Moments of April 2018 (Jing'an)
Wires to go underground
A three-year project to bury 62.8 kilometers of overhead cables started this month as part of efforts to spruce up the look of the district.
The first cables to go underground were along 2 kilometers of Qufu and Tiantong roads. Forty-five utility poles that carried wires supplying electricity and telecommunications services are disappearing from the landscape.
“We started the program here because Qufu Road is being widened and upgraded as a main thoroughfare to relieve traffic pressure on the Beiheng Passage,” said Dong Weiyi, deputy director of the district’s construction management authority.
He said the district has tailored plans for every road where cables will be moved underground. Each takes into consideration the local environment and conditions.
“In the southern area of Jing’an, where a large number of historic buildings is located, we need to take historical preservation into consideration in any excavation work,” he said.
In the first year of the project 12.6 kilometers of overhead cables on 21 roads are planned for burial, officials said.
Roman culture
An art exhibition exploring Roman postwar culture through the early 1960s is being held at historical Rong Villa.
More than 30 paintings and sculptures by renowned artists, including Afro Basaldella, Mirko Basaldella and Alberto Burri, are on display in the century-old villa.
The exhibition will run through May 27. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Visitors can book at Prada’s official WeChat site.
The villa, the former residence of Chinese business tycoon Rong Zongjing, reopened last year after a six-year renovation spearheaded by Italian luxury brand Prada.
Self-service basketball
Eleven self-service basketball courts are opening in Jing’an this year as part of the district’s efforts to make sports more accessible to the public, according to the local sports authority.
Last July, Jing’an was the first district in the city to open self-service courts. So far, nearly 20,000 people have used them.
To gain entry, users scan a QR code at the gate, which activates a timer. Payment is made via WeChat when users leave. Each of the courts will have a home team competing in an amateur league, officials said.
Hits of Venice
Show puppet artists from Shaanxi Province staged shows recently in the Ming Contemporary Art Museum, marking the start of a Shanghai tour of folk arts that participated in the 57th Venice Biennale in Venice last year.
The puppetry shows, which tell legendary Chinese folk tales, were a big hit in Venice.
The performances utilized multimedia effects. The exhibition will run through June 3. The admission fee is 40 yuan (US$6.4).
Jazz Festival
The annual JZ Spring will be held from April 30 to May 2, with special activities marking the centenary of jazz in Shanghai.
The opening ceremony on the evening of April 30 in the Shanghai Center Theater coincides with the 8th International Jazz Day. New York Voices, a Grammy award–winning American vocal group, will perform.
Musicians and artists from more than 20 countries will present free street shows along Nanjing Road W. and in shopping malls over the three days.
Photographic contest
Jing’an is holding a photography contest focused on the district’s environment and residents’ daily lives. Anyone interested in participating should send entries to ilovejingan@126.com by June 30. First prize in the contest is 5,000 yuan.