Ginkgo festival transforms international street into a vibrant art hub

This past weekend, the 6th Huangjinchengdao Ginkgo Art & Life Festival came alive with three parallel themed activities，transforming this international street into a dynamic, open-air art gallery.

Beneath the warm afternoon sun, a brass band composed of musicians from various countries performed cheerful melodies under the golden ginkgo trees. Visitors clapped along to the rhythm as sunlit leaves twirled and drifted down to the music.

At the Cheng Shifa Art Museum, guided by professional painters, over a dozen families, both local and international, picked up brushes to capture the radiant ginkgo scenes they had explored along the street, translating nature into ink-wash art in a journey from observation to creation.

One family from Singapore worked together on their piece. A parent gently guided their child’s hand to outline tree branches, while golden ginkgo leaves served as natural inspiration. Half an hour later, a childlike yet charming ink-wash ginkgo painting was complete. Nearby, a ginkgo-themed floral workshop also drew crowds of families eager to create together.

“The festival is about bringing art out of traditional venues,” said an officer from Hongqiao Subdistrict. “When ink-wash blends with ginkgo, when music connects hearts, and when floral art brightens everyday life, Huangjinchengdao becomes a warm ‘urban living room’ brimming with shared moments.” 

Through this festival, art is no longer distant—it becomes something tangible, accessible, and participatory in daily life.

Golden leaves create enchanting scenes across Changning's streets and parks

The recent persistent low temperatures have not only turned ginkgo branches a brilliant yellow but also ushered in the fall of countless golden leaves, blanketing streets and green spaces with a thick "golden carpet."

Stepping onto Huangjinchengdao feels like entering the brightest chapter of a fairy tale. Sunlight filters through the branches, illuminating the ginkgo leaves until they glow like translucent amber, bathing the entire street in a warm, radiant light. When the wind stirs, thousands of leaves dance and flutter, creating a continuous, dreamlike "golden rain." Passers-by naturally slow their pace—some gazing upward in quiet contemplation of the falling leaves, others bending down to gather autumn's treasures, savoring the season's gift of tranquility and beauty.

Yanhong Green Space is also unusually vibrant. With the ground now carpeted in fallen leaves, the ginkgo grove presents a stunning scene of gold both in the trees and underfoot, drawing many residents to capture the moment with photos.

Inside Zhongshan Park, the clearing beneath the ginkgo trees is uniformly covered with a deep layer of fallen leaves, resembling a vast, unfurled golden tapestry. Walking across it produces a gentle, rustling sound, like a soft whisper from nature.

Along Taian Road, where fallen leaves are intentionally left unswept, the plane tree leaves covering the pavement complement the surrounding architecture perfectly. Treading on the leaves feels like playing a movement of an "autumn symphony," making each step noticeably lighter.

As winter approaches, this golden fairy-tale panorama may gradually fade. While the weather remains clear and pleasant, why not stroll through Changning's streets and parks? Amid the swirling fall of leaves, you can collect a warm and luminous memory, one uniquely belonging to this late autumn.

Changning kicks off year-end shopping season with festive flair

Changning District launched its Year-End & New Year Shopping Festival at the weekend. A series of exciting activities, including high-level exhibitions, pop-up ice sports, themed artistic installations, shopping surprises, and coordinated promotions across commercial districts, promise to deliver an unforgettable winter shopping experience.

The event will run through March 2026, spanning major consumption-boosting holidays such as New Year's Day, Spring Festival, and Lantern Festival. Centered around the theme of the upcoming "Year of the Horse," the diverse offerings aim to give the 2026 consumer market a strong and festive start.

Changning continues to enhance its shopping environment to attract international spending. Both the L'Avenue and Takashimaya Department Store have been recognized as "Shanghai International Friendly Shopping Malls." This year, building on existing services like tax refunds for overseas visitors (including instant refunds), multilingual shopping assistants, and luggage storage, Changning has piloted a "sealed and coded packaging" service at Takashimaya and Cloud Nine Shopping Mall. 

The district has also distributed bilingual (Chinese-English) "I Love Shopping in Changning" guidebooks promoting recommended CityWalk routes. As the year turns, international visitors can also look forward to a premium shopping experience here.

