Shanghai Daily
Can foreigners buy property in Shanghai? The answer’s yes
Here is a thing that happens to people in Shanghai. You arrive with two suitcases and a sublet somewhere near Wukang Road. You tell yourself: one year, two at most, enough time to pad the resume and see what the fuss is about. Then you discover...
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SWEATER HUB KNITS ECONOMIC FAME
The economy of Puyuan, also known as China’s knitwear capital, is driven by sweater production and wholesale. A recent fashion week brought runway shows, exhibitions and forums to the ancient town in Zhejiang Province.
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China to ban futuristic car controls that endanger safety
You are driving in a pouring rain. Your windshield suddenly fogs up, and you are forced to take your eyes off the road momentarily to dig through touchscreen sub-menus to find the defroster. By the time you find it and turn it on, your car is drifting...
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Chinese firms seek to loosen West’s grip on snow business
Lianhuashan’s slopes have been kept snowcovered by aging European snow cannons for more than 20 years, but the Beijing resort added its first Chinese snowmaker this ski season. The snow gun, made by Beijing-based Carving Ski, costs about a third less...
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City’s next growth phase, from just making things to creating them
Afew days ago I met my friend Steven Wu for coffee. For years he worked as an export sales manager for industrial equipment. His clients were distributors and factory owners scattered across Southeast Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The job followed...
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NORTH BUND SAVORS SPANISH ZODIAC ART
Juan Carlos Paz Gómez, the latest participant in the ‘Meeting at the North Bund’ artist residency program, brings his decade of Chinese zodiac expertise from Madrid to Shanghai to create new digital works.
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HOW TO RESCUE STRAY ANIMALS
Stray cats and dogs can be seen in neighborhoods, parks and alleys in Shanghai, searching for food, warmth or a safe place to rest. A small act of kindness can have a big impact. We enumerate simple steps to assist a stray animal in need.
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FAN FIESTA AS F1 ROARS INTO CITY
The Shanghai International Circuit will host the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, the second race of the 2026 Formula One season, with new rules. And the city is holding the auto culture festival packed with pulsepounding activities sure to rev up...
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Ancient water towns revived as living neighborhoods
Shanghai is ramping up efforts to revive the traditional Jiangnan (south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) heritage of its historic suburban communities, spotlighting authentic local experiences that reconnect residents and visitors with the...
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A home of charm and convenience
A Russian artist and designer’s home in Shanghai expresses her artistic journey, global adventures and personal style. The apartment on Xiangshan Road is a perfect mix of charm and convenience, filled with unique, thoughtful touches.
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Consumer electronic chip prices soar, defying dictum
FOR years, tech industry planning was guided by Moore’s Law, a 1965 empirical observation by former Intel chief executive George Moore that predicted costs would drop as transistors used in integrated circuits become smaller, faster, more energy...
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Embryo genetic screening is commercial, and for the rich
Breeding better babies, which was once left to chance, is now becoming a business that scores, prices and optimizes what a birth may produce. In California’s Silicon Valley, embryo screening is going beyond its traditional medical pretext and taking...
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CITY’S ELDERLY DANCE TO A BEAT FROM PAST
Shanghai’s many lunchtime dance clubs, a phenomenon born of the city’s love of ballroom culture from its jazz-age heyday, are important spaces for their mostly elderly clientele to socialize and reclaim the past through foxtrot, rumba and polka.
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Gardens, snacks, teahouses at Yuyuan commercial zone
Yuyuan Garden Malls. You know it, everyone’s heard of it, and now thanks to the latest hype it’s crawling with tourists from everywhere. If you don’t know, get to know. The whole Yuyuan Garden commercial zone is just Yuyuan plus BFC plus whatever...
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FEBRUARY 24, 2026 TUESDAY VOL.027 NO.8487 PRICE 2 YUAN
When someone mingles English with Shanghainese, locals refer to it as yangjingbang. Once a city canal, Yangjingbang birthed ‘Yangjingbang English’ — a mash-up of Chinese and foreign words after Shanghai opened as a port city in 1843. The waterway is...
