This year marks the 5th anniversary of the concept of people's city. As the place where it was first proposed, Yangpu is thriving with a flourishing digital economy and a dynamic, youthful spirit. Let's immerse ourselves in this city that is becoming increasingly "YOUNG" for the people...

Endlessly unleashing new momentum is the path to development for a people's city.

From virtual taekwondo and drone soccer to light-sensitive shooting games...residents and tourists could play and consume as they wished from Jiangwan Stadium to the time-limited pedestrian street on Daxue Road. Inaugural exhibitions of top IPs such as X11 x Reverse: 1999 "Box Exhibition" special pop-up and "Guti&Guta Land" were launched one after another. This summer, the fervor for ACGN in Wujiaochang was as intense as the heat of the dog days, offering residents and tourists relaxing and healing scene experiences. "Bilibili Summer Graduation Concert", "NFL FLAG National Football Finals"…Wujiaochang Sub-district has innovatively introduced a joint approval system for activities in the Wujiaochang business district to facilitate a one-stop approval process. Account registration, space leasing, project recommendation, tax services…"Home Valley" in Kongjiang Road Sub-district starts from the "new", providing one-stop full-cycle services to companies and entrepreneurs in the jurisdiction.

The new practices of the people's city have ignited the trendy creativity and Yangpu has been working ceaselessly to create a district with the warmest business environment.

Polishing the "Digital Yangpu" brand through the interconnection and mutual enhancement of resources

Exercising and consuming as they wish amid the "Olympic fever.

Nowadays, the "formula" of "sports + business" in Shanghai is no longer a new thing. Linking multiple formats with sports and public fitness has further stimulated the vitality of the city, which is a solution of Yangpu in recent years.

The time-limited pedestrian street on Daxue Road, which was unveiled in May last year, has become a popular "trend distribution center" for residents and visitors. Recently, it has become a good destination for "sports socializing" - the YEAHH PARK Sports Market was held here. Fitness enthusiasts, parents coming with their children, nearby residents...Amid the "Olympic fever", everyone enjoyed a multi-element sports experience. Visitors queued up for a virtual taekwondo experience, and Ms. Jiang joined the queue with her child. "My child already has a foundation in taekwondo, so I wanted him to experience the difference between virtual and actual field practices," she said.

We noticed that during the summer vacation, many projects on the scene mainly aimed at the development of youth sports courses, attracting flocks of parents to enroll their children. "Inspired by the Olympics, my child took an interest in shooting and enjoyed the trial today, leading us to enroll in a summer course to nurture their passion for the sport," said a parent.

Many visitors gave it a try at the "You Lose Weight, I Pay" weightlifting experience site. The project leader said, "What we are conveying is a healthy and positive sports concept. As a matter of fact, lifting a 100kg dumbbell is challenging for most people, so we advise against trying it lightly to avoid sports injuries."

On the site, visitors could play and consume as they wished. The event features an innovative point system where participants can earn points through a digital platform by checking in and then redeem these points for various "benefits". Additionally, in collaboration with Meituan and Dianping, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Sports has initiated a special campaign themed "Public Fitness Together with the Olympics", distributing 6 million yuan worth of sports consumption vouchers via their respective apps. Over 7,000 local sports merchants in Shanghai have joined this campaign.

Notably, Yangpu's new round of sports vouchers for 2024 is also being distributed, with an enhanced value that can be combined with the city vouchers, scheduled to be released in three installments during the "Shanghai Summer" International Consumption Season, available for residents to claim as desired.

The "Public Fitness Together with the Olympics" - Shanghai 2024 "Sports Promotion Week" Launch Ceremony &"Yangpu Summer Night" Sports Consumption Festival kicked off at Jiangwan Stadium. Stretching about 1.2 kilometers from the stadium to Daxue Road's time-limited pedestrian street, the event aimed to deepen the integration of business, tourism, culture, sports and exhibitions to boost the Olympic night economy.

With a great concentration of universities and leading companies, Yangpu has accentuated the pioneering role of "digitalization", "youthfulness" and "immersiveness". Through the interconnection and mutual enhancement of commercial, tourism, cultural, sports and exhibition resources, Yangpu has innovated consumption patterns and polished the "Digital Yangpu" brand. Looking ahead, Yangpu will inject more vitality and innovative elements into communities, and offer residents diverse experiences, thus creating a new model for integration of sports and commerce.

The fervor for ACGN is as intense as the heat of the dog days

Recently, BilibiliWorld 2024, hosted by Yangpu-based Bilibili, became a breakout hit, with the fervor for ACGN sweeping through the youth and driving a new surge in cultural and tourism spending.

The inaugural exhibitions of top IPs such as X11 x Reverse: 1999 "Box Exhibition" special pop-up and "Guti&Guta Land" were launched one after another. This summer, the fervor for ACGN in Wujiaochang was as intense as the heat of the dog days, offering residents and tourists relaxing and healing scene experiences.

At the X11 x Reverse: 1999 "Box Exhibition" special pop-up, gamers could purchase limited-edition products and enjoy offline, immersive experiences. "Guti&Guta Land" was designed to offer a theme park atmosphere reminiscent of comic exhibitions, all without an entry fee. Attracting the youth with activities that cater to their interests, continuously refreshing commercial content and heating up the first-store economy has been a focus for Hopson One Wujiaochang in recent years. Since 2023, it has brought in 120 businesses, more than half of which are first stores in northern Shanghai or the area.

