On the evening of September 26, as city lights illuminated the night and luminous art transformed the scenery, the Changning sub-venue of the 2nd Shanghai International Light Festival opened brilliantly at Livat Shanghai. As a key part of the festival's 16 sub-venues, the Changning site featured eight light installations and two main visual shows, deeply integrating creative lighting with urban space to present an immersive, multi-sensory feast of light and shadow for both domestic and international visitors and residents. Through refined execution, it showcased Shanghai's vitality in promoting the integration of culture, sports, and tourism, and in energizing the night economy. Liu Ping, deputy Party secretary and district director, attended the opening ceremony.

At the scene, Liu; Jin Weilun, deputy director of the Shanghai Landscaping & City Appearance Administrative Bureau; Bai Xueru, Standing Committee member of the CPC District Committee and executive deputy district director; and Zhu Minjie, president of Ingka Group China, along with guests from various sectors and representatives of residents, jointly witnessed the dazzling moment when Changning's night sky was lit up by light and shadow.

As the opening ceremony commenced, the architectural projection show at the main exhibition area of Livat Shanghai simultaneously lit up. Interwoven with light and shadow, the ecological beauty, cultural charm, and warmth of people's livelihoods in Changning came to life before everyone’s eyes. Attendees eagerly raised their phones to capture this romantic moment.

Three standout shows at the sub-venue exemplified the fusion of visual art and cultural themes. "Aurora Invitation," located at Gate 2 and Gate 5 in the basement, drew inspiration from Stockholm’s geographical landscape. Using the building’s ceiling and pillars to construct a three-dimensional space, flowing auroras and shimmering constellations unfolded the artistic conception of the "Tree of Life." The architecture itself seemed to transform into branches lifting the light, becoming a "three-dimensional invitation" guiding the audience to explore.

"Twin Flowers•Gorgeous Dreamscape," located in the Nordic Square on the 4th floor, carried deeper cultural meaning. Magnolia and tulip motifs were transformed into three-dimensional installations, while full-wall projections poetically blended Stockholm’s icy mountains with the watery landscapes of Jiangnan. Modern architecture in Hongqiao Linkong subtly echoed previous designs, and accompanied by melodious waltzes, the piece played a romantic movement of "City Dancing."

The other light installations also combined thoughtful design with aesthetic and functional value. "Nature’s Code" at the Fjord Square is an interactive light installation where the system recognizes and activates corresponding images when participants make animal gestures or universal sign language gestures such as "love" or "thank you." Each gesture conveys "respect and inclusion," infusing the space with "barrier-free love" and achieving a blend of ecological vitality and emotional resonance. "Fish Leaping Under Starlight" at Gate 3 uses three acrylic fish embedded with glitter pieces to record Changning’s ecological construction index in real time, integrating science education into art. The "Tuberose Sound Garden" on the fifth-floor rooftop garden combines paper-cut flowers with vintage record elements, infusing the commercial space with a strong artistic and cultural atmosphere. Particularly noteworthy is the ever-present humanistic care: the "Touch the Light" installation on the first floor is a light art piece full of compassionate consideration—its core concept is transforming "light" into Braille statements, like readable "urban poetry," allowing more people to feel the warmth of the city.

The sub-venue adopted a "one core, two corridors, three circles" exhibition model. Beyond Livat Shanghai, the two corridors—along the Yan'an Elevated Road and Suzhou Creek—and the three circles—the Hengfu Historical Conservation Area, Zhongshan Park Business District, and Hongqiao-Gubei Business District—focused on public spaces and landmark buildings, presenting serene, elegant, yet vibrant nighttime scenery. Residents can explore these corridors and circles by night to experience a different side of Changning after dark.

An awards ceremony for creative light signage was also held during the opening. Previously, the organizers had called for creative light signage submissions from across the district's streets, towns, and business districts. The entries emphasized aesthetic design while also being deeply rooted in cultural meaning and green concepts. These winning signs will be incorporated into Changning’s nightscape upgrade plan, further enriching the layers and recognizability of Shanghai’s nighttime landscape.

In recent years, Shanghai has continuously promoted the deep integration of the "night economy" and "cultural enrichment for the people." This Changning sub-venue, using "commercial space + light art" as its medium, has not only enriched the cultural lives of residents but also provided new ideas for the transformation and development of commercial complexes. The organizers hope to use the light festival as an opportunity to integrate resources from culture, tourism, sports, communities, and business districts, building a "Nightlife Circle" and upgrading nightscape lighting from "mere viewing" to "immersive experience." This aims to make the light festival accessible, popular, and sustainable, genuinely meeting the diverse needs of residents for a better life. In the coming week, residents can follow the "Light Chasing Map" to experience the nocturnal charm of Changning amid the interplay of light and shadow, and witness the beautiful vision of urban life brought by high-quality development.

 Shanghai International Light Festival Changning Sub-venue 

Location: Livat Shanghai  

Dates: September 26 – October 2  

Time: 7:30pm – 10pm nightly