Golden moments: Month-long ginkgo festival bridges culture and community

During the month-long 6th Huangjinchengdao Ginkgo Art and Life Festival which concluded recently, Hongqiao Subdistrict organized nine immersive themed events, allowing both Chinese and international residents to encounter art and experience warmth among the golden ginkgo leaves.

“This is my third time attending the ginkgo festival. This year’s digital art micro-exhibition was especially interesting, using AI to blend ginkgo elements with Gubei’s architecture and breathing new life into the old neighborhood!” said Ms. Wang, a resident of Gubei Community, holding her own digital artwork with delight.

During the festival, at the "Shanghai-style Neighborhood Intangible Cultural Heritage Dialogue" session, participants incorporated the delicate beauty of golden ginkgo leaves into paper-cutting art. Under the ginkgo trees, painting enthusiasts, guided by professional artists, captured the golden scenery with their brushes. In the digital art exhibition area, AI technology transformed the traditional neighborhood with a futuristic glow.

Under the ginkgo trees, interactive musical parades by international bands became a lively part of the streetscape. A resident from South Korea paused with his family to listen to a brass band performance.

“The music and the golden ginkgo leaves made us feel the warmth of the community. Even with language differences, joy is something we all share,” he said

The influence of the ginkgo festival also extended to more corners of the city through collaborations with the metro system. Lightbox displays at Yili Road Station on Metro Line 10 helped build anticipation ahead of the festival. A midday flash concert at Exit 4 of Yili Road Station added an artistic surprise to busy afternoons.

An officer from Hongqiao Subdistrict said that in the future, they will continue to deepen the integration of cultural branding with community-level governance and regional economic development, allowing more residents to experience the beauty of culture and life right in their neighborhoods.

Landmark ‘Rhythmic Oasis’ business complex completed in Hongqiao CBD

IBP Hongqiao Upper Town, located at the intersection of Beidi Road and Xiehe Road, has been completed, marking the addition of another commercial landmark in Changning District.

As a key project within the Hongqiao International Central Business District, the architectural design of Hongqiao Upper Town achieves a perfect fusion of visual appeal and ecology. The project features a cohesive building facade stretching about 1,050 meters, which, under the interplay of light and shadow, creates a visual effect of flowing water and shimmering ripples, giving concrete form to the "Rhythmic Oasis" design concept.

Nearly 20,000 square meters of gardens offer a refreshing experience, while diverse spaces such as aerial walkways, sunken courtyards, and framed view balconies seamlessly integrate nature into daily life. A green corridor exceeding 1 kilometer in length showcases seasonal changes in foliage, with an embedded running track allowing business professionals to relax and exercise.

Developed by the New Changning Group, this ecological business complex integrates headquarters offices, scientific research and innovation, a cultural and sports center, and diverse commercial functions. The total area of this business garden is approximately 450,000 square meters, comprising three research buildings, eight office buildings, one exhibition hall, and a nearly 6,000-square-meter cultural and sports center.

The cultural and sports center is functionally rich: floors 1–2 house a multi-purpose venue supporting various sports like basketball and badminton, as well as hosting sports training, IP events, and art exhibitions. The city reception hall on the third floor caters to diverse business scenarios.

The project has taken the lead to adopt both the WELL Community Platinum certification and China's Three-Star Green Building certification, systematically building a healthy, comfortable, and efficient sustainable office environment.

Strategically located in the core area of the Hongqiao gateway, Hongqiao Upper Town is surrounded by a cluster of over 20 Fortune Global 500 headquarters, more than 30 regional headquarters, and over 20 R&D centers.

Eco-friendly Yaohua Garden opens to enhance Hongqiao community life

The newly constructed Yaohua Garden opened to the public on New Year's Day, integrating magnolia culture, ecological education, and an all-ages-friendly concept.

As a key ecological amenity in the eastern part of the Hongqiao Business District, Yaohua Garden will further enrich the area's "15-minute community life circle."

