In recent years, Yangpu has successfully transitioned from an industrial belt to a life belt. Guided by the principle of using culture as the soul and innovation as the driving force, the district has diligently implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee. By integrating cultural and tourism initiatives into the general framework of modernization, Yangpu has progressively established a new cultural and tourism ecosystem where history and modernity intermingle, and energy coexists with warmth.

On the afternoon of April 28, the Yangpu District Cultural and Tourism Development Conference took place. The conference was focused on supporting Shanghai's goal of becoming the premier practice area for Xi Jinping's cultural thought, a model people's city, and a world-renowned tourism city. It aimed to forge a new path for high-quality cultural and tourism development that reflects the district's distinct features. Xue Kan, Secretary of the CPC Yangpu District Committee; and Xiang Yihai, Deputy Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (SMACT), attended and spoke at the event. Zhou Haiying, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Yangpu District Committee and Head of Yangpu District, presided over the conference. Among other attendees were Zhou Rong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Yangpu District Committee; Shi Fang, Member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Yangpu District Committee; Bu Jian, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Yangpu District People's Congress; Wang Hao, Deputy Head of Yangpu District; and Gu Dengmei, Vice Chairperson of the CPPCC Yangpu District Committee.

The vision of "A Different Yangpu" is centered on supporting the development of a world-renowned tourism city. By focusing on the integration of culture and tourism, and fostering the synergy between technology and humanities, as well as between history and the future, the district aims to deliver a fresh cultural and tourism experience that embodies the essence of Shanghai's urban chic and trendy entertainment.

Xue noted that culture is the soul of tourism, while tourism serves as the vehicle for culture. The high-quality development of culture and tourism acts as a crucial driver for stable growth and expanded domestic demand. It also serves as a key catalyst for fostering innovation district-wide, an essential means of enhancing quality of life, and a critical platform for presenting the district's image. For Yangpu, advancing the high-quality development of culture and tourism is not a matter of choice but a necessity. Yangpu must harness the collective strength of the entire district to expedite this process, forge the unique charm and core competitiveness of Yangpu's culture and tourism, and shape the "A Different Yangpu" tourism brand.

Explore the rich heritage of "cultural landscapes" to create a story-filled Yangpu identity. As living standards continue to rise, the cultural experience of "discovering history and enjoying life" is emerging as a popular choice for cultural tourism. To meet this demand, Yangpu must delve deeper into the rich cultural heritage of the "four century-old legacies". The district should breathe new life into the historical relics of its century-old industrial legacy, design engaging study tour routes around its century-old universities, preserve and carry forward its century-old red DNA, and narrate the inspiring stories of the rejuvenation of its century-old municipal works. By doing so, Yangpu can create distinctive cultural tourism products that embody the unique spirit and cultural depth of Yangpu, truly integrating culture with tourism.

Elevate the essence of "tech feel" and create fresh experiences for future tourism. Innovation is the cornerstone of high-quality development in culture and tourism. As one of the first national innovative districts, an "Innovation China" pilot urban district, a national demonstration zone for innovation-driven development, as well as a vibrant district that attracts a significant influx of young talents, Yangpu has a robust demand for tech-infused cultural tourism products that are cutting-edge and trendy. The district must capitalize on its strengths in technological innovation, harness technology to empower its cultural and tourism sector, and foster tremendous core competitiveness. By integrating advanced technologies to create immersive tourism scenarios, the district can develop more innovative cultural and tourism products that feature cutting-edge "black technologies" and robust "hard technologies". This will lead to the creation of more tech-driven cultural tourism experiences that are perceptible, interactive, and creative.

To highlight its international appeal and foster an open, inclusive tourism environment, Yangpu is poised to embrace the growing influx of foreign tourists, many of whom arrive in Shanghai as their first stop in China. By actively participating in the city's transit tourism initiatives, the district will further amplify its "Discover Fun in Yangpu" tourism brand. It will focus on meeting the cultural experience expectations of foreign visitors, especially their interest in Chinese and Shanghai cultures. Through collaboration with reputable institutions, Yangpu will delve into its rich historical and cultural heritage to create targeted, premium tour routes. The district's goal is to establish a compelling inbound tourism framework in Yangpu, positioning it as a must-visit destination where foreign tourists can truly see Shanghai and China.

