Longemont Shopping Mall energizes Changning's vibrant nighttime consumption ecosystem

As night falls, Changning District's nightlife comes alive at Longemont Shopping Mall.

The 320,000 square meter complex in the Zhongshan Park business district has become a popular destination after work, blending live stage performances, late night dining, fitness services and entertainment to fuel local nighttime consumption vitality.

The Longemont Night Market Stage, a self-developed night economy IP, serves as the core highlight of the mall's evening revival. Running every Tuesday through Sunday starting at 6:30pm, the open stage welcomes all amateur singers with no threshold restrictions. Visitors and residents can sign up freely to perform and compete in daily and weekly contests. Daily and weekly champions win dining vouchers, family travel packages and exclusive gifts, encouraging public participation and community interaction.

Performers include retirees, young office workers, delivery workers, and parents, who present diverse nightly shows. Crowds sing together, forming a warm community atmosphere rarely seen in commercial areas.

Launched in late April, the public stage has attracted more than 500 citizen performers. Many participants travel from other districts and cities to join the inclusive events. The official Douyin account has surpassed 111,000 followers, building strong online and offline convergence. The mall plans to add robot shows, holiday special sessions, parent child performances and exclusive promotions to enrich future stage programs.

Late night dining anchors the mall's booming evening consumption atmosphere. Kao Master, one of China's signature late night barbecue brands, operates from 10am to 5am the next day, covering dinner, supper and midnight dining demands. Its signature spicy fish, grilled skewers and specialty fruit wine balance rich flavors for summer nights. The restaurant offers unlimited German wheat beer for a fixed price and hosts nightly song guessing games, offering diners shared music experiences.

The mall has gathered 22 extended hour brands, which build a full cycle night consumption system covering dinner, late night snacks and midnight leisure.

Dining options feature diversified all night catering services. Popular outlets operate until 5am. Hot pot chains including Haidilao and Zuotingyouyuan extend evening business hours.  

Entertainment facilities also support overnight lifestyles. Karaoke bars and cinemas provide extended night sessions catering to young people's social demands.

To optimize nighttime experience, the shopping center sets up independent night entrances, exclusive elevators with dedicated security and cleaning services. Free parking is available from 10pm to 4am, reducing travel cost for night consumers.

Shoppers said dedicated passages, fast access elevators and free night parking greatly enhance comfort and convenience, making night outings more appealing.

Li Jiajun, deputy general manager of the mall, said the mall will further strengthen core night economy sectors such as night market, performances, people friendly services, and all-night leisure.

The management team will scientifically adjust business hours based on passenger flow, traffic conditions and business operation status. Future upgrades include expanded late night dining categories, improved night lighting, and more pop-up events. The center aims to build a more convenient and lively night consumption ecosystem for Changning District.

Expat residents share visions for Shanghai development at Changning roundtable

About 20 foreign residents offered diverse international insights and practical suggestions for Shanghai's high-quality development during the "Ideas for Shanghai" roundtable on July 14.

The event gathered entrepreneurs, media staff, entrepreneurs and international students. Participants shifted their roles as city observers to active contributors, sharing thoughts on business environment optimization, public service improvement and cultural tourism upgrading.

Many expats described Shanghai as an inclusive, efficient and vibrant second hometown. They praised the city's convenient transportation, orderly fast-paced lifestyle, strong international atmosphere and mature digital consumption systems. Foreign attendees noted abundant development opportunities, rich culinary resources and high cultural tolerance as core strengths of the metropolis.

Participants put forward targeted proposals covering urban governance, cultural communication, industrial development and regional cooperation.

Some suggested establishing expatriate volunteer teams to support community governance and promote revolutionary culture overseas. The move aims to build a distinctive Shanghai cultural brand with global communication advantages.

Others proposed upgrading local cultural tourism quality, strengthening top tier international sports events and launching integrated packages for culture, tourism, sports and exhibition industries. They expect major sporting events to drive consumption and showcase the city's dynamic urban vitality.

For corporate growth, participants recommended cross regional policy coordination under the Yangtze River Delta integration framework. They advocated standardized recognition for new apprenticeship programs and other enterprise supportive policies to lower operational barriers.

The roundtable built a direct communication channel between foreign residents and local government authorities. Officials listened carefully to onsite suggestions, responded to key proposals and pledged to continuously optimize foreign related policies and supporting services. Authorities will help more international talents settle, thrive and develop careers in Shanghai.