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The Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner: inside the meal that brings China home
The first rule of Chinese New Year is: you go home. The second rule: you eat. For hundreds of millions of people, the Spring Festival triggers a singular pilgrimage: back to hometowns, back to family kitchens, back to dining tables that may only see...
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From wild dreams to reality: Your ticket to space awaits
Space is no longer just a new frontier for exploring planets, moons, asteroids and distant galaxies. It’s also become the newest horizon for AI data centers, advanced satellite communications and space tourism. And China is aiming to be at the...
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Expats CAN use community centers in the city — a guide!
If you live in the area, you’ve probably walked past it a hundred times, on your walks/bike rides along the Suzhou Creek, to Cometa, to the Metro, or just dodging traffic somewhere near Nanjing Road W. A big old building with shiny floors and a...
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Level 3 autonomous driving highlighted
AS 2026 marks a pivotal “Year One” for the Level 3 autonomous driving industry in China, the topic has taken center stage at Shanghai’s annual Two Sessions political gathering. Level 3 autonomous driving allows the vehicle to take full control of all...
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What might we be driving this year? A peek at ultra-tech cars
The landscape of China’s newenergy vehicles market has undergone a profound transformation, coming to dealer showrooms this year. Amid forecasts that Chinese mainland auto market growth may slow in 2026, carmakers are rolling out new models to tempt...
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Retirement not the final act in China’s micro-drama industry
Wu Guisong, 63, was on a film set at 10pm, acting out a scene in which a German Shepherd dog attacks him. He spent the entire three-day New Year holiday on set in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province. A few days earlier, Qin Yue, 59, had wrapped up her year-end...
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Yuyuan lantern gala kicks off city’s Spring Festival revelry
The 2026 Yuyuan Garden lantern show opened on Monday, kicking off Shanghai’s Spring Festival festivities with a grander layout. The 36-day event is titled “Come Home for Chinese New Year.” For the first time, the festival forms a six-zone route...
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Where’s China going? It’s all in the next 5-year plan vision
China’s five-year plans have served as economic and social blueprints for the nation’s dynamic growth, setting forth the goals driving industrial upgrading, advances in science and technology, improvements in standards of living and China’s emerging...
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XUAN PAPER: Where 1,000 years of ink still breathe
Soft yet resilient, pure white yet richly textured, Xuan paper has carried China’s written words and painted worlds for more than 1,000 years. Favored by calligraphers and painters for its remarkable ability to absorb ink while preserving clarity and...
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GLORY, FAME OF HUAIHAI ROAD M.
Huaihai Road M., Shanghai’s ‘Walk of Fame’ and ‘Champs-Élysées,’ is where modern Chinese fashion was born. And the elegant 2km road is also where the city’s history, glamor and creativity still shine side by side.
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SKOREAN TOURISTS REVEL IN HIDDEN SHOPPING GEM
An RT-Mart outlet in downtown Shanghai’s Jing’an District has become a shopping hotspot for visitors from South Korea. The Pingxingguan Road store receives an average of 200-300 Korean tourists daily and 500-plus on weekends.
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Where to soak for relaxation in and beyond Shanghai
Winter in southern China feels very different from the cold in the north — and that, in itself, is the perfect excuse to soak in a hot spring, isn’t it? Whether you’re visiting Shanghai for a short trip or living here long term, these bathhouses are...
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From clay type to global print: China’s movable-type legacy
At the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, hundreds of dancers moved in and out of square boxes topped with Chinese characters, forming and dissolving words in perfect rhythm. The striking image symbolized one of ancient China’s four great...
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DATE IN PARK: FINDING PARTNERS LATE IN LIFE
Pensioners, with liberal amount of time and leisure at their disposal, are taking initiatives to seek a partner. A corner in the People’s Park in downtown Shanghai is an ideal place for blind dates though youngsters also look out for companions.
