Press Release for Media Briefing of the Shanghai Municipal Government on September 5, 2025

2025.09.05

On the morning of today (September 5), the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality held a press briefing. Zhong Xiaomin, director of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, introduced the overall arrangements for the Classic Events Season of the 36th Shanghai Tourism Festival. Cheng Meihong, first-level inspector of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, Liu Min, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Song Hui, deputy director of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, Xu Xin, deputy chief of Pudong New Area, and Shen Danna, deputy chief of Huangpu District, attended the press briefing and answered questions from reporters. In line with the unified plan of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai Municipal Government, the 36th Shanghai Tourism Festival is being held from July 5 to October 6, 2025, spanning 93 days. Under the purpose of “A Festival for the People” and theme of “Embracing Beauty and Happiness,” this year’s edition introduces an innovative “one festival, two seasons” format, combining the Summer Tourism Season with the Classic Events Season. The festival aims to build a high-quality platform that integrates culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions. It will spotlight offerings friendly to people of all ages, stimulate cross-sector consumption, ensure comprehensive and round-the-clock services, amplify its presence across digital networks, and foster global collaboration. These initiatives are set to inject fresh momentum into Shanghai’s ambition to position itself as China’s top inbound tourism hub, a leading destination for urban tourism, and a benchmark for the deep integration of culture and tourism.During the recently concluded Summer Tourism Season, the city’s districts and leading cultural and tourism enterprises joined hands to roll out six themed weeks under the banner “Meet in Shanghai, Happy Summer,” refreshing the festival’s image with youthful and high-quality content. Preliminary big data show that total factor tourism-related consumption in July and August reached 152.4 billion yuan, up 27 percent year on year, with particularly strong growth in cultural and tourism spending.On September 1, the Shanghai Tourism Festival entered its Classic Events Season, running through October 6. During this period, six themed sections under “Meet in Shanghai, Classic Golden Autumn” will be jointly presented by districts, leading enterprises, cultural and tourism venues, and sub-venues across other provinces and cities. The initiative aims to further integrate culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions, elevate the visitor experience, expand public benefits, and continuously strengthen Shanghai’s soft power and global influence. 1. Further expand the international influence of this world-class festival and work to position Shanghai as China’s leading destination for inbound tourismOn the evening of September 13, the launch ceremony of the 36th Shanghai Tourism Festival Parade, 2025, will take place along East Zhongshan No.1 Road in Huangpu District. Once again highlighting this signature IP, the festival will present a globally iconic celebration under the theme “Diverse Cultures, Citywide Celebration” on the banks of the Huangpu River. The event will enhance the festival’s global profile and storytelling, while showcasing Shanghai’s openness, inclusiveness, dynamism, and cultural allure as a premier destination for inbound tourism.This year’s parade will feature 25 elaborately designed floats from home and abroad, each reflecting a distinct cultural theme and creating a moving “cultural landscape.” Joining them are 24 performance troupes from 15 countries and regions, whose music, dance, and artistic displays will embody the vibrancy of cultural exchange and the spirit of friendship among civilizations.Following the parade’s launch, floats will tour 10 districts, including Jing’an and Songjiang, from September 14 to 28. Visitors from near and far are invited to “tour Shanghai on the floats” and experience the city’s unique charm along its streets. From September 14 to 16, international performance troupes will also stage public shows at landmarks such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and Daning International Commercial Plaza, fostering cultural exchange and shared enjoyment of tourism resources.The festival will conclude on October 6 with a closing celebration at the Shanghai Expo Culture Park in Pudong, featuring an immersive night tour inspired by traditional Chinese culture. Parade floats will be displayed around the lake, creating a festive setting that blends ancient and modern elements to delight visitors from across the globe.2. Continue to offer high-quality cultural and tourism experiences, precisely targeting what attracts visitors to this leading destination of urban tourism This year’s Classic Events Season fully showcases