Moments in October丨Shanghai Daily & JING'AN News

During the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from October 1-8, cultural and commercial events in Jing’an District drew huge crowds and boosted visitor traffic.

Daily foot traffic in Jing’an’s three main commercial zones surpassed one million, while 35 key retail enterprises reported a 22.87 percent year-on-year increase in sales. Over five million tourists visited the district, up 13 percent from last year. Star-rated hotels reached 80.16 percent average occupancy, with international guests making up 33.59 percent. 

About 377,600 visitors, a 30 percent year-on-year rise, visited local attractions.

The district’s night consumption vouchers were particularly popular, with a redemption rate of nearly 70 percent, generating roughly 2.3 times their value in spending. Live musical shows at Zhangyuan Garden attracted 60,000 visitors daily, including 23,000 at night. The Wujiang Road–Fengshengli area and Maoming Road N. weekend-and-holiday-only pedestrian street were transformed into the "Tipsy Night Alley."

At Jing’an Joy City, the "Night Food Rooftop," combining dining, live music and a rooftop Ferris wheel, saw total sales exceed 80 million yuan (US$11.23 million), with peak daily foot traffic reaching 114,000 visitors.

On September 29, Jing’an launched the city’s first platform linking culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions, featuring real-time data tracking and cross-sector integration. Simultaneously, the "Jing’an GO" wristband was introduced, enabling visitors to unlock the district’s experiences with a single device.

Jing’an launched the 2025 Shanghai International Trendy Sports Festival on October 4, spanning seven consecutive weekends through November 16. Events across major commercial hubs offered residents a blend of high-energy competitions, music and lifestyle experiences.

The festival centerpiece, the 2025 Asian University 3x3 Basketball Championship and Shanghai University 3x3 Basketball League opener, took place October 24–26 at Daning Park, hosting 28 university teams from China and abroad. The first Jing’an Street 3x3 Basketball Tournament ran from October 4 to November 2 across key commercial areas, with 96 teams and nearly 500 participants, creating a citywide grassroots basketball platform.

The festival also explored crossovers between sports and culture. On October 11–12, Suhewan MixC World hosted an anime-themed sports music festival with virtual idols, popular streamers and a live orchestra performing sports animation classics.

On October 2, the 2025 Head of Shanghai River Regatta took place along Suzhou Creek, spanning 4.2 kilometers. About 80 percent of the race ran through Jing’an, showcasing landmarks such as Sihang Warehouse, Jing’an International Center and Suhewan Center. 

From October 1-28, Zhangyuan hosted a Yonex pop-up store and a tennis-themed activation on Maoming Road N., translating professional tennis techniques into interactive experiences.

Later in the month, a tug-of-war event will run along the Suzhou Creek waterfront (October 27–31), followed by the "Hot Pets" festival on November 1–2, combining pet-friendly sports, evening runs and a pet market.

Jing’an hosted over 800 performances spanning opera, circus, comedy and tech-driven shows, drawing 90,000 attendees and generating well over 20 million yuan (US$2.8 million) in ticket sales. The large-scale outdoor symphonic and choral concert "Carmina Burana" at the Shanghai Exhibition Center opened the 24th China Shanghai International Arts Festival, attracting 2,400 on-site viewers and 130,000 online. Shanghai Circus World celebrated the 20th anniversary of its multimedia spectacle "Era."

Venues across Jing’an, including the Majestic Theatre, Shanghai Natural History Museum and Fotografiska Shanghai, welcomed domestic and international visitors, with museum attendance rising over 20 percent during the holiday.

Catering to younger audiences, the district promoted the ACG (animation, comics, and games) economy. At Jing’an Joy City, 13 pop-ups and more than 15 IP activations drew 730,000 visitors and generated over 10 million yuan in sales.

On October 10, Jing'an kicked off its "Fashion Consumption Season" alongside the 2026 Spring/Summer Shanghai Fashion Week, spotlighting emerging local brands and integrating technology, art, culture, and sustainability.

The LABELHOOD Pioneer Fashion & Arts Festival debuted along Suzhou Creek with over 10 Chinese designers presenting their 2026 spring/summer collections. Local label SHUSHU/TONG marked its tenth anniversary with a headline show.

Designer trade shows enabled local brands to transition from concept to market. TUBE SHOWROOM highlighted seasonal collections from cutting-edge designers, while NOT SHOWROOM and LAB SHOWROOM offered immersive experiences blending street energy and historical context.

Harrods' "From London to Shanghai, A Celebration of Two Global Cities" showcased Chinese designers to international audiences, while Yongyuan Road debuted the "Fashion Weekend," featuring brands such as ATTEMPT, Sagrada Madre and FOREVER 21.

"The Louis" acted as a key anchor during the holiday period. Nearby HKRI Taikoo Hui recorded foot traffic and sales increases of nearly 70 percent, while Zhangyuan and Wang Jia Sha posted sales growth of 43.67 percent and 46.14 percent, respectively.

