Linkong Music Park reopens with enhanced nature and play areas

After nearly four months of upgrades, Linkong Music Park in Changning District has reopened to the public, offering residents a new autumn retreat with enhanced greenery, enriched facilities, and a more welcoming atmosphere.

Located at 592 Guangshun Road N. and nestled alongside Suzhou Creek, the music-themed park now features new shaded spaces under trees, replenished greenery in the square, and seasonal blooms such as sunflowers in golden autumn and riverside reeds, ensuring scenic beauty all year round. 

Key areas like the main entrance square, central water feature, and circular fountain have been refurbished to impressive effect. The park’s expansive lawn, refreshed and carefully maintained, has become a major attraction thanks to its vibrant, soft turf—now the most popular spot in the park.

Beyond these standout natural and riverside views, thoughtful upgrades are evident throughout the park. Cracked pavements have been repaired, outdated lighting replaced, and worn-out benches and bins renewed. A mother-and-child room has been added to the public restroom, and the introduction of music-themed, child-friendly play equipment offers young visitors a joyful experience. Many families linger after playtime, strolling along the riverside path at sunset to admire the reeds and the creek.

As the weather in Shanghai turns pleasantly cool, it’s the perfect time to gather family or friends—to relax on the lawn, walk by the water, take photos among the sunflowers, and enjoy laughter in the children’s play area. Come experience this slice of comfort and beauty, right in the neighborhood.

National SME initiative kicks off in Changning, focusing on low-altitude economy

The inaugural session of the "100 Sessions, 10,000 Enterprises" national tour, designed to connect and support specialized and innovative SMEs, was held on October 15 in Changning District, focusing on the low-altitude economy.

The series aims to create a nationwide platform for resource integration and collaborative innovation, helping more top-tier specialized SMEs, known as "little giant" enterprises, embed themselves within key industrial chains.

During the session, university experts shared cutting-edge trends and challenges in the low-altitude economy, while the Shanghai Stock Exchange detailed the latest "1+6" policy package for the Sci-Tech Innovation Board. Changning District highlighted its strategic position as part of the Hongqiao International Open Hub and introduced its low-altitude economy industrial development plan and global market support services.

Leading companies in the sector, including Shanghai Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Development Co Ltd, Shanghai Volant Aerotech Co Ltd, and Shanghai Vertaxi Aviation Technology Co Ltd, presented specific application scenarios and procurement needs for technological collaboration.

Changning has been officially positioned as a low-altitude economy headquarters cluster in Shanghai’s citywide plan. It was the first in the city to inaugurate the Hongqiao International Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Park and jointly launched the Low-Altitude Economy Industry-University-Research Collaborative Innovation Incubation Plan with the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information Technology and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. These efforts aim to extend the aviation industry from high-altitude to low-altitude operations and attract leading corporate headquarters.

To date, the district is home to 427 innovative enterprises and 214 specialized and innovative SMEs, 13 of which are national-level "little giants." Changning’s industrial internet platform cluster was also recently recognized as a national-level specialized cluster for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Behind the light: The craft and care power Changning's dazzling light festival

The Changning branch of the second Shanghai International Light Festival has captured the public’s imagination with a series of mesmerizing light art shows. Behind those eye-catching installations lies untold effort from creative teams.

Take "Aurora Invitation" for example. From the very beginning, the video team aimed to break conventions. They set out to move beyond the old impression of light festivals as "just strings of neon lights," creating a "visual marvel that transcends geographical limits" so that residents could experience something akin to the Northern Lights without leaving Shanghai.

The opening centerpiece, "Twin Flowers: Gorgeous Dreamscape," quickly became the festival’s star attraction. Featuring a Shanghai magnolia and a Stockholm tulip, the piece resembled “two unfolding love letters,” conveying the friendship between the two cities. To make the floral structures both beautiful and durable, the art team settled on stainless steel bars and mesh, strong enough to withstand typhoon weather, yet finely woven enough to invite viewers to reach out and touch.

