Constructions of major projects begin and garden opens
Constructions begin
Four major construction projects with total investment over 6.54 billion yuan (US$909 million) have begun this month in the district.
The lion's share went to an urban renewal project in the Jiangning Road Subdistrict.
More than 5.2 billion yuan will be spent on repairing historical buildings and erecting new ones on a plot of land, surrounded by Kangding Garden to the east, Kangding Road to the south, Changhua Road to the west, and South Lawn Garden to the north.
A modern residential complex mixed with historical vibe will arise there.
Ruichuang Valley in the midst of the Shibei High Technology park will include research and development centers and offices.
An expansion of Shibei Senior High School will include a four-floored music hall and an underground swimming pool.
Meanwhile, two dilapidated buildings, with shared kitchen and no toilets at No.18-20 and 21-23, Lane 802, Gonghexin Road, will be renovated to become modern residences for 34 families.
Fox leaps into city
A giant Arctic fox has leaped across the continents to Shanghai!
Called "Let's Jump," the 20-meter-high art installation is located in the public green space of the Shanghai Suhewan Mixc World along Suzhou Creek.
It was designed in the style of a jumping Arctic fox, with its "fur" made of nearly 380,000 pieces of Tyvek eco-friendly paper, which was manually pasted onto the body to create the fluffy quality.
The installation was co-created by Arcfox, a Chinese electric car brand; and Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who's commonly known as the "Father of the Rubber Duck."
Garden opens
The garden of the former residence of business tycoon Robert Ho Tung (1862-1956) has opened to the public after being closed for nearly a century.
The garden takes up nearly one-third of a 10,000-square-meter villa property at 457 Shaanxi Road N.
Built in 1928, it is a Neoclassical-style home designed by legendary architect Laszlo Hudec (1893-1958), who created more than 60 impressive buildings in Shanghai.
After the tycoon moved back to Hong Kong in 1949, Shanghai's housing authority took over the estate. Later, it became the office of the Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House.
After the publisher left and the site was renovated to become a creative park, the garden was made accessible to the public recently.
Winter cherry blossoms
Winter cherry blossoms have reached full bloom at Jing'an Park.
The six cherry trees on the lawn in the midst of the park usually flower from September or October through December.
However, a hotter summer and autumn delayed the blossoms. The trees flowered in late November and the flowers are currently in full bloom.
The second flowering season is expected by the end of March this year.
Explore distinctive stores on foot
Six themed walking routes that link some of the most distinctive stores in Jing'an have been released by the district's commerce commission as a new alternative for a good weekend getaway. Here are two routes:
'Foodies Walk'
Starting from Joy Maison at the century-old Denis Apartments at 722 Nanjing Road W., walkers can experience the subtle blend of a traditional Shanghai-style grocery store and the Japanese-style liquor culture. They can then walk 855 meters to the Shenzhen-based boutique coffee chain Kuddo Coffee, 520 meters to the renowned French restaurant LUMIÈRES JéJé at Plaza 66, and 675 meters to popular bakery Paper Stone Bakery. The final stop is Roastelier, a benchtop roaster by Nescafé that provides freshly-baked coffee beans.
'Walk'n'shop Jaunt'
Explore some of the best boutique stores in the iconic "Ju Fu Chang" area, a historical and chic community formed by Julu, Fumin and Changle roads.
Start with the domestic fashion brand Xiao Zhuo at 758 Julu Road. Then walk 188 meters to Yasi that sells China's Ru porcelain, and 285 meters to Hitable, another porcelain store. The next stop is Labelhood, a leading independent platform for emerging fashion designers in China, just 8 meters from Hitable.
National tourism & leisure street
Anyi Road, a narrow lane tucked between the buildings of the Jing'an Kerry Center, has been recently designated national tourism and leisure block.
It is home to the pop-up fair Green Escape, and has held several of the city's most popular activities such as a jazz festival, drama festival and a fashion festival.
Children's New Year celebration
Nearly 150 children from Jing'an Children's Palace recently presented a show to celebrate the arrival of the new year. Performances included Peking Opera, piano and guzheng – a Chinese zither.
