Guest
Chen Hong
Interview Background
The Culture and Tourism Bureau of Jing’an District plans a series of diversified and attractive cultural tourism activities from September to October in order to boost economic growth and consumption, stir up people’s enthusiasm, and promote the idea of loving our homeland and its culture. To link with the all-media live broadcast of “Twelve National Characteristics of Suzhou Creek” held by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, the Bureau focuses on improving the tourism function of Suzhou Creek, connecting characteristic business streets, key business districts, creative parks and popular scenic spots in Jing’an, including Suzhou Creek, Sihang Warehouse War Memorial Hall, UCCA Edge, Jing’an Joy City, and Suhe MixC World. As the base of revolutionary culture, Jing’an makes full use of its regional characteristics to provide citizens with on-site teaching of the Party history in the “Revolutionary Culture—Urban Archaeology Team Activity”, including visiting century-old residences, seeking the trace of history, literature, and art, interpreting historic design... Today, Chen Hong, Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Jing’an District, is invited to share the stories behind these activities.
Moderator:
As people’s interest in urban culture and life is surging, the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Jing’an District holds various forms of cultural tourism activities from September to October to boost economic growth and consumption, stir up people’s enthusiasm, and promote the idea of loving our homeland and homeland culture. That’s really good! Director Chen, could you please introduce the specific activities?
Chen Hong:
With the strong support of the Publicity Department of the CPC Jing’an District Committee, the 2022 Jing’an Cultural Tourism Consumption Season is not only a new trial of Jing’an to promote the construction of a national pilot city for cultural and tourism consumption, but also a vital means to accelerate the recovery of consumption and the cultural tourism industry during the post-epidemic era. During the event, we will issue consumption coupons totaling more than RMB 5 million, providing citizens with 25 types of cultural tourism consumption products, including art exhibitions, hotel packages, micro trips, and cultural and creative products.
Chen Hong:
This event contains five themes: First, the New Places for Entertainment—“Super Fun”, which brings together a number of new artistic landmarks and popular cultural tourism spots in New Factories, M+ Mali Creative Park, and other areas and provides cultural and creative products exhibition, sales and other offline activities for people to have fun nearby. Second, the New Landscapes of the Block—“Wonderful”, covering the “Urban Public Art Season” to be held in the central greenbelt of Suzhou Creek in mid-to-late September, and three theme exhibitions and fairs held in M+ Mali Creative Park, all of which are new mobile landscapes in Jing’an. Third, the New Experience of Cultural Tourism—“Appealing”, mainly combines online and offline activities with Jing’an’s characteristics, including on-site teaching of Party history, cultural exhibitions, and e-sports events, providing citizens with a brand-new experience of cultural tourism. Fourth, the New Museum Space—“Enlightening”, which selects the most popular museums in the district, such as Shanghai Sihang Warehouse War Memorial Hall, UCCA Edge, and Meet You Museum, presenting the charm of history and art in the form favored by the public. Fifth, the New Hai Pai style Cuisine—“Delicious”, which launches a variety of exquisite boutique packages such as artistic afternoon tea, parent-child room package, and buffet dinner through in-depth cooperation with prestigious hotels in the district, so that citizens of all age groups can taste the unique new Hai Pai style cuisine.
Chen Hong:
In addition, we will also carry out live streaming activities during the consumption season for three consecutive days from September 20 to 22 to publicize Jing’an’s cultural tourism resources in the form of “shop visits” and send out more than 600 exquisite benefit products, so that participants can experience an “ordinary but exciting” day of Jing’an in the live-streaming room. Besides, 5,000 copies of the Jing’an Cultural Tourism Consumption Season Special Issue will be released in 14 sub-districts (towns) and public cultural tourism venues, with 70,000 coupons attached, including the popular consumption coupons of Wang Jia Sha Desserts and Lvyangcun Restaurant.
Moderator:
Jing’an Cultural Tourism Consumption Season Live-streaming Week event will be carried out for three consecutive days on JAMC App, covering three theme days of “Delicacies in Shanghai”, “Good Places in Jing’an” and “Fun Suzhou Creek” which integrate the well-selected delicacies, eye-catching and interesting things. This event welcomes the participation of young, middle-aged and elderly people.
Chen Hong:
From September 20 to 22, we will launch the Jing’an Cultural Tourism Consumption Season Live-streaming Week through JAMC App. Following the three main lines of “delicious, eye-catching, and interesting”, the three theme days of “Delicacies in Shanghai”, “Good Places in Jing’an” and “Fun Suzhou Creek” bring visitors an immersive experience. Through “shop visits”, they can “visit online” the most popular cultural tourism spots in the district without leaving home. Among these spots, there are emerging internet-famous ones such as mamafufu Department Store and the Ferris wheel of Joy City, time-honored brands such as Wang Jia Sha Desserts and Lvyangcun Restaurant, as well as cultural and tourism venues such as Jing’an District Cultural Center and Meet You Museum, suitable for all age groups.