Shanghai’s urban, diverse, and international cultural and tourism assets. Centered on six sections — City Tour, Shopping Tour, Cultural Museum and Art Tour, Traditional Chinese Style Trendy Tour, Online Tour, and Rural Fun Tour — the festival will present more than 200 distinctive, high-quality events and offerings. By combining innovative content with exceptional service and public-benefit initiatives, the season aims to enhance global appeal, enrich the visitor experience, and promote shared enjoyment for all. These efforts will unlock consumer potential, expand spending opportunities, and continuously strengthen Shanghai’s standing and impact as a leading international destination of urban tourism.From September 13 to 19, the popular half-price ticket promotion will return, covering over 60 attractions across the city, including the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Wild Animal Park. A variety of special experiences will also be offered to enrich engagement and provide memorable enjoyment for both residents and visitors.Simultaneously, a series of themed events will be staged in rotation. City Tour offers a one-stop urban tourism experience, combining with Jay Chou’s concert to create the “Meet in Shanghai, Find Jay Chou” online-and-offline event, alongside urban experiences such as the travel photography competition, Rose Wedding, and Suhe Wedding. Shopping Tour focuses on enhancing consumption quality, featuring the “Meet and Shop in Shanghai” tourism shopping season and special events like the Shanghai German Beer Festival and Jiangnan Food Festival. Cultural Museum and Art Tour integrates art resources to present high-quality exhibitions and performances, including the Bund Art Festival, The Voyage of Qinghua: Maritime Silk Road Immersive Experience Exhibition, Roots of Shanghai Cultural Tourism Festival in Songjiang, and Baoshan Long Beach Art Festival. Traditional Chinese Style Trendy Tour promotes intangible cultural heritage and new Chinese-style trends, creating cultural IPs such as the Nanxiang China-Chic Festival, Shanghai International Tea Culture and Tourism Festival, Qingpu “Most Jiangnan” Culture and Tourism Festival, and Fengjing Water Town Wedding. Online Tour highlights technology-enabled experiences, launching the “Hear the Beauty” Shanghai Tourism Festival event and collaborating with platforms including Douyin, Alipay, Meituan, and Ctrip to offer special online and offline products and events. Rural Fun Tour expands leisure offerings in the countryside, featuring the Urban Forest Carnival, Beautiful Shanghai Garden Life Festival, Straw Culture Festival, Fengxian Bay Tourism Kite Festival, and Chongming Rural Culture and Tourism Festival, with optimized offerings for families and elderly visitors.3. Actively deepen IP collaboration across the entire industry chain to generate new momentum for the integrated development of culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitionsUnder the coordinated mechanism of the municipal coordination group for culture, tourism, commerce, sports and exhibitions, this year’s Shanghai Tourism Festival will strengthen partnerships with major IPs such as the Shanghai International Light Festival, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, leading international sporting events, and National Science Popularization Month. Centered on the integration of culture and tourism with other sectors as its core driver, the festival will bring together resources from diverse sectors, including the night economy, art performances, sports events, commercial consumption, and technology exhibitions, to shape “Shanghai’s Variety of Tourism” and build a cross-sector, multi-scenario, and high-quality consumer ecosystem.On festival linkages, we will team up with the Shanghai International Light Festival to shape the Shanghai’s Vibrant Nightlife brand, showcasing world-class light art and international performances to elevate the city’s night economy in terms of quality and experience. Over the National Day holiday, the Shanghai Tourism Festival will seamlessly connect with the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, bringing a wealth of top-tier performances. This “dual-festival linkage, twin-engine drive” will create a virtuous cycle in which culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions amplify one another and enrich consumer experiences.On event collaboration, we will launch the “Travel with the Event” sports–tourism integration program, working with cultural and tourism enterprises as well as shopping districts around event venues to offer exclusive discounts and open new avenues for cultural, sports, and tourism consumption.On regional collaboration, we will partner with culture and tourism departments from other provinces to establish five sub-venues in Ningbo (Zhejiang), Yancheng (Jiangsu), Mianyang (Sichuan), Kashgar (Xinjiang), and Shigatse (Xizang). These sub-venues will highlight local culture and tourism resources while presenting distinctive festivals and products with regional character.