Recently Shanghai signaled it's ambition to become a new global cultural hub with the launch of the China Art Palace and the Power Station of Art and plans to open another 15 museums by 2015. Now Beijing has followed suit with news that its 798 art district is get another makeover. Starting out as an underground hotbed of studios, it developed into a trendy district for galleries, boutiques and offices. Now it faces another Rmb50 billion ($8 billion) transformation into an upscale luxury and cultural area. But the scale of the development is mind boggling, even for China. "An aircraft carrier only costs Rmb10bn and a battalion Rmb50-65bn," said Fang Fang director of Beijing's Star Gallery. "What are they trying to build with 50 billion?"
Image: a space in Beijing's 798 art district