Located south of the Zhoujiabang River, west of the Outer Ring West River, and north of the service road of Xianxia Road W., the park covers a total area of 14,185 square meters. Centered on the design philosophy of "magnolia theme + all-ages experience + ecological interaction," it features seven distinct landscape nodes including the Magnolia Square, a leisurely walking loop, a therapeutic loop, a vitality loop, and an artistic grass slope. These spaces cater to the recreational needs of residents across all age groups. 

The park seamlessly connects with the Outer Ring Greenway, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to easily enter with just a turn, enabling a fluid transition between the urban green network and the community garden.

The Magnolia Square, situated in the core southeastern area, uses botanical landscaping as its foundation, complemented by magnolia-themed pavement and wall paintings. A vibrant, naturally-inspired greenway runs throughout the park, not only meeting the needs for running and cycling but also featuring rain gardens and interactive educational installations that allow visitors to learn about ecology while exercising. A flexible activity space on the park's north side provides a venue for community events like markets and performances.

Address:

788 Xianxia Road W. (accessible from the Xianxia Road W. entrance of the Outer Ring Ecological Greenway).

Changning District rings in new year with fitness event

Changning District ushered in the new year with a large-scale public fitness event centered on a "New Year Walk." The activity, integrated with various mass sports competitions, attracted over 2,000 participants.

The event also served as a showcase of the district's sporting achievements in 2025. At the 15th National Games, athletes from Changning secured an impressive haul of three gold, four silver, and two bronze medals. Furthermore, the district hosted major sporting events such as the China Squash Open and the 2025 Shanghai Women's Half Marathon. This synergy between competitive sports and public fitness has significantly boosted local enthusiasm for sports participation.

Beyond promoting health, the event aimed to foster integrated development across commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and ecology initiatives. It collaborated with five major commercial complexes, including Jinhongqiao, The Place, and Huijin Department Store, involving nearly 550 merchants. These partners offered special discounts spanning dining, retail, and other sectors, effectively leveraging the fitness campaign to stimulate local consumption.

Changning sees robust holiday consumer spending during New Year's Day period

Changning District launched a series of promotional campaigns during the 2026 New Year's Day holiday, achieving impressive holiday consumption figures.

According to monitoring by the Consumption Market Big Data Lab (Shanghai), offline consumption in Changning during the holiday period (January 1-2) increased by 5.8 percent year-on-year. Notably, catering industry spending surged by 54.3 percent.

Benefiting from both the holiday season and its 20th-anniversary celebrations, the Cloud Nine Shopping Center reported a 20 percent year-on-year sales increase on New Year's Day.

Multiple commercial venues created a dazzling and romantic night-time atmosphere with large-scale lighting installations and decorative displays themed around the "Year of the Horse" and "ice and snow." 

Raffles City Changning featured a circus-themed creative setup, hosting a winter market, a snow carnival, as well as interactive experiences like puppet parades and simulated snowfall. 

The L’Avenue, under the "Winter Gala" theme, presented new year concerts and dance parties. The Jinhongqiao Mall transformed into an "Apple Town," offering an apple-themed market, magic bubble shows, and cheerful parades for a fairy-tale experience. 

Livat Shanghai recreated a European winter village, hosting a Nordic-themed market and setting up a winter dream ice rink. The Changning Art Park built an immersive light scene with 10 limited-time themed installations for a dreamy winter vibe. 

The Place hosted the East China debut of the "Land of Wilderness" national touring exhibition, showcasing over 20 handmade art installations, with special romantic snowfall and bubble effects during designated times, attracting over 45,000 visitors on New Year's Eve.

Meanwhile, Changning District focused on enhancing its international consumption environment to attract inbound spending. It optimized convenience measures across key business districts, including tax refund for overseas tourists, instant refund upon purchase, multilingual shopping assistants, and luggage storage services. Pioneering services like "sealing and coding" for purchased goods were tried at Takashimaya and Cloud Nine, significantly improving payment convenience and the overall shopping experience for international visitors.