Weifang in East China's Shandong province plans to invest 1.5-2 billion yuan ($221-294 million) to build a huge variety of new cultural facilities, local officials announced at a press conference on June 27.

The city has long had a reputation as a center for the arts, and was named "China's paintings city" by the Chinese Painting Institute in 2013. The new investment is designed to build on this legacy and turn culture into a source of growth for Weifang's economy.

The project will include the construction of new museum complexes, art galleries, a hall of fame and literature museums, among other facilities, according to Lu Bo, chief engineer of Weifang municipal bureau of housing and urban-rural development.

The museum complexes, hall of fame and literature museums will be built in the city's newer industrial zone, while the art gallery complex will be located near the south square of Weifang's railway station .

The new buildings will be designed to reflect Weifang's rich cultural heritage, and the city will prioritize the creation of unique venues that will further boost the thriving local arts scene, Lu added.

Weifang is already home to more than 2,000 art galleries and over 4,000 culture-related businesses, as well as thousands of professional artists.

It is also the world's largest producer of kites and home to the headquarters of the International Kite Federation. Local kite businesses have capacity to produce 80 million kites annually, and the industry generates revenues of 200 million yuan ($32 million) per year.

Ding Hanbang, an official from Weifang publicity department, delivers a speech at a press conference in Weifang, Shandong province on June 27. [Photo by Sha Jianlong/ Chinanews.com]

The city will seek to emphasize its local cultural heritage in its future urban development plans to raise its profile as a major cultural hub in China, according to Ding Hanbang, an official from Weifang publicity department.

Workers make kites at a factory in Weifang's Wangjiazhuangzi area. The city in Shandong province is the largest producer of kites in the world. [Photo by Zhang Zhao/ China Daily]

The Chinese Painting Festival has been held annually in Weifang since 2011. [Photo/wfnews.com.cn]