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11 towns and cities race for Britain's City of Culture

Xinhua, March 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

Eleven towns and cities in Britain, most of them off the tourist map, were named Thursday as bidders to be declared the next UK City of Culture.

They are eager to wear the cultural crown in 2021, following in the footsteps of the northeast England seaport of Hull which is holding the title this year.

The winner of the title is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists, earning millions of dollars for the local economy.

Included in the line-up is Britain's smallest city, St. David's in south Wales, with a population of less than 2,000. It is best known as the final resting place of St. David, the patron saint of Wales who was born in the year 500 AD.

Stoke-on-Trent, known for potteries, is celebrated as the home of famous pottery works by master potters such as Wedgwood.

The northern industrial town of Warrington, midway between the big cities of Liverpool and Manchester, is also in the race for the title. The town is best known for its World War II base for the U.S. military, which saw the town's Burtonwood area becoming Europe's biggest U.S. supply center.

Minister of State for Digital and Culture Matt Hancock announced the 11 bidders, which also includes Coventry, Hereford, Paisley, Perth, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Swansea and Wells.

The National Heritage Lottery Fund is to give a prize of 3 million pounds to the winner to boost local heritage.

Hancock said "UK City of Culture is a fantastic opportunity for towns and cities to celebrate their creativity and use culture as a catalyst for economic growth."

Hull is the second city to host the title. Its program this year includes 365 days of cultural events. It is estimated that being the UK City of Culture 2017 will deliver a 60 million pound boost to Hull's economy this year. The city has also seen a 1 billion pound investment since winning the title in 2013.

A shortlist of the bidding areas will be announced in the summer before the winning area is announced in December. Enditem