Recently, the second “Vibrancy IN Hongqiao” International Community Festival for a Better Life opened with warmth at the sunken plaza of Golden City Road Pedestrian Street. Chinese and foreign residents of Hongqiao Subdistrict, along with students and teachers from international schools, gathered to launch this annual international community celebration, where different civilizations meet and blend, and where a better life takes root in this international community.

Building on the “community, family, school” trinity foundation of the first festival, this year’s event has been expanded and deepened, connecting municipal cultural venues, core commercial resources, and community residents. With the coordinated participation of six sectors – culture, commerce, tourism, sports, exhibitions, and green spaces – the festival aims to create a community celebration that is more international, vibrant, and integrated.

The brilliant performances at the opening ceremony vividly showcased the international character of Hongqiao Subdistrict. Children from various countries at the Shanghai Hong Qiao International School performed together on stage. Among them, the “Earth Man Show” and an eco-friendly runway show, jointly presented by Chinese and international students, creatively responded to the theme of Earth Day. The children transformed old clothes into delicate costumes and used body language to convey the message of green and low-carbon living, vividly demonstrating the youthful energy and sense of responsibility among adolescents in the international community.

“We are so happy to host this event every year here on the golden street. It’s great to see people from so many backgrounds coming here together to celebrate our beautiful planet,” said the excited HQIS Upper School Principal Tomasz Talarczy.

“It’s nice to see the kids upcycling their costumes. I think that’s a really nice touch. It’s a great day,” said an expatriate resident watching the children perform on stage with satisfaction.

On the opening day, Golden City Road transformed into an open and inclusive “urban living room.” The International Cultural Exchange Market and the Better Life Market, launched simultaneously, drew large crowds and became another beautiful landmark showcasing the international character of Hongqiao.

On the plaza, residents from around the world stopped to chat, immersed themselves in traditional cultural handicrafts, and made new friends. Different languages and cultures intertwined, painting a vibrant picture of a diverse yet harmonious international community life.

“We are sharing Canada tattoos. We’ve got a lovely scenery, we’ve got our lovely map,” Canadian vendor Jeff enthusiastically told reporters.

“You can make a bird, a red thighed Robin or a puffin. They are all endangered birds of the UK. Birds habitats are just as important as our homes, so we should create spaces for birds to survive the animals that are endangered,” shared Matthew, a vendor from the UK.

As one of Shanghai’s earliest windows to reform and opening up, Hongqiao Subdistrict covers about 4.08 square kilometers and is home to expatriates from over 50 countries and regions. It boasts high-quality cultural venues such as the Cheng Shifa Art Gallery of Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, Shanghai Oil Painting & Sculpture Institute, Shanghai International Dance Center, and Shanghai Children’s Museum, as well as core commercial entities like Takashimaya Department Store.

To build a new platform for multi-party collaboration and the integration of culture and commerce, and to bridge the “last kilometer” of delivering public cultural services to the community, the “Vibrancy IN Hongqiao” International Community Better Life Service Alliance was established at the event. This enables residents to conveniently enjoy high-quality cultural life right at their doorstep, while also injecting new vitality into the “15-minute convenient life circle” consumption, injecting new momentum into the upgrading of local businesses, and achieving simultaneous development of cultural benefits and commercial empowerment.

Released alongside the service alliance was the Hongqiao Subdistrict “15-Minute Reading Life Circle Map” and the 2.0 version of the “15-Minute Convenient Life Circle,” which integrates reading and convenient services into residents’ daily lives. This is the city’s first “15-minute reading life circle.”

On the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day on April 23, Dayin Bookstore donated public welfare books to reading spots in the subdistrict, using books as a medium to convey the warmth and power of reading.

From full coverage of high-quality cultural resources to the detailed implementation of convenient services, these outcomes together create a “culture at the doorstep, convenience around the corner” better-life scenario for community residents. This not only continuously enhances the sense of well-being of local residents but also gives expatriate residents a sense of belonging in their daily lives, vividly illustrating the distinctive traits of Hongqiao International Community: “openness, inclusiveness, diversity, and harmony.”

The International Community Festival for a Better Life will run for two months, featuring nine major thematic activities: the opening celebration “Invigoration,” “Nature” (green and eco-themed), “Trip” (reading journey), “Elite” (gathering talent), “Growth” (child development), “Reflection” (international exhibitions), “Action” (commercial street fun), “Tennis” (sports vitality), “Interaction” (culture-commerce integration), and “Opinion” (community dialogue), concluding with the closing exchange “Nexus.”

Notably, the English initial letters of the eleven events spell out the festival’s theme: “Integration,” reflecting the “melting of hearts” in the international community and mirroring the “great integration” of the world.

A head of Hongqiao Subdistrict said that the subdistrict will take this festival as an opportunity to continue deepening the construction of an international community collective. Guided by efficient governance, it will continue to integrate high-quality resources in culture, commerce, education, ecology, and more, constantly enriching the cultural and spiritual life of Chinese and foreign residents, enhancing regional consumption experiences, and promoting cross-cultural exchange and mutual learning.

Leaders and representatives from the District Education Bureau, District Culture and Tourism Bureau, District Landscaping and City Appearance Bureau, Hongqiao Subdistrict, Cheng Shifa Art Gallery of Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, Shanghai Oil Painting & Sculpture Institute, Shanghai Children’s Museum, Takashimaya, Dayin Bookstore, Hong Qiao International School, and other departments, cultural venues, enterprises, and schools attended the event.