Abstract: This paper makes an analysis of the spatial correlation between the added value of China’s provincial cultural industries and financial development level from 2005 to 2011 with the exploratory spatial data analysis method. It also empirically analyzes the spatial impact of China’s provincial financial development on cultural industries development during the current period or multi-period by establishing an economic model and employing the spatial econometric method. The results show that there exists significant spatial dependence between the financial development level and the added value of cultural industries among the provinces. The financial development in one province can not only promote the development of cultural industries in that province but also generate positive spatial spillover effect on the cultural industry development of the neighboring provinces. In both the current period and multi-period models, the financial development of the banking industry has the greatest supporting effect on the cultural industry development; the effect of cultural industry development supported by personnel investment is larger than that of its capital investments. The financial development of the securities industry has a significant inhibition effect on the development of cultural industries in the current period model, while the effect of the financial development of the securities industry on the cultural industry development is uncertain in the multi-period model. All the provinces should vigorously develop their financial systems to support the development of their cultural industries; meanwhile they should pay attention to the financial cooperation of the banking industry with the surrounding and neighboring provinces and give full play to the positive spillover effect supported by finance.

Key words: cultural industry; financial support; spatial econometric analysis