Yue Peng, chief of the Tongzhou district government, said the district is helping fuel Beijing cultural industries. [Photo/China Daily

The seven-day China Art Industry Expo, running from Sept 29 to Oct 5 is showcasing artworks from more than 80 countries at seven museums and art centers in Beijing's emerging art zone Songzhuang in Tongzhou district.

The expo is part of efforts by the governments of Beijing and Tongzhou to further regulate and develop the booming art market and offer better cultural services to the public.

Some 300 art collectors and artists from 120 major art organizations around the world are expected to join the expo.

Besides a range of original exhibitions at the seven venues, artworks are being sold on the Art Taobao Street-a new project involving almost all the artists in Songzhuang. It attracted many visitors on the first day of the expo.

The expo also features forums and open house projects at studios and art museums.

Liu Yuzhu, assistant to the minister of culture, said during the opening ceremony that the Chinese art industry is growing rapidly and the market has become a significant player in the global art scene.

Liu noted that China's art market generated a total of 200.3 billion yuan ($32.6 billion) in 2013 and the number of galleries in the country totaled 3,336.

Started in 2012, the art industry expo is supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Beijing municipal and Tongzhou district governments.

With Songzhuang as its cultural landmark, the district government has been working on developing the district into an engine of Beijing's robust cultural industry.

Yue Peng, chief of the Tongzhou district government, said that the artwork industry is a crucial part of cultural industry.

"In recent years, we have integrated the district's cultural resources and drawn on its historic value. We hope that our efforts will fuel the cultural growth in Tongzhou," said Yue.

He said the efforts have already brought basic public facilities for culture and art to Tongzhou locals.

Jin Shangyi, former chairman of China Artists Association and a famed painter, said that the art industry expo is very important for the "regulation" of the country's art market.

"The art industry and the cultural industry in general are very new things in China. I hope that by having art expos like this one, the industry can be on the right track and march toward prosperity."

After the opening ceremony, scholars from cultural and financial industries gathered at forums to discuss the innovation in business and financing for the art industry.

On the first day of the expo, the Art Taobao Street attracted many visitors who watched senior artists create calligraphy and talked with young artists about their works.

The theme of the expo this year is "Art Makes Life Better".

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