A new eSport park is under construction in Qingpu

It won't be long before local residents can watch eSport competitions at their doorstep, as the construction of an international high-tech park is on a fast track.

The 1.5-million-square-meter NetEase Shanghai International Culture and Innovation Science and Technology Park, with an investment of around 5 billion yuan (US$787.2 million), broke ground in 2020 and will feature eSport, virtual reality and gaming companies.

The park's main areas are expected to begin operations in 2024, including the NetEase Shanghai eSport Hall, office buildings, high-tech labs and an e-commercial offline experience center.

The park aims to employ more than 20,000 professionals and form a scale effect of industrial talent, which will greatly promote the employment of scientific and technological innovation talent in Qingpu, making the district into a center of innovation, incubation, technology, commerce, lifestyle and events.

It will support the development of Shanghai Shixi Software Information Park and fuel the development of Qingpu's software information industry.

The project has finished its excavation in the northern part and 20 percent of the pile-foundation construction in its southern zone.

In September 2018, Shanghai government signed a strategic cooperation agreement with NetEast to promote the landing of industrial projects such as cross-border e-commerce and eSports in the city.

In addition, NetEase will combine the resources of Qingpu's cultural history and other aspects to boost influential cultural and technological activities, such as e-Sports events, music festivals and art exhibitions of gaming.

The integration of resources is expected to make Qingpu become an influential cultural model of innovation development and public cultural services for local residents.