As the New Year is just around the corner, the festive atmosphere is building in Shanghai, attracting a steady stream of foreign visitors to the city's major shopping districts and museums.
At Xintiandi, one of Shanghai's iconic commercial hubs, the streets are decorated with colorful lights and flags, creating a vibrant atmosphere. Historic Shikumen buildings have been repurposed into fashionable retail spaces, where time-honored Chinese brands sit alongside fashion stores. The blend of local culture and international style has made the area particularly popular with overseas visitors.
"I'm from Saudi Arabia and I came to China, Shanghai specifically, just to visit. Lots of people from my country come here and I think it's very worth it. The decoration here is amazing, so it's a very nice place to celebrate the holidays," said a tourist.
"I come from Australia and because it's visa free now, it's very convenient. This is the sixth time I've been to China this year," shared another tourist at the commercial center.
Foreign visitors are also being drawn to cultural spaces for a taste of Chinese history. At the Shanghai Museum, a special co-branded art show is on display. The exhibition brings together the museum's treasured artifacts with cutting-edge technologies such as AI lighting, holographic projections, and interactive robots, creating an immersive cultural experience that bridges past and future.
"They are combining the history with technology and with the modern approach. You know, this is, I think this will be very interesting for the younger generation or the children. They'll be more excited to see," said a foreign visitor at the museum.
"As the New Year approaches, this is naturally a peak period for overseas visitors, and our museum also offers distinctive experiences. Nearly one-third of our daily visitors come from abroad," said Zhou Peimin, Head of the art show's organizer.
Festive buzz in Shanghai attracts foreign tourists ahead of New Year
Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po, more commonly known as Panchen Rinpoche and a leader of Tibetan Buddhism, has completed a six-month tour of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, during which he performed regular duties, conducted research and surveys, and participated in various Buddhist and social activities.
During his tour, Panchen Rinpoche, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, attended celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Xizang Autonomous Region in the regional capital Lhasa in August.
He then visited the prefecture-level cities of Qamdo, Nagqu, and Xigaze to conduct field research, gaining insights into rural revitalization, the development of harmonious and beautiful highland villages, and the advancement of Tibetan medicine.
He also traveled to Dingri County in Xigaze to learn about post-quake reconstruction progress and assess local residents' living conditions after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the county in January.
At the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze, his traditional seat, Panchen Rinpoche presided over the Kalachakra (wheel of time) ritual and attended both the 30th-anniversary commemoration of his enthronement and a symposium on the reincarnation system of Tibetan Buddhist Living Buddhas.
Over the past three decades since his enthronement, Panchen Rinpoche has upheld Tibetan Buddhism's proud tradition of patriotism and devotion to faith. His Buddhist scholarship has grown ever more profound, earning him deep affection and respect from monastics and devotees alike.
He has made significant contributions to promoting ethnic unity, religious harmony, and Xizang's social stability and development.
As president of the Xizang branch of the Buddhist Association of China, Panchen Rinpoche also convened a series of work meetings of the branch, visited major monasteries including the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, and held extensive discussions with leaders and practitioners across the Tibetan Buddhist community.
He encouraged monastics to actively engage in the new journey toward Chinese modernization, and to play a greater role in advancing the adaptation of Tibetan Buddhism to socialist society, fostering a stronger sense of the Chinese nation as one community, and jointly writing a new chapter for a more beautiful Xizang.
Panchen Rinpoche concludes six-month tour of Xizang
