Fashion, fun, foreign volunteers: A feast of choices on offer in district

Fashion Week

The 2025 Spring/Summer Shanghai Fashion Week started this month in style, with Jing’an teaming up with its commercial hubs and iconic fashion spots to present an array of captivating events.

At 800 Show, the Kidswear showcase stole the spotlight, flaunting the latest trends in children’s fashion.

Harrods, a global luxury retail giant, unveiled Harrods Hive at Fotografiska Shanghai, sparking engaging discussions on “Differentiators” and “Disruptive Experiences” across fashion, beauty and retail. The event also featured mentor meetups for budding designers, fostering a vibrant platform for young talent to thrive.

Shanghai Fashion Week was also staged at the HKRI Taikoo Hui. It merged culture with retail, offering unique experiences from brands adhering to the “new, unique and special” concept.

H&M, for example, collaborated with emerging Chinese designer brand Garçon by Gçogcn for a pop-up store that showcases a new collection celebrating local fashion design.

Foreign volunteers

A group of foreign volunteers from Fudan University and Shanghai United International School recently visited the Shanghai Heyangbaohua Nursing Home to engage in their first community volunteer experience in Shanghai.

They came from Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa and Mauritius.

The volunteers joined the residents in practicing wuqinxi, a therapeutic qigong inspired by the movements of five animals, playing chess, writing Chinese characters and strolling in the garden.

They also crafted lacquer fans, a traditional Chinese art form and entertained the elders with songs in English, Italian and Chinese.

Haipai concert

The “Encounter Shanghai: A Night at Zhangyuan” concert was held at the historic Zhangyuan Garden, blending intangible cultural heritage, traditional opera and folk arts with modern music.

The event aimed to showcase Shanghai’s open spirit and unique cultural charm.

Lu Jinhua, a well-known haipai (Shanghai-style) pingtan (storytelling and singing in the Suzhou dialect) artist, performed “Tianya Genu,” literally “The Wandering Songstress,” with a group of musicians from the United States.

Young singer Dong Shiyun sang the Shanghai dialect song “Shanghai Ballad.” During her performance, a cheongsam show combined with modern dance was staged.

Kunqu opera artist Zhao Jinyu presented a classic excerpt from “Peony Pavilion.

Married in the clouds

The Suhewan Center, the highest building in Jing’an, has launched its first group marriage certificate issuing ceremony.

Eight couples dressed in cheongsam and other Chinese-style attire embarked on a new chapter of their lives at this ceremony filled with Shanghai-style charm.

On the same day, Jing’an Park, Daning Park and Jing’an Sculpture Park were designated as outdoor marriage registration certificate issuance points in Jing’an.

According to the district’s civil affairs bureau, themed certificate issuance activities will be held at these outdoor locations in the future, with the introduction of “most beautiful photo spots” to create more happy memories for newlyweds.

‘Red’ concert

A “red” revolutionary concert has been held to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The concert was held in front of the former Fudeli, a typical Shanghai shikumen (stone-gate) neighborhood, where about a century ago the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held and the first CPC Constitution was written. It now stands as a memorial.

Conductor Xu Zhong led the Shanghai Opera House orchestra to play several classic “red” music pieces such as “Ode to the Red Flag,” “Ode to the Yellow River” and “On the Field of Hope.”

In 2021, Jing’an debuted its first original “red” drama “Once Upon A Time in Fudeli,” telling stories of the Party’s early days and China’s winding journey to national rejuvenation. So far, it has toured nationwide more than 40 times.

At the concert, a reinterpreted mixed-voice octet version of the eponymous theme song “Fudeli” was performed.

Pink! Pink! Pink!

Daning Park has transformed into a breathtaking display of pink, with vast fields of hairawn muhly (also known as pink grass) in full bloom, casting a romantic charm over the entire area. The best time to admire this breathtaking scenery is through early November.

Sustainable lifestyle

On October 11, the first “Nanjing Road W. Sustainable Living Week” began at Shanghai Jiuguang Department Store, offering a vibrant blend of green markets, creative workshops, swap shops and sustainable fashion art exhibitions.

The Nanjing Road W. Sustainable Business Initiative was launched, bringing together several leading companies to drive sustainable consumption in six key areas: innovation, eco-design, green supply chains, recyclable products, nature conservation and social responsibility.

The Nanjing Road W. Functional Zone joined with five subdistricts – Nanjing Road W., Jing’ansi, Caojiadu, Jiangning Road, and Shimen Road No.2 – to form the Nanjing Road W. Sustainable Development Community, fostering a collaborative approach to sustainability.