Along the banks of Suzhou Creek in Jing'an, where spring is in full bloom now, some historic warehouses are there, and they blend harmoniously with the rich aroma of coffee, cutting-edge video art, and exquisite international cuisine.
Recently, the "2026 Bailian Global Food & Art Market" concluded successfully along the Suzhou Creek waterfront in Jing'an District, Shanghai. It was a key component of Shanghai's flagship event, "2026 Global Taste in Shanghai". Strolling through the area, visitors savored diverse global flavors, admired avant-garde art installations, and appreciated the industrial heritage of century-old enterprises. Cruise boats glided along the river, while bustling crowds filled the waterfront streets.
This is more than just an 8-day market—it offers a unique lens into Shanghai's urban renewal efforts. As urban renewal evolves from the 1.0 phase of "restoring old buildings to their original form" to the 2.0 phase featuring district-wide planning and deeper integration with modern living, how do we make industrial heritage sites—carriers of historical memories—truly transform into new drivers of high-quality development? Bailian Group, a leading enterprise of Shanghai, is working and using the Suzhou Creek waterfront as a testing ground to pioneer innovative models for integrating culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions.
Innovative model: Breaking boundaries and linking waterfront living with global food
Renowned international food brands like LA BARAKA, RAGU, and BaDu converged at the market, filling the air with enticing aromas. Beyond this pop-up market experience, savoring global flavors has become an everyday pleasure along this vibrant waterfront.
The Suzhou Creek waterfront has seen a steady influx of specialty international restaurants and boutique cafes establishing their presence. The owner of Juniper, a borderless dining concept, said that this location was chosen for its distinctive waterfront ecology and neighborhood ambiance. "The lofty ceilings of the repurposed warehouse create an airy dining space, while the Suzhou Creek promenade right outside offers a rare waterside serenity in the city center. More importantly, the vibrant arts scene and diverse commercial offerings naturally attract lifestyle-conscious patrons—a perfect alignment with our brand ethos."
The growing concentration of global merchants demonstrates the success of Bailian Group's innovative model along the Suzhou Creek. Previously, renovations of historical buildings along this route were conducted independently. Now, Bailian Group is breaking down physical barriers between landmarks like Sihang Warehouse, Yanqingli, Guang’er Warehouse, and Guangsan Warehouse, integrating them into a unified operational framework with a "food + arts" concept. A "water-land-air" system is being implemented, transforming scattered architectural sites into a cohesive, high-engagement waterfront lifestyle hub.
New scenario: Opening up ground-floor spaces to stimulate consumption momentum
The key to making heritage buildings a part of the city and life lies in the spatial accessibility. In the Suzhou Creek area renewal project, the "ground floor activation" strategy has been widely adopted. Guangsan Warehouse, adjacent to the marketplace, exemplifies this approach.
The Guangsan Warehouse brought in the internationally renowned Fotografiska Shanghai, which not only redefines traditional exhibition spaces with its open design—featuring integrated dining and retail on the ground floor and a scenic rooftop terrace blending indoor and outdoor areas—but also serves as a dynamic hub for the convergence of culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions. Leveraging its global platform, this art center hosts plenty of Asian and world premieres of cutting-edge visual art. High-end cultural exhibitions and multifaceted leisure-commerce reinforce one another, transforming these historical buildings into globally acclaimed cultural landmarks.
In Bailian's master plan for the Suzhou Creek area, this pedestrian-friendly design approach is gaining widespread acceptance. Residents can enjoy waterfront strolls and access riverside buildings to savor diverse cuisines, explore creative studios, or engage in cultural activities. The seamless integration between the interior and exterior spaces not only creates a welcoming "urban living room", but also brings commercial activity.
New business format: Ecological symbiosis nurturing waterfront landmarks within century-old urban fabric
Moving westward along the Guangfu Road, the century-old Guang’er Warehouse, a testament to China's industrial heritage, now serves as a thriving hub for diversified new business formats. The building itself is preserved with the Art Deco facades and old steel-framed windows, and inside, an ecosystem blending art, design, and lifestyle is thriving.
The venue has attracted global players, including BIG, VITRA, and DOTDOZ. Design studios have transformed workspace into places like aesthetic galleries, while ground-floor dining and retail outlets naturally cater to both creative professionals and exhibition visitors.
This "creative design-brand showcase-consumer conversion" ecosystem is no longer confined to individual buildings, but is expanding along the entire "One River, One Creek" waterfront. When people are savoring specialty cuisines, attending art exhibitions, or exploring design studios and boutique shops, a thriving ecosystem of diverse yet interconnected industries has emerged. Through mutual empowerment, they are integrating previously fragmented waterfront spaces. Bailian Group, taking "Bailian-Suzhou Creek" as its overarching brand identity, is forging a pioneering model for waterfront space development by globally benchmarking top-tier standards, creating a deep integration of cultural, commercial, tourism, sports, and exhibition elements—transforming Suzhou Creek into Shanghai's shining hallmark of urban renewal.
Suzhou Creek flows and never stops, bearing witness to Shanghai's ongoing urban transformation. In this dynamic initiative, Bailian Group is systematically revitalizing historical sites into vibrant waterfront spaces through strategic planning and operations. By deeply integrating culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions, the group is unlocking new consumption potential. Through concrete urban renewal measures, it is establishing new commercial benchmarks, providing stronger momentum for Shanghai's accelerated development as an International Consumption Center City, and for enhancing the city's soft power and core competitiveness.
In time, Suzhou Creek waterfront—blending global food, art exhibitions, creative design, and leisurely life—will undoubtedly emerge as an internationally influential new landmark for cosmopolitan waterfronts.