Shanghai Cultural Development Blue Book (2021) published by the Institute of Literature Affiliated with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences was released on Thursday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shanghai had by the end of last year possessed the framework for an international cultural city based on the intensity and distribution of cultural facilities in the municipality, according to a recent report.

Shanghai is the only Chinese city to be listed among the world's top echelon of cultural metropolises, according to the report which is part of the Shanghai Cultural Development Blue Book (2021) published by the Institute of Literature Affiliated with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences on Thursday.

The other cities in the top echelon are New York, London, Tokyo, and Paris, said Hua Jian, acting editor-in-chief of the report and a researcher from the institute. The report stated that the number of cultural sites, such as theaters, museums, art galleries, and cinemas, in Shanghai have risen quickly over the past recent years.

It also noted that Shanghai has an advantage in introducing its cultures to foreign audiences. Among the 200 domestic enterprises that were involved in cultural export business last year, 29 were from Shanghai, said Hua.

Despite this achievement, the report pointed out that compared with the other world-class cultural cities, Shanghai still needs to boost its capability and influence in cultural innovation.

Hua mentioned that one of Shanghai's goals in the cultural field is to build the city into a hub of art performances for Asia. "A lot can be done to improve the city's art performance industry and the related upstream and downstream industries," he said.

The blue book also included annual reports of the city's literature, public cultural service, film industry, cultural exchange, and intangible cultural heritage, and provided suggestions for the development paths of these areas.