The culture industry of Gansu province has enjoyed a double-digit growth of about 26 percent last year, housing projects that will rake in more than 62 billion yuan ($9.92 billion), said a provincial government official on Tuesday.

"Altogether 7 billion yuan has been invested into the projects in full swing to build the Inheritance and Innovation Zone of Chinese Civilization," said Wang Sanyun, Party chief of Gansu province, at a news conference.

Cai Wu, China's minister of culture, addresses at the news conference?for the newly-approved Inheritance and Innovation Zone of Chinese Civilization in Gansu province, Feb 19, 2013. [Photo / chinadaily.com.cn]

The inheritance zone, backed by abundant historical and cultural sites such as the Silk Road and Mogao Grottoes, was approved on Jan 21. It is planned to be another State-level strategic platform after the Lanzhou New Area to lead the land-locked northwestern region to overall prosperity.

Culture could translate into money, but not easily so, said the Minister of Culture Cai Wu, also at the conference.

"We need to get creative in developing the culture industry and conjure up more ideas for feasible and lucrative projects that will outwit other provinces. That's how money and talents would follow," said Cai, adding that the culture industry is expected to become a pillar industry for the relatively underdeveloped region.

The culture industry is aimed to take up over 5 percent of the province's GDP by 2020, from last year's 1.4 percent.

Gansu's economic growth defied the nationwide slowdown last year, with its GDP climbing 12.6 percent from a year earlier and the urban per capita disposable income growing 15.3 percent.