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‘Five Centers’ are not just for Shanghai but for the nation
Asea-rail intermodal train loaded with solar panels, auto parts and other goods departed from the Luchao Port container terminal in Shanghai on December 5. Loaded on the train was the 1 millionth TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) in the city’s rail-sea...
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Shows galore as city gets ready to greet New Year
As Shanghai embraces the dawn’s first blush of the new year, the city doesn’t settle for a single way to welcome the year 2026. Instead, it spreads the celebration across rooftops, riversides, concert halls, malls, parks and neighborhood streets —...
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A YEAR OF GREAT MOMENTS, FEATS
The year 2025 is significant for both Shanghai and China, seeing defining moments and achievements. The city pursued progress across every dimension of urban life while the nation saw a year of strength, resilience and global influence.
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A bereaved father tries to pull teenagers back from suicide
I “’m heading out first.” In the dim glow of his phone screen, the message flashed briefly in a chat group called yuesi (约死), slang for a “suicide pact.” Xu Shihai replied almost instantly: “I’ve had enough of living, too. Could you take me with you?...
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SHANGHAI’S NEW VIEWING POINT RISES IN XINTIANDI
CXCC Summit 58, a multi-dimensional urban sky lounge integrating visual delight, cultural immersion and green philosophy, has opened in the iconic Xintiandi area. Standing 258 meters tall, it’s the area’s highest observation spot.
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Toys‘R’Us, Pop Mart shine bright
SPop Mart “First in Shanghai” is our column documenting the rise of Shanghai’s “debut economy,” a model built on being first, fast, and everywhere at once. What started as a policy initiative has morphed into a citywide phenomenon: part hanghai keeps...
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CULTURAL RICHNESS AND A XUHUI HOME
The past and present of a French family, who moved to Shanghai five years ago, mingle harmoniously at their home tucked away in a historical and leafy neighborhood in Xuhui District, where heritage and serenity coexist.
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The rise of a new generation: Asia at heart of growing billionaire numbers
In 2025, the world’s billionaires crossed another symbolic threshold. Their numbers rose to 2,919 people, while their combined wealth reached a record US$15.8 trillion, according to UBS’s latest Billionaire Ambitions Report. Billionaire numbers rose by...
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Handmade gold nib tradition retained as Hero pens evolve
Liu Genmin hunches over his workbench, left hand pinching a gold pen nib blank, right hand steadying a tiny file. He leans in close, squinting through a magnifying glass, then pushes, scrapes and pulls back to inspect his work — again and again. Fine...
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AI’s US$400b problem: Are chips getting obsolete too fast?
In pursuit of the AI dream, the tech industry this year has plunked down about US$400 billion on specialized chips and data centers, but questions are mounting about the wisdom of such unprecedented levels of investment. At the heart of the doubts:...
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FESTIVAL LENDS AURA OF POETRY TO CITY
Noted literary critic and verse-maker Xie Mian, who will turn 94 soon, is honored with the Golden Magnolia poetry award as the 10th Shanghai International Poetry Festival adds an enduring new chapter to the city’s poetic ambience.
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Past and present on China’s No. 1 commercial street
is a column on Shanghai’s great commercial arteries. From Nanjing Rd E.’s blend of heritage storefronts and pop-culture malls to Huaihai’s luxe lanes and Hongqiao’s international cultural diversity hubs, we explore how Shanghai’s commercial hubs drive...
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Uygur Meshrep lives on in desert oasis, and through new bearers
In the deserts and river valleys, a Uygur tradition known as Meshrep continues to shape daily life in many parts of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The tradition appears in villages, towns and city neighborhoods across the Tarim...
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Froth and faith: the puzzling future of China’s robotic hype
For 12 years, China has been the world’s biggest market for industrial robots, outpacing Germany and Japan to capture more than 50 percent of the market last year. Robots that can perform simple tasks like cleaning floors, waiting on tables, running a...
