Shanghai offers theater discounts to university students

University students in Shanghai can now get ticket discounts at 12 major theaters as part of a government effort to promote the arts. Students will get a 40-yuan discount on tickets that generally sell for between 60 and 180 yuan.

Cultural and education officials announced the program on the sidelines of the Shanghai International Film Festival. They say the discounts will cover major venues such as the Shanghai Grand Theater and Oriental Arts Center.

More than 600,000 university students in Shanghai could benefit from the policy.

Shanghai has made efforts to introduce artisitc performances to campuses since 1993. More than 600 shows are staged on campuses each year. But due to the quality of facilities at some schools, many shows can't be shown properly or completely.

"We hope that students can walk into the theaters and see the dramas themselves. We can also expand our market," Yang Shaolin, Shanghai Drama Art Center General Manager said.

The administration offers ten million yuan to charity shows every year. One-fourth of the money will be invested into the preferential policy for university students, said Zhao Beijian, Vice Director of Shanghai Municipal Administation of Culture, Radio, Film and TV.

The large demand for good arts has been showed during the film festival. Event organizers say they orginially scheduled about 880 screening sessions, but had to add another 150 to meet demand.