City enchants as night lights come on
Print Edition
Light is an important part of Shanghai’s night enchantment that has attracted many tourists from home and abroad.
It was a sultry summer night in late July, with the mercury soaring above 38 degrees Celsius. However, the Bund, one of the most iconic tourist attractions of Shanghai, was packed with people, including tourists, waiting for the lights to come on on both banks of the Huangpu River.
When architectures along the river and bridges crossing it were illuminated at 7pm sharp, the crowds burst into cheers and the banks of the river were turned into dazzling and spectacular light belts, presenting a brilliant and glittering scenery.
Shanghai has seen more glittering lights with each passing year, unveiling an enchanting night view, wowing residents as well as travelers.
Reinhard Gierling of Germany was visiting the Bund for the third time.
He made the night Bund his first stop of his China tour after his flight from Germany landed in Shanghai.
“I visited China for the first time 20 years ago, and on the first view now, it’s still impressive,” he said.
“From this vantage, you see the modern part of Shanghai, and the other side, it’s the old part,” Gierling noted. “The contrast is charming, and it’s a great place.
“Shanghai is a very modern city and great changes have taken place.”
On the other side of the Bund, Martin, a British traveler, was enchanted by the night scenery of the Bund as he traveled with his wife.
“It’s beautiful at night,” he gushed. “It’s my favorite place in Shanghai. At night, the scenery is better, because of the lights, the lights make the buildings look much more beautiful.”
Having traveled to the Bund in 2015, he added that “now, there are some new buildings.”
The city has made the upgrade of its landscape lights a ceaseless program. With the 45-kilometer waterfront of the Huangpu River opening to the public, the lights along the river are not just more beautiful but also sparkling.
The landscape lighting improvement project along the Xuhui riverfront has seen new progress, adding a splash of color to the area with vivid and dynamic lights, creating a flowing urban night scene scroll. The first public art architecture on the Xuhui riverfront, the West Bund Orbit, recently completed its lighting ceremony.
The lighting design of the building’s exterior wall adopts streamlined elements, and the ingenious use of linear lighting facilities makes the building’s exterior appear like a winding ribbon from a distance, complementing the surrounding buildings.
In addition, the two orange tower cranes standing by the Huangpu River have become a new attraction at night. Based on the outline structure of the tower crane itself, warm-toned lighting is used, while the rhythmic lights on the tower body make them shine like a dazzling sculpture.
The tower cranes are decorated with floral landscapes and the lawns have been equipped with lights as well, creating a warm and cozy resting place for those taking a night stroll.
Also, construction of the first phase of the Inner Ring Road landscape lighting mainly involving the space under the bridge between Songhuajiang Road and Zhoujiazui Road section in Yangpu District was completed earlier this month.
Based on the “Shanghai Landscape Lighting Plan (2024-2035),” LED lights are used to illuminate the bridge, with warm colors on normal days and dynamic color effect during holidays.
Different lights are arranged at different heights, enriching the urban spatial design and providing a unique night visual enjoyment.
“The space under the bridge is part of the urban public space, and with an artistic approach, it has a more lively atmosphere,” said a resident surnamed Cheng.
Meanwhile, the 2024 Shanghai International Light Festival will run from September 19 to October 18.
With the theme of “Travel in Light — Exploring the Realm of Time and Space, Blooming the Beauty of Light and Shadow,” it echoes Shanghai’s goal of becoming the “first stop” for inbound tourists in China, and shapes the image of a “world-renowned night city.”
The main venue will be set at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, with 12 sub-venues across the city.
During the festival, the city’s elevated roads, landmark attractions along the Suzhou Creek and Huangpu River, riverfront areas as well as some city parks and greenery areas will be illuminated, officials announced.
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