BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- China has more than 300,000 registered volunteers providing cultural services across the country, Minister of Culture Cai Wu said on Tuesday.
In Beijing, 27,000 volunteers have registered in at least 16 cultural service centers, according to Cai.
"Culture volunteers have become a backbone for promoting culture in grassroots communities," Cai said, adding that he expects the number of registered cultural volunteers to double in 2013.
Cai urged expanding the recruitment of cultural volunteers and making efforts to include more writers and artists, as well as cultural professionals, in volunteer teams.
Cai said the spirit of cultural volunteering is consistent with China's goal of building a prosperous socialist cultural system that benefits all of its people.
In the past three years, 50 cultural volunteer organizations have presented people in remote areas with artistic performances, cultural exhibitions and occupational training.
