Film festival boosts tourism, consumption in Shanghai

The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival has not only offered film lovers an annual celebration of cinema but also boosted local tourism and consumer spending.

The film festival, held from June 13 to 22, drew large crowds to the city's shopping districts, which became popular destinations for young and international visitors.

"I want to go to the film theater that is near the hotel. I was so surprised that you have so much cultural stuff that I went, 'Oh my God, I need to learn Chinese,'" said a tourist from Mexico.

"There are movies and light shows, which makes it super chill. I can grab some Southeast Asian food by the lake and feel like I'm in Thailand or Singapore for the night," said a local resident.

Visitors have been pleasantly surprised by the vibrant atmosphere surrounding the festival.

"I came from out of town just for the Shanghai International Film Festival, but I didn't expect there would be so much more to enjoy beyond the movies. The food, drinks, and entertainment really surprised me," another tourist remarked.

During this year's film festival, more than 40 cinemas and over 200 public theaters in Shanghai partnered with major shopping districts to create a film-and-consumption ecosystem.

Film festival boosts tourism, consumption in Shanghai

Liu Haixing, special envoy of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, visited Laos on Tuesday to congratulate the successful convening of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and Thongloun Sisoulith on his election as general secretary of the 12th LPRP Central Committee.

Liu, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a congratulatory letter from Xi to Thongloun and conveyed a message.

The message stated that China stands ready to work with Laos to advance the continuous development of a China-Laos community with a shared future, guided by the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries.

Thongloun expressed his sincere appreciation and extended warm greetings to Xi.

He noted that the new central leadership of the LPRP attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to work closely with China to continuously elevate bilateral relations between the two parties and two countries to a higher level.

Xi's special envoy visits Laos