Jing鈥檃n revels in May Day holiday 鈥╰ourism boom amid surging sales
Print Edition
Jing鈥檃n stole the show this May Day holiday, becoming one of Shanghai鈥檚 top spots for both local residents and international travelers.
Between April 30 and May 4, the district鈥檚 three major commercial zones 鈥 Nanjing Road W., Suhewan and Daning 鈥 welcomed more than 3 million visitors, according to data from its commerce commission.
Sales at 28 key retailers tracked during the period rose 20.53 percent year-on-year, with popular destinations like Jiuguang Department Store, Jing鈥檃n Joy City, Shanghai Suhewan MixC World and Jiuguang Center all recording double-digit sales growth, and some seeing record-high daily foot traffic.
These numbers reflect more than just a holiday shopping boom. They highlight the district鈥檚 growing ability to integrate culture, tourism, business, sports and exhibitions, unlocking new energy for urban consumption and making Jing鈥檃n a dynamic engine for Shanghai鈥檚 city life.
One of the standout events was the inaugural 鈥淪treet Auto Lifestyle Festival,鈥 held from May 1-5 on Maoming Road N., a weekend-and-holiday-only pedestrian street, and the nearby historic Zhangyuan Garden.
The festival offered a striking blend of tradition and trend 鈥 where roaring supercars met the century-old bricks of historic shikumen (stone-gate) architecture. With curated car exhibitions, immersive camping setups inside Zhangyuan, and interactive experiences, the event drew crowds of locals and tourists alike.
As night fell, 鈥淪hining Shanghai: Light Up Jing鈥檃n鈥 transformed the district into a glowing urban gallery. The light art festival, running nightly through May 11, illuminated Nanjing Road W. and Suhewan, drawing crowds with dazzling installations, art pop-ups and surprise musical performances.
At Jing鈥檃n Park, the centerpiece 鈥淢irror Island鈥 鈥 a carousel-inspired structure with shifting lights 鈥 became a magnet for social media posts. Nearby, festivalgoers wandered through an interactive 鈥淪tarlit Dreams鈥 forest and played with giant glowing bubbles in a whimsical, open-air setting.
Down by Suzhou Creek, Suhewan鈥檚 waterfront was revived as a shimmering 鈥済alaxy of art,鈥 where digital projections brought Chinese master painter Xu Beihong鈥檚 iconic works to life on riverside walls.
The festival鈥檚 impact was immediate and measurable. From May 1-11, Jing鈥檃nsi area attractions (Jing鈥檃n Park, Feng Sheng Li Jing鈥檃n Temple Square, Jiuguang pedestrian street) welcomed over 712,000 visitors, while Suhewan鈥檚 riverfront platform saw over 90,000 visitors.
Combined, the Nanjing Road W., Suhewan and Daning commercial zones hosted 3.24 million visits, up 10.57 percent year-on-year. Total holiday spending across these areas reached 897 million yuan (US$124.52 million), marking a 4.49 percent increase from last year.
Retail also saw a strong boost. Suhewan recorded the sharpest surge in consumer spending, up 18.44 percent year-on-year, with Shanghai Suhewan MixC World welcoming over 100,000 visitors on May 1 alone, setting a new record.
The Jing鈥檃n Theater Festival lit up the district with performances that spilled beyond traditional venues 鈥 from theaters to malls to the streets 鈥 turning the city into one big open stage.
On May 11, the spotlight shifted to the International Family Theater Awards Ceremony at Jing鈥檃n Culture Center, a festival highlight that drew over 1,000 family entries from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and beyond.
Through original short plays, participants brought to life how different cultures meet and mingle in everyday family life 鈥 a reflection of Jing鈥檃n鈥檚 growing appeal as a stylish, international district.
A standout moment came from Yu Hua, a young man of Chinese and African heritage, who performed 鈥淲e Are All Shanghainese.鈥 His play tells the story of a foreign student who wins over classmates by learning 鈥 and proudly showing off 鈥 his Shanghai dialect, offering a lighthearted yet touching take on cultural connection.
Cultural pop-ups and brand exhibitions also proved to be major crowd-pullers over the May Day holiday.
At Jing An Kerry Centre, the popular 鈥100% Doraemon & Friends Tour鈥 wrapped up during the break, with daily foot traffic jumping by around 25 percent. At Jing鈥檃n Joy City, themed pop-ups like 鈥渕ofusand & Sanrio Characters鈥 helped push visitor numbers to a record-breaking 131,000 on the first day alone, setting a new single-day high for the mall.
Thanks to favorable policies such as tax refunds for departing visitors and expanded visa-free access, tax refund orders in Jing鈥檃n surged 1.6 times year-on-year between May 1-4, with corresponding sales doubling over the same period.
The Shaanxi Road N., home to historic time-honored brands, has become a must-visit place for inbound tourists. During the holiday, the street鈥檚 famed Jingdezhen porcelain shops saw a 38.7 percent rise in tourist sales. Meanwhile, RT-Mart鈥檚 Pingxingguan Road store emerged as a surprise viral destination among inbound visitors, with foot traffic up 8.84 percent year-on-year.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