Chen Hong:
In the live streaming, we will invite influential and representative guests, and set up an online benefit section to send more than 600 exquisite cultural tourism products to the audience. In addition, more than 700 cultural tourism consumption coupons worth more than RMB 250,000 in total will be sent within a limited time through the WeChat mini program “Jing’an Cultural Public Benefit Distribution and Cultural Tourism Consumption”, bringing tangible benefits to citizens.
Moderator:
Linked with the all-media live broadcast of “Twelve National Characteristics of Suzhou Creek” of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, Jing’an focuses on improving the tourism function of Suzhou Creek, connecting characteristic business streets, key business districts, creative parks and popular scenic spots in the district, including Suzhou Creek, Sihang Warehouse War Memorial Hall, UCCA Edge, Jing’an Joy City, and Suhe MixC World. Suzhou Creek unveils the stories and charm of the city. Will people be nourished by its profound historical heritage and cultural legacy, and feel physically and mentally pleasant?
Chen Hong:
Everyone has his unique impression of Suzhou Creek. Compared with the choppy Huangpu River, the tranquil Suzhou River is more cordial to the Shanghai people and evokes their nostalgia. Since a hundred years ago, due to its special geographical location, the wharf of Suzhou Creek in Jing’an has become the starting point of inland waterway shipping in the Yangtze River Delta. Meanwhile, the first bridge across Suzhou Creek, Xinzha Road Bridge, is also seated in Jing’an. Suzhou Creek, which runs through Jing’an from east to west, has born traces of the past and present of the city, witnessed the vicissitudes of its history, and also recorded the struggle and glory of the new era. During the 2022 Shanghai Tourism Festival, an all-media live broadcast of “Shanghai Characteristics · Suzhou Creek” will be launched. On the opening day of September 17, the Suzhou Creek water routes will also be in operation. Through various online and offline means, Suzhou Creek will be built into a public festival featuring city hotspots, wide participation, and grand gathering shared by all people in the city.
Chen Hong:
“Sihang Warehouse Wharf” is an important site of the Suzhou Creek water routes. We are now planning the live broadcast of Suzhou Creek in Jing’an to introduce more scenic spots of Suzhou Creek to visitors during their leisurely trips, mainly including the former site of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, Yutong Flour Factory, Sihang Warehouse War Memorial Hall, Tianhou Palace, Hudiewan Park, Zhejiang Road Bridge, Fujian Road Bridge, and OCT-Contemporary Art Terminal. In the live broadcast, we will reveal the profound history of those sites, and tell the new ongoing cultural stories through our lens. For example, we will specially introduce the new cultural tourism experience of “Sihang Warehouse Wharf—Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall—People’s Cafe—‘Special Red’ Theater”. We will visit the first China store of the famous comic strip The Adventures of Tintin at 805 Chang’an Road. With more than 200 IP derivatives, such as the 90 years with “Tintin”, the store bears the memory of generations of readers. We will also discover the delicacies and sceneries by Suzhou Creek, and highlight BVLGARI’s special Chinese cuisine and afternoon tea, as well as the delicacies of Rongshenfu Restaurant.
Chen Hong:
As the mother river of Shanghai, Suzhou Creek has nurtured this great city and cultivated the Shanghai spirit. It is the very root and soul of Shanghai culture. In the future, more cultural venues will be built along Suzhou Creek in Jing’an, introducing more cultural industries and cultural products. The diversified cultures and magnificent buildings and various business forms carried by Suzhou Creek will surely be well-integrated to present a brighter picture.
Moderator:
The Bureau has been providing plenty of online information and immersive offline experiences. There are static exhibitions and Film Public Welfare, which cater to people of different tastes and needs, so that they can visit those venues in a cozy environment. The “venue code” inspection of each activity venue is also strictly implemented, is it?
Chen Hong:
The cultural tourism industry system of Jing’an has conscientiously followed the arrangements of the CPC Jing’an District Committee and Jing’an District People’s Government all the time, and firmly implemented the epidemic prevention and control of cultural tourism venues within our jurisdiction to ensure the orderly operation of the cultural tourism market. We strictly require the event organizers and cultural tourism venues to implement the epidemic prevention requirements of different venues and the spirit of the Guidelines for Emergency Response to Epidemic Prevention and Control in Cultural Tourism Venues, and conduct an all-round inspection of the implementation of epidemic prevention measures in cultural and recreational venues in the district, so as to effectively fulfill the primary responsibility of cultural tourism enterprises for epidemic prevention and control. For instance, real-name appointments are required before participating in activities, and the venue code, Shanghai QR code, travel history code, nucleic acid test report, and other information need to be verified before entering the venue. Sufficient epidemic prevention materials need to be prepared, emergency plans and epidemic prevention and control mechanisms should be set up, and emergency response training for staff should be in place.
Chen Hong:
Under regular epidemic prevention and control, we hope these measures will not only ensure citizens happily and comfortably participate in activities, visit exhibitions, and watch movies, but also help venue operators and event organizers work relievedly, so as to shore up the confidence of the cultural tourism market and recover its vitality as soon as possible.