"Our customer base mainly consists of young people and young families. We have anticipated market trends and found that the youth value aesthetics, experiences and emotional value, and they have a particular 'obsession' with popular stores," said a head of Hopson One Wujiaochang. Adjustments were made in a timely manner, not just as short-term market actions but also based on long-term development plans. The goal is to meet the spiritual needs of young people by continuously introducing first-store brands and optimizing commercial content.

Statistics show that Hopson One Wujiaochang's sales exceeded 5.5 billion yuan in 2023 and topped 3.3 billion yuan in the first half of 2024. Looking ahead, the focus remains on "trendy entertainment + regional first stores". "In terms of brand introduction, we will lean more towards young and internet-famous brands, and pay more attention to the commercial services of the area, using the effects of market activities to attract visitors. We will also continue to monitor changes in young consumers' preferences, hoping to keep the mall's brands in sync with their needs by regularly updating our brand mix," said a head of Hopson One Wujiaochang.

Innovatively introducing a joint approval system for activities to facilitate a one-stop approval process

"Bilibili Summer Graduation Concert", "NFL FLAG National Football Finals"…Wujiaochang is a favorite among various event organizers. For this reason, Wujiaochang has innovatively introduced a joint approval system for activities in the Wujiaochang business district, facilitating a one-stop approval process through online pre-reviews and offline final reviews by multiple departments. Since the joint approval system came into effect in 2023, the sub-district has held over 60 joint review meetings, approving over 200 events, including product launches, art performances and co-branding creation.

On one side, Wujiaochang has "large and comprehensive" shopping malls, and on the other side, "small and refined" shops. A variety of co-branded exhibitions, brand launches and unique consumer experiences has "rotated on stage", further propelling the Wujiaochang national night cultural and tourism consumption cluster to improve its quality and expand its influence.

"The 'Home Valley' embarks on a new journey with a mission to connect every promising startup with its mentor."

Driven by a deep passion for Shanghai's rich historical and cultural heritage, young entrepreneur Zhang Yucheng has aspired to produce a series of youth-oriented red-themed dramas set against the backdrop of Shanghai. These dramas aim to recount the fervent years through a contemporary lens, thereby preserving the legacy of the revolutionary spirit.

"Turning dreams into reality is challenging," Zhang said. "As a startup project, we were confronted with numerous obstacles such as funding shortages, finding suitable venues and team assembly." In 2023, he approached the "Home Valley" team in Kongjiang Road Sub-district with his Youth-oriented Red Drama Series with a Shanghai Theme, securing comprehensive support including venue provision, policy guidance and resource connectivity. "Thanks to the recommendation by the 'Home Valley', our project was part of the 2023 Yangpu District Entrepreneurship Competition, where we were honored with an award of excellence.

In April 2024, Zhang's vision began to materialize with the successful registration of "Shanghai Kuangkuang Information Technology Co., Ltd."

Zhang Zhuoyi, Head of Operation and Maintenance at the "Home Valley" in Kongjiang Road Sub-district, said, "This center pools a variety of business resources from across the sub-district. From account registration and space leasing to project recommendation, tax services, professional legal consultation, market analysis...the 'Home Valley' provides one-stop full-cycle services to companies and entrepreneurs in the jurisdiction."

Launched in 2023, the "Home Valley" in Kongjiang Road Sub-district serves multiple roles, integrating functions such as a Party and mass service center for new economic and social organizations, a business incubator, a business service center, an innovation and entrepreneurship platform for overseas Chinese youth, and a service center for SORSA Yangpu. It acts as both a platform dedicated to serving businesses and a gateway for investment attraction.

Xu Chunmin, who returned to China from the U.S. to start his own business, is the founder and general manager of Shanghai Gongxing Youlu Education Technology Co., Ltd. For him, every visit to the "Home Valley" in Kongjiang Road Sub-district is like "coming home", a place where he feels "very welcome and warm, with services that are meticulously attentive."

He naturally seized the opportunity to participate in the "Guixin DEMO DAY" themed roadshow event held there in July: "The roadshow allowed me to grasp the key concerns of investors, and they offered a lot of valuable suggestions and advice for my business project. This kind of feedback is incredibly important for the project's future development. So, being part of it and getting this precious chance to engage in dialogue and present, I think it's fantastic."

The "Guixin DEMO DAY", "Guixin Interesting", "Guixin Practical", "Guixin Afternoon Tea" and "Guixin Study Camp" are the five major "Guixin" series, which have become the hallmark of the "Home Valley" and are particularly favored by entrepreneurs, especially those who are returning from overseas.

Stories like those of Zhang Yucheng and Xu Chunmin are a common occurrence at the "Home Valley". Zhang said, "We aim to build a bridge that enables every promising startup to encounter its 'mentor', fostering tangible cooperation opportunities."

Looking ahead, Kongjiang Road Sub-district will stay focused on the needs of businesses, continuously refine its capabilities, diversify its service offerings, and cultivate an excellent environment for the incubation, growth and development of companies. Utilizing the "Home Valley" as a platform, they will further eliminate the "last mile" of barriers in business services, thereby contributing to building Yangpu into a district with the warmest business environment.