New landmark boosts Yangtze River Delta zone's brand, influence

The Watertown Parlor is the core of the Yangtze River Delta Integration Demonstration Zone, while the Square Hall and Water Courtyard serves as its central hub and key functional carrier.

As the zone's new landmark, the Square Hall and Water Courtyard's host of the 2025 Global Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development – its "first major conference," marking a critical step from blueprint to functional upgrading, significantly boosting its brand and influence.

Following its debut at the conference, the Square Hall and Water Courtyard will soon host major events like the YRD Reits Forum and Taihu World Cultural Forum. In the future, a large number of high-level international and domestic conferences, exhibitions and forums will be held here annually, generating active flow of people, goods, capital and information which will spur regional development momentum and enhance global competitiveness of the area.

The Watertown Parlor spans the junction of Shanghai as well as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, covering parts of Jinze Town (Qingpu District, Shanghai), Lili Town (Wujiang District, Suzhou, Jiangsu) and Xitang Town and Yaozhuang Town (Jiashan County, Jiaxing, Zhejiang).

The Square Hall and Water Courtyard plays a pivotal role in the parlor, with a total construction area of about 104,000 square meters. Themed pavilions for Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui at four corners are connected by three cross-regional bridges and corridors to form a reception hall.

The main venue for the conference opening ceremony, the Yangtze River Delta Pavilion, features an exhibition and performance area covering 2,800 square meters, a conference center with 2,000-person capacity and VIP reception facilities, small meeting rooms and a 1,400-square-meter dining area for diverse catering and conference needs.

The Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui themed pavilions where the four parallel forums were held were each designed with regional characteristics and equipped with 300-person multi-function halls and large open exhibition halls.