A senior lawmaker has urged the government to invest more in the construction of cultural facilities for juveniles, saying on average 70,000 minors in China shared one public cultural place.

Li Jianguo, vice-committee Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), made the request in his report to the top legislature on the implementation of the Law on the Protection of Juveniles on Thursday.

At the fourth session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee, he said there were slightly more than 5,400 public cultural places specially built for minors nationwide.

Public venues, such as museums, libraries, community centers and sports facilities, were unevenly distributed around the country. Their number was even less in rural areas in the central and western regions, he added.

The funding for cultural establishments was not enough in the country as the per capita investment in this field was only 15.04 yuan (about US$2.17) in 2007, according to the senior lawmaker.

Li urged the government to build more public cultural venues for minors, particularly in rural area and communities, and open more cultural and sports facilities in schools to minors during the holidays.

(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2008)