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Kühn Keramik
Shanghai has many new flagship stores and concept spaces that combine shopping, lifestyle and immersive experiences. Each space showcases creativity, design, and sensory engagement, from Germany’s Kühn Keramik opening its first store outside Berlin to...
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Qiang people welcome their most important day of the year
Dances, singing, parades and a long-table feast characterize the Qiang New Year, the most significant day of the year for the ethnic group. Qiang communities across Sichuan Province celebrate this occasion with festivities. The festival begins on the...
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SHORT DRAMAS, BIG DREAMS
Around 10 to 20 micro-dramas, each typically lasting 1.5 to 2 minutes, are filmed in China every day, creating a huge demand for actors. This has led to ordinary people dreaming big on these ultra-short episodes.
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GLOBAL APPEAL OF CHINESE CULTURE
The micro-documentary series ‘A New Dawn’ is in its third season, focusing on the overseas promotion of Chinese culture, with cases such as the Yunnan Jingmai Mountain tea culture and Jingdezhen artisan residency.
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Shanghai residents say goodbye to carrying chamber pots finally
Luo Qian still clearly remembers that when as a child, she spilled a full chamber pot across her family’s carpet. “I was carrying it to the attic, but my hand slipped, and everything poured out,” she recalled. “The smell lingered for days. We scrubbed...
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International outdoor brands leave their footprint in city
The city’s appetite for movement isn’t slowing. As Shanghai leans further into its fitness-and-freshair era, the storefronts tell the story: international outdoor and sports brands keep arriving, staking claims from the Bund to the backstreets. Some...
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US$83.49B PURCHASE DEALS AS CIIE CLOSES
The 8th China International Import Expo concluded with tentative deals worth US$83.49 billion, up 4.4 percent from the previous year. The six-day event attracted 922,000 visitors, surging 8.2 percent year on year; both setting a new record.
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Tai chi master sees beyond kung fu in coaching expats
Iran into Wang Kaiyuan early on September 10 in Shanghai’s People’s Park, where he was instructing dozens of Westerners in tai chi in fluent English. This was quite striking, as although tai chi practitioners were present in the park, they were...
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Shanghai-Nanjing industrial corridor anchored by Putuo
The six-day CIIE, kicking off on November 5, is not only a global platform for trade and investment but also a catalyst for deepening innovation and industrial collaboration between Shanghai and major cities along the corridor, including Nanjing, Wuxi,...
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Investor enthusiasm for China AI stocks continues unabated
The robust performance of Chinese stocks this year has been largely driven by the strong performance of companies related to work in artificial intelligence. There may be a lot of discussion globally about whether there is an AI bubble about to burst,...
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Global rhythms, Shanghai stage
What happens when an Indian classical musician, trained in the intricate language of centuriesold ragas, joins forces with Chinese and international artists and brings the shimmering sound of the sitar into the mix? The result is neither classical nor...
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NEW OPENINGS REDEFINE LIFESTYLE LANDSCAPE
First in Shanghai is our column documenting the rise of Shanghai’s “debut economy,” a model built on being first, fast, and everywhere at once. What started as a policy initiative has morphed into a citywide phenomenon: part economic strategy, part...
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Are gasoline cars dinosaurs? Not for Chinese consumers
Electric cars have dominated talk in the Chinese auto sector for a long time, but combustion-engine vehicles haven’t yet become the industrial dinosaurs many have predicted. Though China is the world’s biggest producer and market for electric cars,...
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Centuries-old Fujian puppetry kept alive on moving strings
Fujian string and glove puppetry is one of China’s oldest performing arts, dating back more than 1,500 years. From temple fairs in southeast China’s Quanzhou City to classrooms overseas, it continues to blend craftsmanship, music and storytelling. The...
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Never say die: China’s war against aging has begun
The search for the Fountain of Youth that led Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon to discover Florida in 1513 is no longer the stuff of myth. Biotech today is doing research into not only in delaying the aging process, but also reversing it. In a...
