues can share their resources and attract international cooperation,” he said.

“We will also encourage the application of VR and AR technology to improve the experience of visitors to the historical structures, which can also help in protecting the old buildings,” he went on to say.

In addition, Shanghai is planning the construction of more parks and public spaces, and is focusing on becoming one of the top cities for performing arts in Asia, with plans to stage 50,000 performances by 2025.

Liu Haiying, director of the publicity department’s cultural reform and development office said that Shanghai also plans to produce a number of original films or TV programmes every year.

“We encourage more creations on historical, realistic and patriotic themes, as well as works emphasising the characteristics of our era and regional culture,” said Liu.

Moreover, the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, part of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum has recently opened to the public. As the world’s largest planetarium, it is part of Shanghai’s cultural development plan.

“We want people to understand the special nature of the Earth as a place that hosts life, unlike any other place that we know of in the universe,” according to lead designer and partner Thomas J Wong.