摘要：Celine, a Parisian fashion house, has brought a bit of the French Riviera to Zhangyuan, one of Shanghai’s finest preserved shikume

Jing’an is a place where global brands and local culture thrive together. This late spring, four brand-driven events are bringing a fresh burst of energy to the district’s already dynamic retail scene.

Celine, a Parisian fashion house, has brought a bit of the French Riviera to Zhangyuan, one of Shanghai’s finest preserved shikumen (stone-gate) complexes, with a limited-time pop-up experience.

The company has turned the historic courtyard into a summer retreat with French charm and urban style.

Olive trees, lavender and Celine’s Triomphe fountain form the backdrop, while a leisure area offers pétanque (a

French ball game similar to bocce), Finnish skittles and vintage cart ice cream. French-style cafés with herringbone flooring and open-air seating complete the atmosphere.

Original woodwork and carved ceilings provide the boutique a warm, sophisticated atmosphere for Celine’s summer collection.

Sail-inspired white draperies emphasize handpicked raffia baskets, leather items and breezy ready-to-wear that exude French summer chic.

Date: Through May 11
Venue: Zhangyuan W12
Address: 258 Maoming Rd N.

German footwear brand Birkenstock has opened a new concept store in Zhangyuan, blending minimalist design with the charm of old Shanghai.

The space showcases Birkenstock’s signature and premium collections.

The new Boro line, which includes three denim sandals made in collaboration with American footwear designer Jesse Leyva, will be available exclusively at the store. Inspired by Japan’s centuries-old Boro patchwork process, the line incorporates indigo-dyed textiles and suede uppers made from 75 chosen historic blankets acquired throughout Japan.

Venue: Zhangyuan W9
Address: 200 Maoming Rd N.

Prada has inaugurated its first standalone fine dining location in Asia, Mi Shang Prada Rong Zhai, which combines high fashion and high cuisine in the historic Rong Zhai estate.

Working with well-known filmmaker Wong Kar-wai, the restaurant uses the mirrored elegance of tête-bêche stamps to convert the place into a cinematic combination of art, culture and design.

The menu from brunch to dinner blends Italian and Chinese ingredients. Michelin-trained chef Lorenzo Lunghi heads the kitchen, and pastry expert Diego Crosara crafts sweets, making Mi Shang Prada Rong Zhai both a visual and culinary delight.

Venue: Rong Zhai
Address: 186 Shaanxi Rd N.

Loro Piana, a century-old Italian company, has unveiled its first global exhibition in Shanghai, highlighting its deep connection with China.

China’s contribution to the brand’s legacy began in 1986, when Pier Luigi Loro Piana found the extremely delicate baby cashmere fibers in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The brand later established its own raw materials lab in China in 1987. Loro Piana is now part of the LVMH company, which has its headquarters in Jing’an.

The exhibition provides a sensory trip through re-creations of the brand’s labs. There is also an extra-large cashmere sofa made by Cini Boeri, allowing guests to experience the softness while watching Chinese artist Qiu Zhijie’s works.

Date: Through May 5
Venue: Museum of Art Pudong
Address: 2777 Binjiang Ave

Annual theater festival gets the heart

throbbing with passion and performance

A wide array of foreign and local performances opened the annual Shanghai Jing’an Theatre Festival this month. This year’s festival, from April 25 to June 2, comprises 84 shows spanning 20 productions from China, the UK, France, Italy, Canada, Russia, and more, with around 90 percent of international acts making their China debut.

Shanghai’s top seven theaters, including the Daning Theatre, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center and FANCL Arts Center, are hosting the shows.

The Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center’s compelling stage rendition of the hit TV series “The Age of Awakening” opened the festival. The play traces the formation of the Communist Party of China and its legacy through the battles of progressive intellectuals and idealistic teenagers a century ago.

British award-winning director Rebecca Frecknall’s creative reimagining of August Strindberg’s 1888 “Miss Julie” is one of the most anticipated productions. Produced by International Theater Amsterdam, this marks the company’s first-ever performance in China.

Julie, a rebellious daughter of a wealthy businessman, and John, her father’s driver, want to rebel on a sweltering July night. Julie’s friend and John’s wife, Christine, stand between them. A flirtation turns into a deadly stalemate that no one survives. Strindberg’s classic is updated by Frecknall, who explores class, power and untamed passions.

Canadian theater artist Robert Lepage brings “The Far Side of the Moon” to China for the first time after 25 years of touring 22 countries. The play offers a captivating exploration of both outer and inner space. Lepage employs stunning technical wizardry to portray two stories: the public history of the space race and the private story of two brothers grieving.

Italian theater master Pippo Delbono will present “Amore” (“Love”) and “Il Risveglio” (“Awakening”), co-produced with Emilia Romagna Teatro eRT and Teatro Nazionale. These, too, will be making their China debuts.

The non-professional artists in “Amore” combine Portuguese fado music with international poetry. Elena Delbono’s 2024 work, “Il Risveglio,” scored by cellist Giovanni Ricciardi, draws from her illness and bereavement.

The festival will conclude with French director Philippe Quesne’s “The Garden of Delights,” a captivating blend of medieval fantasy, sci-fi and eco-parable. Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s surreal triptych, Quesne creates a disturbing image of humanity’s hopes and concerns in a time of change.

