Work starts on Guoshen Museum, UNESCO Center in Qianhai

A computer-generated view of Guoshan Museum and its surroundings in Qianhai. Courtesy of Qianhai authority

A ceremony was held Thursday to mark the start of construction on 10 new key projects with a total investment of 30.3 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) with the aim of building Qianhai into a new urban center of Shenzhen.

Shenzhen Party chief Wang Weizhong and Mayor Chen Rugui attended the ceremony, which was chaired by Tian Fu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the CPC and director of the Authority of China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone Qianhai and Shekou Area.

Guoshen Museum is a long-awaited project dubbed one of Shenzhen’s planned 10 new cultural facilities. Located in Qianwan, the 3.5-billion-yuan museum is expected to cover an area of 32,300 square meters with a floor space of 120,000 square meters. Upon completion in 2025, it will be a modern and comprehensive State-level museum and world-class public cultural facility that integrates cultural education, architectural art, and cutting-edge science and technology.

Another heavyweight project is the Qianhai International UNESCO Center. Located on the north side of the Linhai Boulevard in Qianwan, the center will occupy a total area of more than 22,895 square meters and 100,250 square meters in floor space. It is estimated to cost 2.9 billion yuan. Upon completion, the center will serve as the international headquarters of the Yidan Prize Foundation — the world’s largest education award — and a research platform for international education.

The other projects also included the Taikang Qianhai Hospital, an international high-end smart hospital with 1,160 beds.

So far this year, construction on 32 projects have kicked off in Qianhai. The projects, costing 73.2 billion yuan in total, are expected to further improve Qianhai’s urban functions and public facilities, enhance the landscape of Qianhai as a new urban center, and promote the industrial development of Qianhai.

The Qianhai-Shekou area aims to be built into a new city center and a demonstration zone for increased cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, according to an overall development plan for the area approved by the city government in 2018.