A new suggestion collection liaison point for expats was launched at Gubei Community Service Center during the event. The platform expands channels for foreign residents to voice opinions and enriches international exchange mechanism.

Attendees recognized Shanghai as an open and dynamic global city. They committed to serving as bridges for international exchanges and contributing wisdom to urban development.

New consumer innovation contest fuels Changning's fashion, retail upgrade

A national competition designed to boost innovative Chinese consumer goods was unveiled at the Changning Hongqiao Business Service Center on July 15, adding a fresh growth engine to Changning District's fashion and consumption economy.

The 2026 China Famous Consumer Goods Industry Innovation Contest is jointly organized by the China Center for Information Industry Development and the Changning District Commerce Commission. The competition runs from October to December this year.

Centering on AI-driven innovation in consumer goods manufacturing, the contest sets three core tracks - product innovation, technological breakthrough and new consumption scenarios.

The product innovation track targets public well-being and consumption expansion. It covers national trendy fashion, child and youth growth supplies, student health products, elderly care goods and sportswear. Judges will assess innovative items with advanced technology, superior user experience and strong market potential.

The technological breakthrough track addresses key industrial pain points by building a digital and intelligent foundation for industrial transformation. It seeks practical digital transformation solutions for cosmetics, textiles and apparel, modern food and smart home sectors that deliver efficient process upgrades, cost reduction and low-carbon development.

The new consumption scenario track connects production, logistics and end consumption to balance supply and demand. It spotlights replicable consumption models across five categories including platform-based shopping, shared consumption, health and wellness spending, sports consumption and retail.

Awards include 10 first prizes, 20 second prizes and 30 third prizes, alongside multiple outstanding organization awards. Winning entries will enjoy investment and financing matchmaking, joint research opportunities, startup incubation, industrial event access and multi-channel brand promotion.

AI agents are integrated into the competition's core evaluation criteria. Contest entries leveraging intelligent agents for national trend fashion design, personalized cosmetics R&D and flexible textile manufacturing will receive priority consideration. Judges will evaluate AI applications based on design, formula development and quality control.

As a key zone supporting Shanghai's global consumer city development, Changning boasts robust fashion industry resources powered by the Hongqiao International Open Hub. More than 200 fashion brands operate within the area alongside comprehensive industrial complexes. Kicking off the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Changning released its three-year action plan which optimizes consumption spaces, completes industrial chains and strengthens the local business ecosystem across six major consumer sectors to solidify the "Fashion Changning" regional brand.

Changning offers streamlined business services and cross-border development policies to enterprises leveraging Hongqiao's preferential framework. The district will fully open local industrial spaces, mobilize resources and deliver full-cycle support for contest winners. Support includes landmark venues for product debut pop-up, office spaces, matched financing and supply chain resources, talent housing subsidies and one-stop overseas expansion services via the Hongqiao Overseas Development Service Center and its 15-minute international service network.

Changning kicks off summer night economy campaign with opening of new commercial landmark

Changning District launched its full-scale summer nighttime consumption campaign "Shining Changning-BestNight" with a lighting ceremony at the newly completed Crystal Bridge commercial complex on July 16, rolling out the district's 2026 summer night economy initiative.

The event forms a core component of the annual Shanghai Summer International Consumption Season. Changning integrates culture, commerce, tourism, sports, exhibitions and green spaces to revamp consumption venues across the district, delivering diverse all-night experiences covering dining, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment for local residents and tourists from home and abroad. 

As the ceremony's activation sphere lit up, Changning unveiled its "Shining Changning-BestNight" official night economy brand. The campaign centers on four core activity tracks abbreviated as "Best," referring to Buy, Eat, Show and Tour. It connects 10 blocks across four major commercial clusters — Zhongshan Park, Hongqiao-Gubei, Linkong and Xinhua, and leverages Changning's strengths as a high-quality consumption zone in Shanghai's international consumption hub to boost after-dark spending and draw domestic and global shoppers.

B-Shining Buy: Nighttime shopping promotions

A late-night dining coupon program runs every Friday through Sunday from 6pm to 11:59pm between July 10 and July 26. Shoppers who pay via Alipay's Tap & Pay function at designated restaurants receive tiered discounts, with maximum discounts reaching 25 percent. Nearly 70 local catering venues are included, ranging from street food stalls and global cuisine outlets to neighborhood eateries.

