Major facelift planned for pedestrian street plaza
Visitors take photos of a newly unveiled art installation honoring Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai at the Century Plaza ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The iconic Century Plaza on the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall will be renovated to continue hosting various events and highlight the city’s riverfront area.
As the pedestrian street has been extended to the Bund, the plaza near its center will undergo a major facelift later this year, the Huangpu District government said.
After the makeover, the plaza will include a main structure known as the “pearl kaleidoscope,” a greenery sightseeing platform and a shell-like square. At night, the main structure will be illuminated to look like a shining pearl in its shell.
The plaza will have larger space to host a greater variety of events, while offering a place for leisure to tourists and locals. Global brands on the road will be invited to release their new products there.
The pedestrian mall, known as China’s No. 1 commercial street, received over 200 million tourists in 2019 with total sales exceeding 18 billion yuan (US$2.64 billion), making it one of the most lucrative commercial hubs in the city. Over 20 international and time-honored local brands are operating on the street, the district government said.
A new art installation was launched at the plaza on Tuesday night to celebrate the coming Mid-Autumn Festival and mark one of the last events before the facelift project.
A 5-meter-tall sculpture of Li Bai, one of China’s greatest poets from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-960) has been unveiled at the plaza. The poet holds a wine cup toward the moon, while nearby screens display his famous moon-related poems such as “Drinking Alone by Moonlight” and “A Tranquil Night.”
Singing, dancing and other performances honoring the great poet Li will be held during the eight-day holiday at the plaza.
The plaza was initially built for the grand opening of the pedestrian street in 1999. It later became one of the city's most popular sites for New Year countdowns as well as other cultural events.
In the latest major event, an interactive installation theme park featuring around 100 cartoon and animation figures by Bilibili was staged at the plaza. Livestreaming events in cooperation with Douyin and Himalaya have been held near the plaza.
“More stylish, fashionable and characteristic events will be held at the plaza after its renovation to mainly attract young visitors,” said an official with the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall Development Co.
According to statistics, nearby 40 percent of visitors to the pedestrian street are between 25 and 34 years old.