While many installations turned heads with their spectacle, "Nature's Sign Language Interaction" stood out for its emotional warmth. The video team carefully selected six common sign language gestures, including "hello," "thank you," and "love you," and developed a custom AI recognition model that responds in just 0.3 seconds. When a visitor mimics a gesture correctly, the installation lights up with both the glowing hand shape and its corresponding word.

Behind the festival’s glow are details that move the heart: the artists’ relentless pursuit of quality, the warmth enabled by technology, and the quiet dedication of volunteers. It’s the coming together of all these forces that makes nights in Changning not only dazzling, but deeply touching.

Johnson Controls Asia-Pacific chief honored for impact in Shanghai

Anuruddha Rathninde, Asia-Pacific president of Johnson Controls (China) Investment Co Ltd, has been awarded the Shanghai Magnolia Gold Award, following his receipt of the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award in 2023.

A great admirer of Chinese culture, Rathninde has filled his office with traditional Chinese artifacts, from shadow puppets and paper-cuttings to replicas of bianzhong bells and Peking Opera figurines, reflecting his deep appreciation for the wisdom of ancient China.

Last year, Rathninde was elected Chair of the newly reconstituted Hongqiao Friendship Alliance. He has been committed to working with fellow members to attract and engage more outstanding foreign enterprises from a global perspective, strengthening the alliance as a powerful platform for Sino-foreign integration and exchange while enhancing Changning District’s international profile and influence.

Johnson Controls, a global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable building solutions with a 140-year history, inaugurated its Asia-Pacific headquarters building in the Hongqiao Linkong Economic Park in June 2017.

Under Rathninde’s leadership, the company has actively invested in smart building innovation. In line with China’s dual-carbon goals, his team has focused on green product R&D, bringing cutting-edge technology and talent to Shanghai.

Rathninde has led Johnson Controls to participate in the China International Import Expo for seven consecutive years, debuting multiple new products at the event. He also helped facilitate the attendance of the group’s global chairman at the “Shanghai Night” welcome dinner hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Government in Switzerland.

Beyond business, Rathninde has championed corporate social responsibility. The company previously donated a reading corner to the Aixinyuan Nursing Home in Beixinjing Subdistrict, providing books, computers, and printers for the elderly, and has signed a public service cooperation agreement with the subdistrict.

Changning's industrial internet cluster gains national recognition

Shanghai industrial technology firm Black Lake Technology recently attended a high-level economic forum as a corporate representative, delivering a speech at the experts and entrepreneurs symposium on the national economic situation convened by China's premier.

The company is a key member of the Changning District Industrial Internet Platform Cluster, which has been designated as a national-level specialized cluster for small and medium-sized enterprises. The cluster was featured in a special report by STV's News Channel.

Black Lake Technology is based in the Shanghai Silicon Alley on Wuyi Road. Since its founding in 2016, it has launched three industrial software products tailored respectively for large factories, small and micro factories, and supply chain collaboration. Today, its software serves nearly 35,000 factories across China.

Not far away, another cluster member, Westwell Lab, won a bid last month to develop the world's first integrated "AI + autonomous driving + FOD detection" application at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The centerpiece of its exhibition hall is a model of the Q-Truck, its star autonomous vehicle product, which uses laser radar systems from fellow cluster member Hesai Technology—a collaboration facilitated by the cluster ecosystem.

The Changning Industrial Internet Platform Cluster now hosts 214 enterprises, including 107 high-quality SMEs and over 50 leading enterprises. In 2024, the cluster's total revenue reached 19.447 billion yuan (US$2.73 billion).

In the next phase, Changning will focus more deeply on specialized segments such as industrial cloud platforms, industrial software, high-end equipment, and industrial embodied intelligence, aiming to build a distinctive brand for the district and support cluster enterprises in achieving rapid growth.