Tickets start at 100 yuan (US$13.68), and foreign shows can cost up to 680 yuan. They are available on Maoyan and Damai.

Jing’an tops the globe in terms of

cafes per square kilometer

The 2025 Jing’an World Coffee Culture Festival made a comeback this month. This year’s event included a coffee market, which ran from April 16 to April 20 at Feng Sheng Li Jing’an Temple Square and the outdoor space of Jiuguang Department Store across the street, bringing together over 50 coffee vendors.

The expo featured favorites like Starbucks, % Arabica and DOe, as well as newcomers like T12, Fisher Coffee and Juan Valdez.

A noteworthy collaboration united Jing’an’s time-honored TCM pharmacy Lei Yun Shang West with GABee, one of Asia’s top 50 coffee brands, for “TCM Coffee,” which features three limited-edition drinks brewed with herbs such as licorice, astragalus and poria cocos. Visitors had the chance to weigh classic TCM-style coffee beans and take home beans wrapped in TCM-inspired packaging.

Beyond the fair, more than 2,000 stores in Jing’an are giving discounts as part of the festival, which runs until May 5.

According to CBNData’s 2025 Shanghai Coffee Consumption Trend Report, Jing’an has 57 coffee shops per square kilometer, more than New York’s Manhattan (42) and Tokyo’s Shibuya (48), with Nanjing Road W. now home to a coffee shop every 30 meters, making it Shanghai’s most coffee-dense street.

At the heart of Jing’an District, the Nanjing Road W. Functional Zone integrates business, culture, history, and innovation into a dynamic urban landscape. Established in July 2020, the zone—also known as Nanxi—spans 6.7 square kilometers and includes five core subdistricts: Jing’ansi, Caojiadu, Jiangning Road, Shimen Road No. 2, and Nanjing Road W.

Boasting five Metro lines and direct access to the Yan’an and North-South elevated roads, the area offers excellent connectivity—positioning it as a magnet for enterprises, talent, and visitors alike.

Here, tradition and modernity intertwine. Public spaces like Jing’an Park and Sculpture Park are seamlessly integrated with upscale commercial landmarks such as the Jing’an Kerry Centre, Plaza 66, and HKRI Taikoo Hui. These coexist with heritage sites like Jing’an Villa and Zhangyuan, forming a richly layered urban fabric.

More than a business hub, the zone stands out for its livability and character. Over 30 percent of the area is green space, and 145 historic buildings have been preserved, reinforcing its role as one of Shanghai’s most distinctive neighborhoods.

The skyline is defined by a corridor of Grade-A office towers stretching from east to west. These anchor the zone’s headquarters economy and export-oriented industries. Six pillar sectors shape the local ecosystem: trade and commerce, financial services, professional services, cultural and creative industries, life and health, and data intelligence.

By the end of 2023, the zone had generated 31.654 billion yuan (US$4.34 billion) in tax revenue—a 22.02 percent year-on-year increase—accounting for nearly half of the district’s total. Thirty-seven buildings in the area now each contribute over 100 million yuan annually in taxes.

This year, nearly 200,000 square meters of new Grade-A office space is set to be added. Over the next three years, a series of major urban renewal projects will further elevate the area’s profile.

Westgate Mall will introduce about 125,000 square meters of mixed-use space, including 102,800 square meters above ground, expanding public and commercial areas.

Zhangyuan’s east zone is being reborn as a multifunctional community featuring commerce, living, culture, and leisure—covering 122,000 square meters with seamless access to three Metro lines. The China Resources Center, designed by the late Richard Rogers in his final China project, will offer 130,000 square meters of mixed-use space, including 90,000 square meters for offices.

On the western edge, the Yongyuanbang project will bring 87,000 square meters of new construction, including 43,000 square meters above ground for hotels and commercial use. It will host the headquarters of a leading tech company and serve as a new district landmark.

This month, a new international urban development initiative—"Global Spotlight on West Nanjing Road – Block Synerge"—was launched. The initiative aims to transform Nanjing Road W. into a global hub for business, cultural exchanges, and sustainable development.

In its inaugural season, the zone is partnering with New York’s Fifth Avenue to explore shared challenges and opportunities in areas such as technology, sustainability, and commercial revitalization. Future collaborations are also planned with London, Paris, and Milan.

The long-term goal is to develop the area from a traditional Central Business District (CBD) into a Central Activity Zone (CAZ) that supports business, community life, and cultural programming. The vision is described as an “open global urban lab,” where each renewal reflects a people-oriented approach and every brick contributes to Shanghai’s international presence.

To support this initiative, 10 industry leaders—including Lan Zhenzhen, President of Public Affairs for L’Oréal North Asia & China; Bruno Lannes, Senior Partner at Bain & Company; and Mao Fang, Vice President at Meituan Dianping—have been appointed as “NANXI Business Environment Evaluation Officers.”

A group of influencers, scholars, and even a humanoid robot were named “NANXI Experience Ambassadors,” launching a social media campaign under the theme “I Speak for NANXI.”

Also unveiled was the Integrated Investment Service Sub-Center of NANXI, designed to streamline business services and further enhance the zone’s appeal to global enterprises.

来源：上海静安