Night view of the Old Bund in Ningbo, Zhejiang province [Photo/cri.cn]

The Old Bund in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, a waterfront area that used to be the site of the Port of Ningbo, plans to build a fashion highland by developing its cultural and creative industries.

The area, which is part of Ningbo's Belt and Road Initiative pilot zone, has been exploring its cultural potential in recent years. With its rich historic and cultural resources, it was able to create several work studios for artists such as Zhu Renmin and Gao Xixi.

GOWORK, a maker space for artists who are passionate about culture and creativity, opened in the Old Bund in 2016. Over the past few years, it has attracted 37 companies.

The China Academy of Art established an innovation center at the Old Bund on Jan 24, aiming to maintain a close relationship with the city's fashion brands and attract top artists, design agencies and international investment to develop cultural and creative industries in the area.

An official from the management committee of the Old Bund said that in the future, they plan to give full reign to cultural platforms and historic architecture in the area, and organize more cultural exchange activities to make the area an attractive place for culture salons and fashion businesses.

Moreover, the area will promote cooperation with the world's top design institutions in order to advance intelligent manufacturing and research and development in Ningbo's fashion industry.

The China Academy of Art signs an agreement with Ningbo's Jiangbei district to jointly establish an innovation center at the Old Bund on Jan 24. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]