As the Qixi Festival fell on August 19, the Xingfu Road (Happiness Road) is even sweeter than usual. Early in the morning, couples were already queuing in front of the "little pink building" of the Changning District Civil Affairs Bureau's Marriage Registration Office.Meanwhile, 12 foreign "Happiness Witnesses"—foreign friends from the "Foreigners' Storytelling Club"—came specifically to participate in Changning's "Happiness Street" themed event, and they also experienced the romance of the Chinese Valentine's Day and searching for happy stories along Happiness Road…

On August 19, the Marriage Registration Office of the Changning District Civil Affairs Bureau held a special themed event, "Lotus Breeze on Qixi Festival: Harmonious Union and Blissful Marriage." The venue was meticulously decorated with lotus flowers, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere for couples to register their marriages. At the registration window, newlyweds were presented with lotus fans, symbolizing purity, happiness, and a harmonious union. Staff members, acting as "Matchmakers," led the couples through a stamp collection challenge, attracting foreign friends to listen to the "Matchmakers" explain the Chinese legends of deities who govern marriages. 

Inside the "Blooming Flowers and Full Moon" marriage certificate hall, newlyweds solemnly recited their wedding vows, promising to stay together for life, witnessed by the "Happiness Witness" and guests. Some couples even wore traditional Chinese attire to commemorate this special moment. Ms. Peng, dressed in qipao, said that the occasion was very formal, "I chose to wear traditional qipao clothing to add to the festive atmosphere." The thoughtful decorations and romantic activities at the marriage registration center also made Ms. Peng and her partner very happy and blessed.

Foreign friends attending the ceremony experienced firsthand the solemnity and romance of a Chinese wedding ceremony. After the ceremony concluded successfully, guests warmly applauded and cheered, offering their blessings to the newlyweds. During the interactive session, the couple distributed wedding candies to the "witnesses of happiness" and guests, allowing those who had traveled from afar to experience the Chinese wedding culture of sharing joy and celebrating a happy union.

Many foreign friends said that they witnessed many Chinese-style ceremonies and customs during the event, which not only left the newlyweds with many beautiful memories but also left a deep impression on them. "I really like it here and the whole ceremony, I like the colors and flowers, everything is beautiful, and I also saw the newlyweds wearing beautiful clothes, which were very charming," said Melissa, a foreign student. She added that although she has only been in China for two weeks, she has seen many beautiful love stories and felt a different kind of romance.

"Today is the Qixi Festival, and this is the perfect place to witness love," Robert from Romania said that Changning District has many beautiful landmarks that attract millions of tourists every year. Changning District has also been committed to bringing the public closer to public service institutions. For example, the marriage registration office of Changning District Civil Affairs Bureau has been made very approachable. He hopes that more young people can incorporate it into their beautiful love stories.

Since the Changning District Civil Affairs Bureau Marriage Registration Office moved to its new address at No. 50 Xingfu Road on New Year's Day 2026, as of July, 8,337 couples have registered for marriage in the district, including 2,932 couples who registered nationwide. The total number of registrations increased by 26% year-on-year, with couples from other provinces and cities accounting for 35%. The total number of registrations ranks third in the city and first among central urban districts. The number of marriage registrations involving foreigners, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese also ranks first in the city.

During the Qixi event, the foreign friends continued their stroll through the Happiness Street: at the "M+ Happiness Lane" market, artisans demonstrated the craft of making embroidered balls, an intangible cultural heritage, and explained the cultural significance behind this traditional Chinese token of love; at Shangsheng Xinsuo, they experienced the fun of pizza DIY and perfume appreciation, feeling the fusion of urban life and historical heritage in the renovated urban space.

Hong Seok-kyung, a South Korean friend, said that many South Koreans may be more familiar with Yu Garden, the Bund and Gubei in Changning. "After experiencing it here today, I will recommend it to my friends and encourage them to visit Xingfu Road and Shangsheng Xinsuo to experience more of Changning's unique features and charm."

“When I was in school, I used to sit in these shops doing my homework, and I also went on dates on Happiness Road. I’ve also witnessed the changes here.” Serbian Filip has lived in Shanghai for 21 years and has very deep memories of Happiness Road. He can’t hide his love for the neighborhood. He also recommends to friends who like to take walks that they can start from Happiness Street and walk all the way to the Bund under the shade of plane trees, which is a very pleasant thing.

The event invited 12 foreign nationals from seven Eurasian countries—Germany, France, Serbia, Russia, and South Korea—who are knowledgeable about China and friendly towards Shanghai, to participate. It attracted news coverage from 13 central and local media outlets, including CCTV, China Daily, Shanghai Observer, Jiefang Daily, Wenhui Daily, Xinmin Evening News, and Shanghai Daily. 

In recent years, Changning District has linked distinctive neighbourhoods such as Xingfu Road, Xinhua Road and Panyu Road into a cohesive area. Cultural landmarks including the Shanghai Film City, Columbia Circle and the László Hucec architecture in the neighbourhood have infused the "Happiness Neighbourhood" with the artistic flair of Shanghai’s unique cultural style, transforming it into a new landmark in the city for everything from marriage registration to romantic photo opportunities, cultural leisure and fashionable shopping. Changning is striving to become a "starting point for a happy life and a new neighbourhood enjoyed by all ages", elevating the district’s image to that of a symbol of happiness, boosting the neighbourhood’s capabilities to support happiness-oriented consumption, and propelling the district’s development towards vibrancy and fashion, thereby creating a new space in the modern metropolis where happiness can be experienced. The spatial planning of the "Happiness Neighbourhood" adheres to a trinity of "form, character and ecology", drawing on existing resources such as the road network, commercial districts, green spaces and heritage areas to construct a spatial development framework characterised by comprehensive coordination, complementary functions and distinctive features.