On April 19, the sunken plaza at Golden Street transformed into an international community “grand hall.” The first “Vitality IN Hongqiao” International Community Better Life Festival with the theme of “Better Life, Better Hongqiao” officially opened. 

Chinese and foreign community residents, international school teachers and students, and representatives of local enterprises from different countries and regions got together, using culture as a medium and art as a bridge, to paint a new picture of a beautiful life of integration and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

At the launch of the event, students from Shanghai Hongqiao International School for Children of Foreign Nationals presented over 20 exciting performances with a focus on childlike vitality, artistic depth, and technological creativity. 

Some of the performances resonated with the audience, such as “La La City,” the self-written environmental drama “Garbage Man,” which called for garbage sorting with humorous plot, and the rock songs “Backlight” and “Green Light,” which showcased the cross-border integration of music and ecology, igniting the entire audience.

At the same time, the four interactive areas constructed by 26 themed tents, including international cultural exchange area, community art education interactive area, science and technology innovation and environmental protection exhibition area, and beautiful life interactive area, became popular “check-in” places for Chinese and foreign residents.

The International Community Better Life Festival will run through June, combining the Reading Festival, International Family Day, International Children’s Day and other festival nodes, and focusing on social aesthetic education, it will present a series of “one plus eight plus one” activities, that is, a Sino-foreign Inclusion launch day market, eight better life series activities, and a closing performance of talent education Nurturing. 

The eight series of activities for a better life are namely network, teamwork, empower, growth, relationship, artistry, transition, opportunity.

The initials of the top 10 activity areas form the word “Integration,” which is also the original aspiration of Hongqiao Community to continuously deepen the atmosphere of international community integration and showcase the beautiful life of the international community.

Edited by Shanghai Daily