Why do creative companies locate in creative clusters in China?

Creative clusters have been drawing the attention of academia. The prevalence of creative clusters is closely linked to creative companies’ willingness to locate in clusters. Researchers have been exploring the reasons behind from the perspective of locational factors. However, the debate between hard and soft factors has been going on. This paper attempts to reveal why creative companies locate in creative clusters in China, with the empirical case of 751 D Park from Beijing. By identifying four categories of locational factors as conventional, clustering, lifestyle and old industrial building factor, this factor framework is justified with tenant companies in 751 D Park. Also, the construction and management of this cluster is studied, to understand the background and the way they keep the appealing of the cluster. The results show that 751 work on both hard and soft factors to maintain the attractiveness, and on the tenants’ side, four groups of factors are important drivers of locating in creative clusters to various extent. Clustering factors are still the most important attractions of creative clusters to creative companies, and old industrial building factor is of increasing importance.