Shanghai to hold shortened tourism festival
The annual Shanghai Tourism Festival will be shortened this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year's festival will run from September 12 to 27, the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism announced on Friday.
The annual event usually lasts until early October.
Strict epidemic prevention measures will be imposed during the festival as well.
"As precautions against the epidemic, the duration and scale of activities for this year's festival will be controlled," Yu Xiufen, director of the administration, said.
The number of city-level offline activities will be limited to below 10 and most will be held outdoors.
In addition, they will last under 45 minutes and all participants will be required to keep a distance over one meter from each, according to the administration.
Participants will have their temperatures measured and health QR codes checked, and must wear masks during indoor activities.
The opening ceremony of the festival will take place on Nanjing Rd E. at 7:30pm on September 12 and last only about 20 minutes.
The float parade, a tradition of the festival, will not be held this year.
A promotional video of Shanghai culture and tourism will be screened during the opening ceremony, the administration said.
During the festival, a number of new tourism routes of the Huangpu River will be launched, together with Huangpu River cruise tour products stringing attractions along the river, said Yu.
A variety of countryside park tour routes will be released during the festival.
Tour routes blending culture and tourism, food, shopping, industry, agriculture and sports will also be launched during the festival, said Yu.
There will be sub-venues of the festival in cities in the Yangtze River Delta region for the first time to promote cultural and tourism routes in the region and lift the influence of the festival.
Online activities will also be held, the administration said.
Shanghai's tourism festival has a history dating back to 1990.
