As early summer settles over Shanghai, the city's outdoor patios and river-side seating areas are buzzing with life, boosting urban consumption with cultural features and cozy vibes.
At the North Bund along Suzhou Creek, Hongshufang, or literally "Rainbow Book Boat," commands a prime riverside spot, offering visitors sweeping views of the downtown skyline and the Bund's historic architecture on the opposite bank, drawing lively crowds.
"Suzhou Creek already has such a strong cultural vibe, and now a modern space with a bookstore, it really lifts the whole cultural atmosphere of Suzhou Creek," said a tourist surnamed Cai.
Originally the office of the maritime authority, the building underwent a full-scale renovation this year and has been reborn as a multi-purpose cultural destination combining a bookstore, creative retail, dining, and exhibition areas. More than 60 percent of the venue is outdoor seating, a design choice that has markedly boosted commercial energy along the waterfront. As of Wednesday, within just two months of opening, it has welcomed over 560,000 visitors.
At the West Bund in Xuhui District, the riverside dining scene is equally vibrant, where visitors can take in the waterfront views and taste seasonal favorites. With summer night fair activities rolling out, merchants will extend their hours late into the evening starting mid-June.
"It is wonderful. Sitting here with the river breeze, the river view, and a plate of crawfish, just pure relaxation," said resident Ms. Duan.
As outdoor commercial spaces keep growing, local operators are finding fresh themes and activities to attract diners and shoppers.
"Our outdoor operation area has grown at least 30 to 40 percent since last year, and we are still looking for new possibilities. From decoration and display to service, everything is blending more seamlessly with the riverside vibe. This year, starting from the May Day holiday, we also launched a fresh summer night market theme," said Wang Yihao, a business owner at the Shanghai West Bund Dream Center.
Outdoor spaces featuring culture, river view stimulate summer consumption in Shanghai
Colombians are heading to the polls on Sunday to elect their next president. The country's constitution prevents the current President, Gustavo Petro, from running for a second term.
Yet, many see this election as a referendum on the policies of Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first leftist president.
There are 14 candidates on Sunday's ballot, but the polls show it will likely be a tight three-way race.
The frontrunner is Ivan Cepeda, a 63-year-old three-term senator, representing President Gustavo Petro's party, the Historic Pact coalition. Cepeda has vowed to defend and deepen Petro's progressive reforms and social justice policies to reduce inequality. He also promises to continue the government's controversial "Total Peace" strategy to negotiate the disarmament of remaining guerrilla groups and criminal gangs.
"True prosperity comes from equality, from access to rights, and from transforming the peripheral and excluded territories of the rural world," Cepeda said at a campaign rally.
Running as a political outsider and independent is Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer, nicknamed "The Tiger." He has presented himself as the "authority and order" candidate who will reduce state spending by up to 40 percent in the next four years.
"(First,) we must fight insecurity. Colombia is suffering today from a pandemic of insecurity. Crime is out of control: extortion, cattle theft, smuggling, drug trafficking," he said to his supporters at an election event.
According to polls, the third candidate with strong support is Paloma Valencia. The 48-year-old senator represents the Democratic Center party led by popular former President Alvaro Uribe Velez. Her candidacy is backed by politicians and economists who are concerned with growing levels of public debt. They want to see a return to more conservative fiscal policies.
"I don't want to be a president who governs alone, locked away in glass offices. I want to be a president who stands with citizens, who embraces them, who reaches out to them, who has a team, and who governs to transform Colombia," the candidate said at the campaign event
According to polls earlier in the year, many voters are expressing concerns about unemployment, rising living costs, corruption, and, above all, public security.
The election comes after a turbulent year that the International Committee of the Red Cross has called "the worst humanitarian consequences of armed conflict over the past decade."
"(We arrive at this election in a tense atmosphere - tense) because of the economic situation, because of the security situation, and because of the narratives that have been built around the country's main problems. On top of that, emotions, ideas and social media have all helped raise (the tone,)" said Eduardo Velosa, associate professor from International Studies Javeriana University.
If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election will be held between the top two finishers on June 21st.
Colombians prepare to choose their next president
