From industrial rust belt to life show belt

The crispy air in fall gently breezes over Yangpu waterfront, bringing coolness and peace to the riverside area dotted by reed marshes, old plants, anchored ship piles and towering cranes.

The carefully preserved industrial heritage makes a century of industrial development an epitome of the district.

The Yangpu riverside area was at the heart of the development of China's modern industry, where the nation's first waterworks, power plant, gas plant and many other "firsts" emerged.

It became known as the "corridor of China's modern industrial civilization."

In the past decade, Yangpu riverside has evolved from a production shoreline dominated by factories and warehouses to one enclosed by parks and green spaces, undergoing a magnificent transformation from an "industrial rust belt" to a "life show belt."

The concept of "people's city" has pointed the direction for Yangpu, at the critical period of innovation and development, and provided a fundamental basis for it.

The district regards the waterfront as the core area to practice the concept, and strives to create a demonstration area and benchmark for urban construction.

Water and soil conservation is incorporated into the greening configuration and local plant species are used to bring in a colorful world throughout the year.

The "rainwater garden" has created a low-carbon, low-energy consumption ecological environment.

The three paths for walking, jogging and cycling are connected to allow people to exercise.

The "industrial heritage show belt, the original landscape experience belt and the three paths intertwined vitality belt" enable people to travel and play.

Through this transformation, the riverside area takes on a new look.

Along the shoreline of the south section of Yangpu riverside, there are 66 historical buildings earmarked for preservation, with a total construction area of 262,000 square meters.

There are 50 immovable cultural heritages within the riverside area, accounting for more than 60 percent of the total number of various cultural heritages in the district.

In September 2020, Yangpu was short listed for the first batch of national cultural heritages protection and utilization demonstration areas with the theme of "life show belt."

Yangpu fully respects the initiative of the people and makes every effort to build a community of social governance that is jointly built, governed and shared.

On the shoreline, "people's suggestion-collecting spots" are set up in the Party service stations about every 700 meters. People put forward suggestions through voice, video or text for life improvements to the district government.

This is being promoted to the whole district, with hundreds of suggestions having been collected so far.