Tradition comes alive in monthlong activities

Jing'an District celebrated June in a traditional manner with a robust selection of experiences offered around China's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day and Dragon Boat Festival, the only UNESCO-listed traditional Chinese festival.

Jing'an Culture Center transported visitors back to old Shanghai by reconstructing scenes of daily life in the city's shikumen stone-gated neighborhoods a century ago, where signature pieces from the district's heritage-listed brands, like Longfeng's qipao dresses and Humsuit's shirts and suits, were on display.

In addition, people could try various centuries-old handicrafts. Popular were making pankou (buttons on cheongsam) and xiangnang (fragrant sachets), a typical Dragon Boat Festival accessory with a metaphor to dispelling evil.

Another popular attraction was Daning Park, where people dressed in hanfu attire attended for a lotus-themed summertime garden party. Besides booming lotuses, there were also displays of traditional Chinese opera, piyingxi (Chinese shadow puppetry) and other folk arts.

Life Hub @ Daning opened a guofeng (Chinese-chic) fair, and Daning Jiuguang Center presented guofeng music performances as well as dance performances by Chinese and French dancers in celebration of 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations

For those looking to indulge in a captivating journey through the district's cultural heritages, Jing'an has designed a 2-kilometer walking route: Jing'an Culture Center – Dameihua cloth shoes store – Lei Yun Shang West TCM pharmacy – Humsuit suits –Longfeng qipao shop – Mei Long Zhen restaurant – Lu Yang Cun restaurant – Kaisiling pastries – Life Fun food – Zhangyuan Garden – Wang Jia Sha eatery.