Jing'an Moments
Cultural festival
The Beizhan subdistrict will hold its first community cultural festival through October, with an array of programs and activities for the public.
The opening ceremony was held on June 9 at the historical Xintai Warehouse, built in 1920 by the Wing On retail mall. After restoration, the warehouse is now a mixed-use facility housing company headquarters and a fashion and recreation center.
For the opening, children presented a Peking Opera performance, and paintings showing the history of the subdistrict were displayed.
The festival will also include a chess competition, a photo exhibition and a class in cheongsam design.
Chinese students shine
Shanghai International Studies University’s Jing’an Foreign Languages high School won silver in the United States Academic Pentathlon, a five-event scholastic competition for students.
Nine students represented the school in the competition, which is considered the most reputable academic competition for middle school students.
They were tested in English in five disciplines: literature, science, social science, art and mathematics. There were 42 finalists from 22 schools in US and 20 in China.
Rooftop vegetable
The Kerry Everbright City, a mixed-use complex near the Shanghai Railway Station, has turned three of its rooftops into vegetable gardens covering almost 300 square meters.
Nearly 40 vegetables are planted there, including radishes, cucumbers, lettuce and pumpkin.
The gardens are built on environmentally friendly gardening techniques. Rainwater is captured and stored for irrigation, and coffee grounds collected from the complex’s cafes are used as mulch.
employees from the property’s management company and sanitation workers from the local Beizhan subdistrict are participating in the project. The sanitation crew, mostly migrants from rural areas, is lending farming skills to garden cultivation.
Gardening experts have also been invited to provide tips on getting the best harvests.
Comic books of history
Lianhuanhua, or pocket-sized comic books, were first published in the 1920s in the Beizhan subdistrict and quickly became popular entertainment.
A lianhuanhua exhibition was held at the Jing’an Library retracing stories from the historical Shaanxi Road and the area on the northern bank of Suzhou Creek that once was the cradle of Shanghai commerce and business.
Dragon boat sachets
Sachets filled with fragrant herbs and medicinal powders are traditionally worn around the Dragon Boat Festival, which took place on June 18 this year.
The aromas they disperse are said to repel insects and, traditionally, to ward off evil spirits. Ancient Chinese people wore sachets as fashion accessories, but today they are more apt to be hung as household decorations.
The 300-year-old Leiyunshang pharmacy sells sachets in a variety of shapes and contents.
Lego town
A mini town made by Lego pieces was erected in the Fengshengli commercial complex, featuring different figures from kings to baseball players. Visitors were invited to make their own Lego works and watch classic Lego film scenes.
Green reminders
People wore shoe covers painted green and green leaves were painted on the ground in front of the Jing’an Kerry Center on June 5 to mark World environment Day. The event was staged to raise public awareness of the need to protect the environment.
