In a drive to increase citizens' access to culture, Beijing plans to build 10 new open-air theaters as well as providing communities across the municipality with 300 film projectors by 2008.

According to Jiang Gongmin, head of the city's culture bureau, 80 percent of the present 79 theaters in the capital are poorly equipped, and tickets are too expensive for many citizens.

To remedy the situation, the bureau will build 10 open-air theatres in Beijing's public entertainment zones by 2008.

An open-air theaterhas already been built at an entertainment zone in Shijingshan District and another will be completed at Yuting Park in Chongwen District by the end of the year. Construction work will begin on eight more theatres next year.

More free performances will be put on in the new open-air theatres, according to the bureau.

To further improve cultural life in Beijing, Jiang said the bureau also plans to buy 300 film projectors to distribute amongst both rural and urban communities.

The bureau will buy rights to 12 domestically produced digital movies each year and release them to each urban community, providing at least one film a month to entertain citizen.

The drive to improve cultural life in the city has been welcomed by most residents.

"If the projects go ahead, it will greatly diversify my leisure life. The present cinemas and theaters are just too expensive to attract people like me," said Lu Minghua, receptionist at a consultancy company.

A cinema ticket in Beijing normally costs between 30 and 80 yuan (US$3.7 to US$10), although tickets can be as much as 100 yuan (US$12) for some imported blockbusters.

Yet the average per-capita disposable monthly income in the city is only 1,822 yuan (US$227).

(China Daily October 20, 2006)