Moderator:
Jing’an District boasts profound revolutionary history and culture. Based on its regional characteristics, Jing’an provides citizens with on-site teaching of the Party history during the “Revolutionary Culture—Urban Archaeology Team Activity”, such as visiting century-old residences, seeking the trace of history, literature, and art, and interpreting the historic design. Are those activities specially designed for the younger generation? Fudeli is a very successful musical. Are there any performance plans in the future?
Chen Hong:
The non-fictional drama Fudeli produced by the Publicity Department of the CPC Jing’an District Committee and the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Jing’an District is the first drama reflecting the convening of the Second CPC National Congress and the adoption of the first Party Constitution, and also the first play commissioned by Shanghai Jing’an Modern Drama Valley. Since its premiere in April last year, Fudeli has been continuously staged in Shanghai for two rounds and toured 10 cities including Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Yantai, and Yiling, with a total of 33 performances in theaters, creating records of three theater performances in three days on average within 100 days and the same play staged in three theaters in one city. This has attracted wide attention from all sectors of society. We are grateful for the audience’s support and love for this play.
Chen Hong:
The year 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the convening of the Second CPC National Congress and the adoption of the first Party Constitution. We are making every effort to advance the two plans of “HD Video of Fudeli” and Fudeli. Among them, the HD video of the non-fictional drama Fudeli will be another brand-new literary and artistic form reflecting the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and also the first theatrical video produced by Jing’an District. It not only restores the charm of the stage and showcases the details of the scene, but also brings a more diversified and direct sensory experience to the audience with the help of modern technology, and presents the unique charm of “watching a drama in a theater” to the audience. The book of Fudeli has interviewed many participants and witnesses of the play. Through their narrations, the book interprets the creation background, and details on the stage or behind the scenes of Fudeli, and decodes its key to success and future path.
Chen Hong:
We try our best to make the non-fictional drama Fudeli HD video and Fudeli book into classic and excellent ones. Meanwhile, we will hold a preview and a premiere ceremony of HD video, and a series of activities such as the first release and signing of books. With such efforts, we will continue to expand “Fudeli” IP to celebrate the centenary of the Second CPC National Congress and the enactment of the first Party Constitution and welcome the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Moderator:
Those wonderful activities and art festivals in previous years still remain vivid in the memories of people in Jing’an. Jazz festivals, coffee festivals, drama valleys, and other events broaden our horizons, nourish our minds, and help us accumulate knowledge of culture and art. As our minds are enriched and visions broadened in this fulfilling life, we become stronger and more optimistic. The Culture and Tourism Bureau of Jing’an District has shown us its confidence in the future through careful planning.
Chen Hong:
Jing’an District boasts abundant cultural resources, including plenty of public cultural sites, various public spaces, cultural enterprises, state-owned theaters and troupes, and private non-enterprise cultural units, and its performance resources rank among the top in the city. According to statistics, there are 19 theaters, four new performance spaces, and five street performance sites in Jing’an. The only immersive play in Asia, Sleepnomore, and the permanent performance, ERA Time Travel were staged there. Throughout the year, there were 3,200 theater performances, with more than 2 million audiences, and the box office reached RMB 400 million. In Jing’an, a significant number of cultural and tourism activities were held, such as public cultural distribution projects, cultural development fund projects, “One Street, One Feature” special activities in communities, “Cultural Celebrities in Communities” activities, various social organization activities, and outdoor public benefit performances, registering more than 25,000 activities throughout the year, with more than 30 million local participants.
Chen Hong:
Jing’an Cultural Tourism Festival always focuses on the three cultural resources of Jing’an, namely “revolutionary culture”, “Hai Pai style culture” and “Jiangnan culture”. It strives to integrate the cultural elements into the roots of the city and the hearts of people, which will transform into the driving force for festival brand building. The Shanghai Jing’an Modern Drama Valley is held in April every year, with Famous Drama Performance, Famous Theaters, and One Drama Awards as the main sections to create a drama art event that attracts global attention and can be shared by all. The “JZ Spring” Music Festival is held during the May Day holiday every year. Combining indoor master concerts and outdoor public benefit performances, it focuses on promoting the appreciation and popularization of jazz and the direct engagement of audiences, so as to continuously enhance the brand influence of the music festival. Since the Shanghai (Jing’an) World Coffee Culture Festival was first held in 2006, it has made every effort to create a “coffee+” Hai Pai style cultural brand featuring “high quality, international-oriented, diversification and popularity”. Those various and wonderful cultural tourism festival activities with distinctive characteristics in Jing’an have met the cultural life needs of locals and are widely recognized by all sectors of society. Some cultural brands have been granted remarkable honors and strengthened cultural soft power for regional economic and social development.
Chen Hong:
Through drama, jazz, coffee culture, or tea culture, we are striving to attract top international and domestic works and talents to Jing’an, so that locals can appreciate at close range the best and latest works in China and even the world. Going forward, we will continue to encourage and support cultural venues and museums, art galleries, enterprises, and private non-enterprise organizations in the district to hold art activities and set up public benefit cultural courses, so as to improve citizens’ cultural literacy and create an urban cultural atmosphere.
Moderator:
That’s all for today’s interview. Thank you for sharing. Goodbye!