Malls marked the holidays with anniversary celebrations and promotions. Plaza 66 offered triple points on purchases, Jing'an Kerry Center celebrated its 12th anniversary with lifestyle installations, the inaugural "JAKC 2025 Photography Contest," and the East China debut of Barbie, while Jiuguang Department Store marked its 21st anniversary with festival gift packs sold online and offline. HKRI Taikoo Hui's "Dare for More Dare to Art" season blended art and trend elements into commercial spaces, appealing to visitors of all ages.

The "Shining Shanghai" 2025 Jing'an Light Festival ran from September 29 to October 8, illuminating the Nanjing Road W. and Suhewan commercial districts.

The event helped boost overall sales by 4.78 percent on Nanjing Road W., while Suhewan saw a remarkable 119.35 percent jump, with Suhewan MixC World reporting double-digit growth in both foot traffic and revenue.

Holographic lights along Nanjing Road W. and Changde Road turned the cool autumn streets into a shimmering galaxy. Amid the city's bustle, visitors could slow down, wander through glowing corners, and capture Instagram-worthy moments in the radiant urban landscape.

A light show at Jing'an Park based on Dunhuang reimagined the old Silk Road. Inside an immersive pop-up, a scale model of Cave 220 from the Mogao Grottoes set the stage for large-scale light projections, music and dance. Dancers in flowing Dunhuang costumes performed before shifting wall projections, where color, rhythm and melody intertwined — as if celestial musicians had stepped straight out of the murals and into modern Shanghai.

Along Suzhou Creek, 20 standout works from this year's International Light Art Open Call were on display. The competition drew 154 submissions from 145 artists across 32 countries, over half of whom had previously won awards at major festivals.

The light show "Illuminated Canvases" brought classic paintings to life, immersing visitors in the lavish brilliance of Gustav Klimt and Henri Rousseau's tropical visions. Another installation, "Drifting Lights," used light as a vessel to explore fantastical interpretations of "home," from forests and fields to oceans and skies.

The fitness trail at Suhewan Central Park became the "Autumn Leaves Light Avenue," with ground projections, historic building projections, bubble machines, and Snoopy-themed lights from "Peanuts," creating lively nighttime city walks.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Bai Chong-En, Chair of the GAMF Executive Committee, explored how artificial intelligence and digital technology are transforming financial services and wealth management, highlighting key drivers of innovation in the sector.

The Shanghai AI-FI Laboratory, a research hub integrating AI with finance, was launched at the forum. The lab aims to address challenges in AI-driven financial services, promote technological innovation and speed up real-world applications, highlighting Shanghai's growing role as a leader in fintech.

In its sixth year, the forum has become a leading platform showcasing Jing'an's financial openness and innovation. In the first half of 2025, the district generated 28.817 billion yuan (US$ 4.05 billion) in financial services value, ranking among Shanghai's top districts.

Since the start of this year, several major financial and asset management firms have completed registrations or expansions in Jing'an. Private equity firms owned by VanEck Associates Corporation and True Light Capital have finalized their private fund manager registrations in the district.

China's third Sino-foreign joint wealth management company, Schroders BOCOM Wealth, and AllianceBernstein Fund, the fifth foreign-managed public fund approved nationwide, have each completed a new round of capital injections this year.

Jing'an has also become the headquarters of Guotai Haitong Securities, formed through the merger of Guotai Junan Securities and Haitong Securities. The deal, considered one of China's most complex A+H share restructuring cases, has propelled Guotai Haitong to the top of the domestic market in terms of total and net assets.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan, Jing'an aims to expand the forum's influence, strengthen its international and specialized financial ecosystem, and accelerate its development as a global asset management hub and digital finance benchmark.

Jing'an has launched Jing'an Global Connect, a multi-functional service hub designed to assist foreign professionals and global enterprises. The center combines physical office space with a digital platform, providing comprehensive administrative, business and lifestyle support under one roof.

The facility spans around 5,000 square meters across the first, sixth and seventh floors at 1600 Nanjing Road W., in the Jing'ansi commercial district, with three subway lines nearby. Its proximity to Shanghai's airport city terminal enhances accessibility for international visitors.

The center's design emphasizes comfort, flexibility and shared services, creating a "living room" atmosphere for meetings, discussions and networking. Foldable and reconfigurable multi-purpose spaces accommodate a wide range of activities, including business negotiations, project presentations, industry forums, cultural salons and service coordination. All signage is bilingual, and multilingual staff are on hand to assist visitors.

The first floor features 24-hour self-service kiosks for tasks such as tax refunds, currency exchange and mobile communications. Upper floors consolidate government and lifestyle services under a single access point.

Jing'an Global Connect provides services for foreign professionals, including work permits, visa facilitation, policy guidance and lifestyle support.

For both domestic and international talent, the center offers career guidance, relocation assistance and tailored services.

Companies seeking to expand overseas can access consulting on international operations, investment approvals and business development through the "Global Service Provider Program," which brings together over 100 specialized international service providers.

The hub also offers targeted service packages for groups such as foreign residents, students, overseas entrepreneurs and high-skilled talent, covering more than 500 services across finance, culture, lifestyle, business and emergency support.

Officials say the center aims to streamline access to services for global talent and enterprises by integrating online and offline resources. It forms part of Jing'an's broader strategy to strengthen its international business environment and support Shanghai's economic development.