Enhance an "integrated" mindset to drive the synergistic development of culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions. The core of this integration lies in resource sharing and value co-creation. Yangpu must focus on advancing the coordinated development of cultural and tourism resources throughout the district. The district will actively support the growth of integrated industries, including "music + tourism", "performance + tourism", and "sports events + tourism". It aims to comprehensively enhance tourism reception and services, expedite the upgrade of tourism infrastructure, and further explore the vast potential of integrating cultural tourism with a wide range of other industries. Additionally, the district is poised to expand its cultural and tourism partnerships by deepening collaboration with counterpart areas and sister cities. Together, they will create unique and premium "multi-stop" travel experiences, aiming to achieve synergies that make "1+1>2". In doing so, Yangpu will further expand the network of friends and partners for its cultural and tourism endeavors.

Upholding the philosophy of city-district collaboration and resource decentralization for regional empowerment, and working together to advance the integrated development of culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions

"Here, we're mapping out the vision for Yangpu's cultural and tourism development and exploring ways to enhance coordinated efforts between the city and district levels in this sector," Xiang noted. As the origin of the people's city concept, Yangpu has been actively forging ahead by implementing the concept, reigniting innovative development, and lifting the spirit of Yangpu. With a forward-looking mindset, unique insights, and pragmatic actions, the district has made significant progress in integrating culture and tourism and driving high-quality development. This has led to the emergence of several cultural and tourism projects that serve as models not only in Shanghai but also nationwide.

At a new historical juncture and with new development opportunities on the horizon, SMACT will embrace the philosophy of city-district collaboration and resource decentralization for regional development. Together with Yangpu, it will strive to advance the integrated development of culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions, create world-class performance venues, stimulate cultural and tourism consumption, and boost the city's economic growth. Joint efforts will also be made to nurture emerging cultural and tourism industries, with emphasis on enabling Yangpu to utilize leading enterprises, drive innovative digital and real economy integration, and spearhead the growth of premium original cross-dimensional industries. Furthermore, the two sides will collaborate on developing thematic cultural and tourism routes. SMACT will pool resources, refine mechanisms, and concentrate efforts to bolster the tourism development of Yangpu in coordination with key branded events.

At the conference, SMACT presented an overview of its recent key initiatives in the cultural and tourism sector. Looking ahead, Yangpu will concentrate on leveraging culture to enhance tourism, enriching the lives of the people through cultural activities, and fostering industries via cultural development. The district will meticulously plan and adopt precise measures to create an inbound tourism development zone, an urban tourism innovation zone, and a demonstration zone for deep integration between culture and tourism.

The heads of the Yangpu Development and Reform Commission, Shanghai Grand Theatre, and Ctrip Group shared their approaches and innovative strategies for strengthening planning guidance, development premium cultural spaces, and elevating the tourism industry to a higher level.

The "Discover Fun in Yangpu" themed tour and the Chinese-English version of Yangpu Citywalk were unveiled. Through a video, it highlights the recommended routes and key attractions for foreign visitors in Yangpu, showcasing the unique highlights of "Discovery Fun in Yangpu" to draw more tourists to have fun in Yangpu.

In an effort to consolidate resources in culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions, the representative of the Self Media Committee of the Yangpu Internet Development Association and the team leader of "Zimin", one of Bilibili's top 100 content creators, called for the creation of the "A Different Yangpu" cultural and tourism ecosystem at the conference. This initiative was supported by a coalition of cultural and tourism companies, including Theatre YOUNG, Ctrip Group, SAL Tours, Sui On Group, Dewu Group, Shanghai Fashion Center, and Sanming CITS, who signed a joint initiative.

To further boost the cultural and tourism sector, Yangpu has introduced the Yangpu Partnership Program for High-Quality Development of Culture and Tourism. This program focuses on five key areas: enhancing policy support and guidance, fostering a collaborative framework, stimulating the development of cultural and tourism products, improving the industry ecosystem, and amplifying promotional efforts. By doing so, it aims to facilitate the efficient integration of resources across culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions, thereby driving the steady and sustainable development of the accommodation industry, travel agencies, and other associated fields. At present, the formulation of the Three-Year Action Plan for the High-Quality Development of Tourism in Yangpu District is under way. This plan will introduce a "1+3+5" tourism development framework, create the distinctive "A Different Yangpu" tourism brand, and shape a spatial layout that includes "one belt" (Yangpu Riverside Cultural Belt), "one area" (Wujiaochang National Night Culture and Tourism Consumption Agglomeration Area), and "one axis" (Cultural and Performance Axis). With a focus on better products, deeper integration, greater innovation, superior services, and compelling stories, it will enhance the cultural and tourism ecosystem and expedite the strategic placement and upgrade of tourism resources.