The district is further enriching its night-time consumption scene with luminous light displays, evening performances, and festive events. L'Avenue is hosting the "Winter Feast" theme event, creating an elegant yet vibrant winter atmosphere. Changning Raffles City has built an ice and snow paradise alongside a winter market, while Changning Art Park features a carousel and fireworks displays as exclusive night-time attractions for the Year of the Horse.

By leveraging special IP-driven events such as exhibitions, cultural museum displays, themed parades, and new "ice & snow+" consumption scenarios, Changning continues to attract diverse visitor flows. The Place is hosting the East China debut of the national "Wilderland" touring exhibition, featuring over 20 handcrafted art installations. The Greater Hongqiao Ice Sports Center in Hongqiao Sports Park, along with ice-skating activities at malls like Livat Shanghai and Raffles City, is boosting sports-related consumption among residents.

As the lunar new year approaches, the festive atmosphere in Changning is growing richer. More holiday decorations and artistic installations are set to debut across the district's commercial centers in the coming weeks.

Shanghai forum highlights ESG progress by foreign-invested enterprises

At the recent 2025 Shanghai Foreign-Invested Enterprises ESG Report and Case Release Conference held in Changning District, government officials, experts, and representatives from foreign-invested enterprises gathered to discuss the local practices and global coordination of sustainability disclosures by foreign companies.

Ten enterprises, including Uni-President Enterprises (China) Investment Co Ltd, received awards for the "2025 Shanghai Foreign-Invested Enterprises Outstanding ESG Reports." Eight other companies were recognized for their inclusion in the "2025 Shanghai Foreign-Invested Enterprises Outstanding ESG Cases."

To provide sustained, in-depth, and systematic support for the ESG capacity building of foreign-invested enterprises, the ESG Subcommittee for Multinational Corporate Regional Headquarters under the Shanghai Foreign Investment Association launched the Professional Committee for Foreign-Invested Enterprises ESG Reporting. Twelve ESG officials from foreign-invested enterprises were appointed as members of this committee.

During the conference, keynote speeches were delivered on topics such as "Analysis of the 2025 Shanghai Foreign-Invested Enterprises ESG Reports" and "Harmonizing International Standards and Domestic Guidelines for Sustainability Disclosures." A panel discussion followed, where guests explored the theme "How Sustainability Disclosures Can Effectively Tell the 'China Story' of Foreign-Invested Enterprises."

The Hongqiao Business District emphasized its focus on building an ESG ecosystem. By providing policy support, platform empowerment, and leveraging the exemplary role of foreign-invested enterprises, it is deeply integrating ESG principles into the development of the open hub. The ESG practices of numerous foreign companies here are being transformed into global case studies, contributing the "Hongqiao Solution" to global sustainable development.

Changning District has consistently promoted the deep integration of ESG principles into regional development by constructing policy and action frameworks, stimulating corporate innovation, and building international cooperation platforms. In the future, it will continue to act as a "partner" in ESG development, working with all stakeholders to build a green future.

Changning hosts government-business dialogue with Taiwan enterprises

Changning District held a special session of the "Best Hongqiao" Business Roundtable recently, dedicated to Taiwan-funded enterprises. 

District Director Liu Ping attended the meeting and delivered a speech, engaging with representatives from Taiwan-funded companies to strengthen friendship and discuss cooperation.

This year, to deepen government-enterprise communication and pool strength for development, Changning launched the "Best Hongqiao" International Business Roundtable. This forum marked the seventh session of the year and the first specifically focused on Taiwan-funded enterprises.

In his address, Liu expressed sincere gratitude to Taiwan-funded enterprises for their long-term contributions to Changning's economic and social development and their active role in promoting cross-strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation.

Liu said that Changning District highly values economic and trade cooperation with Taiwan and encouraged Taiwan-funded enterprises to introduce more competitive products and business models. Changning, he added, will fully leverage its geographical and policy advantages, continuously optimize the business and innovation environment, and provide Taiwan-funded enterprises with the most trustworthy, efficient, and proactive quality services.

Representatives from Taiwan-funded enterprises, including Chailease International, Synnex, and Uni-President Enterprises, provided detailed introductions of their developmental achievements across various sectors. They also put forward constructive opinions and suggestions based on their business needs. Relevant department heads addressed specific questions on-site, clarifying follow-up implementation measures and timelines.