Enjoy rivers, sports and nightlife over summer

Paddling Open

The 2023 Suhewan Shanghai Paddling Open was held on Suzhou Creek on June 10.

It started at 8am at Butterfly Bay Park, with Anyuan Road Bridge and South-North Elevated Road as the two ends.

Nearly 300 professional and amateur paddlers from the Yangtze River Delta region took part in various categories such as relay, speed racing and skills challenge.

“My colleagues and I knew nothing about paddling before we took part in this competition,” said a competitor from a nearby company. “To my surprise, it was really fun and we all fell in love with it. We have made plans to paddle in suburban parks after it.”

Jing’an has been working to combine its riverside resources with its sports contests.

Over the years, it has held several major contests on the Suzhou Creek, such as Canoe Marathon World Cup and Head of Shanghai River Regatta.

Recently, padding has become a new trend in outdoor sports and a popular lifestyle among the youngsters. The district’s sports bureau designed a paddling competition to cater to the demands and encourage more young people to play sports.

Some 6.3 kilometers of Suzhou Creek runs through Jing’an.

The riverside areas have been renovated into a people-centric public space with local flavor and historical charm. Four walking paths have been built to create more greenway and make the riverside more pedestrian-friendly.

A new public leisure space under the Gonghexin Road Bridge will soon open to the public. It will feature a basketball court, running tracks, skateboard court and dance stage.

Historic sites along the river have also become popular landmarks, such as the former Foh Sing Mill, the former Bank of China and Sihang Warehouse Battle Memorial.

According to the local sports bureau, more sports events will be designed to connect riverside public spaces, historic sites and commercial areas so as to build a “Suzhou Creek sports community.”

Nightlife in Jing'an

Summer is here and it’s time to spend nights with families or friends enjoying breezes.

Shanghai Suhewan MIXC World, a newcomer and cultural landmark along the Suzhou Creek, has plenty to offer.

On June 21, its “Night on Suhewan” summer nightlife festival raised its curtain with the Asia debut of “The Infinity Flow,” a sound and light art installation show created by renowned French art group Collectif Scale. It consists of two installations — “Ammonite” in front of the Tianhou Palace and “Flux” in front of the Shenyuli — which create a dialogue between modern technologies and old buildings.

Tianhou Palace’s history can be traced back to the late 19th century when it was the city’s largest temple to Mazu (the goddess of the sea), and Shenyuli, built in the 1930s, is one of the city’s best-preserved shikumen (stone-gate) neighborhoods.

Both of them have been restored to their original looks using traditional craftsmanship, and now are part of the Suhewan MIXC World to be used as boutiques, showrooms and cafes.

Throughout the festival, which will run till August 8, the show will be presented every 30 minutes from 6pm to 10pm every day.

Live music performance will further inject vitality to summer nights.

From 7:30pm to 11pm, Fridays to Sundays, June 30 to August 6, the “Sunset Valley Concert” will be staged to present folk, rock, jazz and other music performances by musicians such as Adelaide, Kong Xiangchao and Chen Mengyu. Over the period, several restaurants and bars in the mall will extend their operation hours to small hours. They include SALTY Bistro, PLUTO and Sideways by Cellar to Table.

Livestreaming of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships will be available from 5pm to 11pm, Fridays to Sundays, July 8 to July 16.

Other recommended sites include CITIC Square. As one of the oldest high-end shopping malls on the bustling Nanjing Road W., it has become a popular commercial landmark among young trendsetters after it reopened to the public in 2021 following its biggest renovation in history.

The partially borderless mall features 14 large terraces and balconies, seamlessly integrating the city views and fueling the nightlife economy in a distinctive way. And it has planned a variety of activities on its terraces, such as outdoor movie screenings, concerts and rooftop exhibitions.

Jing’an Joy City mall has created a foodie heaven around its iconic Ferris wheel on the rooftop. Popular restaurants such as Zhu Yuguang Hotpot and Liu Dongliang Street Food have opened. Jing’an IMIX Park mall has opened a nightlife fair featuring food, music and dance. It will also upgrade its outdoor camping area.