Shanghai has been exploring the deep integration of culture and tourism since the beginning of 2026 to stimulate consumer spending linked to films, performing arts, and other cultural attractions.
The city's Wu'an Film District is home to more than 50 film-themed tourist attractions, including the Wukang Building and the Shanghai Film Actors Troupe. Nearly 200 businesses and shops within the district connect the on-screen and off-screen worlds, giving tourists a brand-new experience.
At MetroCity, a popular commercial district in Shanghai, the first animation-themed cinema in China is luring customers to the mall, with sales during the New Year's Day holiday increasing by 7.6 percent year on year.
"It's a great idea to bring the movie scenes closer to us, making them more relevant to our lives," said Ling Yan, a tourist.
In the West Bund in Shanghai's Xuhui District, a vibrant complex integrating culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibition is thriving; Yuyuan Garden, a commercial street highlighting oriental aesthetic elements is bustling with activity; while in the Show Life area of Huangpu District, 27 professional theaters and 116 innovative performance spaces connect a complete chain of performance, consumer offerings and sightseeing.
"Red tourism", themed around the history of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), is another major trend in Shanghai. The site of the First CPC National Congress and the Sinan Mansions attract tourists from all over the country. During the New Year's Day holiday this year, sales at the cultural and creative store at the site of the First CPC National Congress increased by over 90 percent year on year.
Shanghai explores integration of culture, tourism to stimulate spending