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CHINESE REMAKE SENSE OF LUXURY
China’s luxury market is shifting under the feet of European houses that have long dominated Chinese imagination about status and affluence. And domestic brands like Lao Pu, Pop Mart and Songmont now reign supreme.
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GLOBAL VISION FOR FUTURE CHINA STUDIES
World China Studies is entering a new stage marked by openness, innovation and mutual learning as the World Conference on China Studies concluded in Shanghai. Among the conference’s milestones is a recommended bibliography for World China Studies.
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Self-indulgence fuels new China trend in spending
Not every Chinese consumer indulgence is a famous-brand handbag or a new lipstick. Sometimes, self-pampering can be a solo ski trip, a visit to a pet café on a rainy afternoon or a blind-box toy. What were once guilty pleasures are becoming budgeted...
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CHINA STUDIES GETS GLOBAL MAKEOVER
The growing global interest in China studies, or zhongguoxue, has made the discipline increasingly international and diverse. This is reflected in the journeys of a Serbian scholar and a Macedonian researcher. The vision of ‘world China studies’ will...
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IBLAC MEETS TO SHARE VIEWS ON 2030 VISION
This year’s meeting of the International Business Leaders’ Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai is themed ‘Openness, Innovation and Inclusiveness — Shanghai’s Development Strategy Toward 2030.’
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City community hospitals are fast and cheap
Last year, we put together a pretty handy guide explaining the different levels of hospitals in Shanghai. From city level, district level, and on to community health centers, you get the lay of the land on how Shanghai’s health institutions are...
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30 EXPATS BASK IN CITY HONORS
Shanghai confers honorary citizenship upon two expats — Simon Lichtenberg, CEO of Trayton Group, and Severin Schwan, chairman of Roche Group — and presents the Magnolia Gold Award to 28 expats for their contributions to the city.
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HEALTH PROOF ALLOWS PETS TO TRAVEL ABROAD
As international travel grows, many families want to take their ‘fur kids’ overseas. Shanghai Customs has published a clear set of steps to help pet owners get the Animal Health Certificate for overseas travel.
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WHERE LUXURY DABBLES IN F&B
First in Shanghai is our column documenting the rise of Shanghai’s “debut economy,” a model built on being first, fast, and everywhere at once. What started as a policy initiative has morphed into a citywide phenomenon: part economic strategy, part...
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CITY IN THRALL OF TOURISM FESTIVAL
Featuring over 200 activities, the ‘classic events season’ of the 2025 Shanghai Tourism Festival has kicked off. The centerpiece of the festival, one of China’s largest cultural celebrations, saw the iconic Bund lit up as 25 dazzling floats and 24...
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TIBETAN OPERA: Voices of heritage on the move
Tibetan Opera, known in Tibetan as Lhamo, is one of the oldest surviving forms of traditional Chinese theater. It combines singing, dancing, chanting, acting and storytelling into a single performance that is both ritual and drama. For centuries, it...
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Global productions, artists find a home in Shanghai
I “’m shocked that so many tickets have already sold,” remarked Japanese actress Kanna Hashimoto on the Shanghai debut of “Spirited Away.” The stage production, a live adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved animation classic, lit up Shanghai Culture...
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DISNEY’S SUPERSTARS: DUFFY AND FRIENDS
Among Disney’s many franchises, Duffy and Friends, including Shanghai Disney Resort sensation LinaBell, stand out as a good example of IP development. Each character has been carefully designed, not only in how they look but also in story and...
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Wood and craftsmanship: The soul of Chinese architecture
For thousands of years, Chinese builders have turned to wood not just as a material but as a medium for cultural memory. From the sweeping roofs of imperial palaces to the quiet elegance of neighborhood courtyards, timber frames have carried the weight...
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Massive parade marks 80th anniversary of WWII victory
China held a massive military parade in central Beijing yesterday to mark the 80th anniversary of its victory in World War II, pledging the country’s commitment to peaceful development in a world still fraught with turbulence and...
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