E-Shining Eat: Diverse late-night food hubs

Permanent night markets are opened in summer time in the district. Longemont Shopping Mall extends operating hours for some dining brands until early morning. Crystal Bridge and Bailian Xijiao Shopping Center host themed evening bazaars, while Columbia Circle, M+ Xingfuli, Yuyuan Road and Wuyi Road have rolled out limited night-only market activities.

S-Shining Show: Live performances and entertainment

C•Park at Haisu Cultural Square houses multiple music clubs that host regular themed performances. Longemont's open-air night market stage holds weekly singing contests with live online streaming. Bailian Xijiao has launched a neighborhood entertainment IP featuring summer open mic nights, outdoor movie screenings and sports-themed evening fairs.

T-Shining Tour: Immersive evening sightseeing

M+ Xingfuli, upgraded through urban renewal, is home to Shanghai's first Fooknock department store with scenic pedestrian streets at every turn. Changning Raffles City features a sprawling outdoor lawn for its urban micro-vacation zone. Every Saturday evening this summer, Shanghai Zoo partners with Shanghai Museum to host "On Top of the World Tree: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas," offering a unique after-hours wildlife and cultural event.

Changning also released a new round of "Shining Night" discount vouchers valid between July 31 and August 20. Visitors receive instant rebates via Alipay Tap & Pay after watching movies, attending sports events or visiting parks. Coupons apply to dining and domestic fashion retail with three tiers.

Rather than simply distributing subsidies, Changning links sightseeing, shopping and dining to create seamless one-stop evening itineraries and drive traffic back to local malls. All major district commercial zones have extended business hours for the campaign.

Changning will amplify cross-industry events including the women's half marathon, table tennis carnival, international flower festival, light art festival, international film festival and Hongqiao Carnival.

WAIC low-altitude economy forum held in Changning to boost AI-enabled industrial integration

The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference Low-Altitude Economy Forum was held in Changning District on July 18 to advance integrated innovation between artificial intelligence and the low-altitude economy across the Yangtze River Delta region.

The event leveraged WAIC's high-level platform resources and brought together government authorities, enterprises, research institutions and users to promote mutual empowerment between AI and low-altitude industries. The forum aimed to integrate innovation industrial talent and application chains and support Shanghai's construction of a globally influential low-altitude economy demonstration zone. It also drove coordinated industrial development across the Yangtze River Delta.

Yang Zhenbin, Party Secretary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said Shanghai Jiao Tong University is accelerating strategic layout in the low-altitude economy. The university supports advanced manufacturing cluster development and builds a multi-level talent training system.

It develops industry-education integration platforms for low-altitude technological engineering and advances core technology research advanced equipment development and full-performance verification. The university strengthens talent cultivation technological innovation achievement transformation and industrial services for the low-altitude sector.

Changning features solid industrial foundations and unique advantages in the low-altitude economy. The district adheres to coordinated development of high and low altitude hardware and software. It focuses on digital intelligence and platform empowerment. Changning prioritizes low-altitude services including airworthiness verification research and design operation management and intelligent connectivity. The district will deepen industrial cooperation with Hongqiao and delta-wide regions to advance high-quality low-altitude economic growth.

The forum launched three key municipal initiatives. Officials kicked off the construction of Shanghai's eVTOL advanced manufacturing cluster covering Changning, Jinshan, Minhang, Pudong and Qingpu. A new national industry-education integration innovation platform for low-altitude technology engineering was unveiled to support original and disruptive technological breakthroughs.

Shanghai's customized low-altitude economy application scenario map was also released, focusing on urban governance, industrial operation, low-altitude transportation and commercial consumption.

Industry experts and enterprise leaders delivered keynote speeches and participated in roundtable discussions covering AI-powered low-altitude perception, precise navigation, low-orbit satellite internet and industrialization challenges for new-generation aircraft.

As a core carrier for Shanghai's low-altitude economy, Changning pioneered the Hongqiao International Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Park. The expanded park covers 23,000 square meters. Key municipal platforms including the Shanghai Low-Altitude Flight Service Center and Shanghai Low-Altitude Economy Chamber settled in the district.

Changning will further expand low-altitude service industries and support Shanghai's goal of building a world-class "sky city" with international industrial competitiveness.