【Shanghai Daily & JING』AN News】Moments in November

Editor’s note:

Jing』an sits at the heart of Shanghai. It represents the essence of the history and culture of the city, home to century-old buildings, big-name attractions, glitzy retail malls and charming art galleries. Annual music and art events give the district a distinctive ambience. In this series, we showcase the highlights of Jing』an.

Jing』an shines at CIIE

Viatris, a company created by the merger of pharmaceutical giants Mylan and Pfizer Upjohn, makes its Chinese debut. — Ti Gong

AstraZeneca Global R&D (China) (Preparatory) is launched in Jing』an. — Ti Gong

Slide up to read

This year, 48 companies with offices and regional headquarters in Jing』an District attended the third China International Import Expo, a 26 percent increase over last year.

Of them, top luxury company Richemont, fashion giant Inditex and international sports brand Yonex took part in the expo for the first time.

French beauty giant L』Oreal, a third-time participant, signed memorandums of cooperation to participate in the expo for the next three years.

There were many other highlights for Jing』an-based companies at the expo.

Biological medicine

Jing』an hosted a conference to promote its biomedical industry at the National Exhibition and Convention Center on November 7.

During the conference, the Jing』an District government inked a strategic cooperation agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers to strengthen information exchanges and promote economic development in the district.

Of the top 50 global pharmaceutical companies, 25 have a presence in Jing』an, including Pfizer, Sanofi, AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb.

In 2019, the health-care industry contributed 4.4 billion yuan (US$670.12 million) to Jing』an’s economy. Local officials will strengthen efforts to attract more pharmaceutical regional headquarters and create a new innovation hub for the biomedical industry, said Wang Hua, director of Jing』an.

Zhang Ying, deputy director of the Shanghai Economy and Information Technology Commission, said the commission will help attract major biomedical projects to Jing』an, deepen cooperation between researchers and hospitals and promote a digital upgrade for the industry.

During CIIE, Viatris, a company created by the merger of pharmaceutical giants Mylan and Pfizer Upjohn, made its Chinese debut.

The new company has patented nearly 1,400 chemical compounds and biological products, and offers more than 20 drugs to treat allergies, mental disorders, liver diseases and more for the Chinese market. Of them, Lipitor and Norvasc have been available in China for more than 20 years, and are two of the most popular drugs to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Pfizer is the world’s largest biopharmaceutical company in terms of sales and market value. Last year, it opened the global headquarters for its generic and off-patent drug unit Pfizer Upjohn in Jing』an — one of its three global business units — the first time the company opened a global headquarters for a business unit outside the United States.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca unveiled a new research and development center at CIIE. The United Kingdom-based company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Jing』an District government during last year’s expo. The creation of the AstraZeneca Global R&D (China) grew

out of that agreement.

According to company officials, Jing』an’s EDGE plaza will house the new R&D center. AstraZeneca will gather resources and talent to help create a biopharmaceutical industry cluster and innovation hub in Jing』an.

The company also plans to set up a sales division in the district. All told, AstraZeneca is expected to generate annual tax revenues of more than 200 million yuan.

The district government will continue to provide support and services to encourage more international companies to set up shops in Jing』an, said Yu Yong, Party chief of Jing』an.

China is AstraZeneca’s second-largest market. The world’s 12th-largest pharmaceutical company has imported more than 30 innovative drugs and advanced devices to treat respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic and other diseases.

This year, the company joined hands with the University of Oxford to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Results of the final-stage trail are expected to be published by the end of this year.

During CIIE, American dental equipment manufacturer Dentsply Sirona, displayed its CEREC method to create dental restorations.

With advanced technologies such as 3D imaging and automated modeling, dentists can produce ceramic restorations for teeth within 30 minutes.

CEREC has been used on more than 7 million people globally, including patients at Shanghai’s Huashan and Huadong hospitals, according to Huang Ling, sales manager of Dentsply Sirona.

Import expo highlights lifestyle and leisure

Inditex’s showroom at CIIE — Ti Gong

Stringing master Zhang Kui shows visitors the finer points of badminton-racket stringing at Yonex’s CIIE booth. — Ti Gong

Slide up to read

Environmentally friendly lifestyle

Swedish home furnishing retailer IKEA built a 「sustainable home」 at its CIIE booth.

The 360-square-meter home, featuring a living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and other living spaces, is made of recycled materials.

Materials recycled from last year’s expo were used to create interior decorations such as curtains and lamps.

Additionally, a new food storage and waste-sorting system was displayed in the kitchen, as well as an energy-saving automated temperature sensor and controlling system.

Jin Di, public relations director of IKEA China, said the company has been promoting green and sustainable living for years, and was a CIIE 「green development partner」 for the second year.

In July, IKEA opened its first urban Chinese store in the downtown Jing』an Temple area in Jing』an.

The three-story, 3,000-square-meter outlet on Nanjing Road W. set out to attract more repeat customers than its suburban Chinese locations.

Shoppers can scan a barcode on any of the store’s 3,500 items for product details and to place orders. The outlet has become an 「Internet celebrity」 site in Jing』an.

IKEA plans to add more stores in Shanghai, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay area and in cities such as Fuzhou, Nanning and Kunming.

It will invest 200 million yuan in China to optimize product manufacturing, design and logistics.

Sports

This year’s expo featured a special section for sporting goods and competitions in the consumer goods exhibition area that covered 7,300 square meters.

It attracted many international sporting event organizers, athletic brands and sports technology companies, such as Nike, Decathlon, the NBA, Yonex and Nintendo Switch.

Yonex built a small badminton court at its booth. Badminton has become one of the expo’s most popular sports, and Yonex invited two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan and former women’s singles world champion Wang Yihan to participate.

Stringing master Zhang Kui showed visitors the finer points of badminton-racket stringing with a new machine that was supposed to make its debut at this year’s postponed Tokyo Olympics.

Fashion and cosmetics

Over the six-day expo, Swiss watch and jewelry manufacturer Richemont displayed many of its world-famous brands, including Cartier, Montblanc, Vacheron Constantin and Piaget.

At its booth, interactive technology was used to create a 360-degree Cartier jewelry hologram.

Richemont also presented two documentaries made with Beijing’s Palace Museum, which houses exquisite antique clocks and jewels.

Guillaume Alix, CEO of Cartier China, said the brand hopes to deepen its bond with China and promote exchanges between Chinese and Western civilizations.

Richemont China CEO Jenny Gu said CIIE serves as an indispensable platform for multinational companies to promote their brands and facilitate their development in the Chinese market.

Spanish textiles manufacturer Inditex promoted four of its most popular brands — Zara, Zara Home, Massimo Dutti and Oysho — at the expo. The company displayed clothing, accessories and household products at its 504-square-meter exhibition booth to highlight the company’s concept of improving people’s quality of life.

Inditex officials said the textiles manufacturer hopes to leverage China’s rapidly growing online retailing and marketing trends. China has become one of the company’s biggest markets, which is leading the world in new marketing and sales concepts.

WeChat, Douyin and Xiaohongshu have become major promotional channels for Inditex and other global companies in China.

China is now French beauty giant L』Oreal’s second-biggest market, and the company is expediting the introduction of new brands, products, business formats and technologies in the country.

At the expo, L』Oreal debuted Perso, the first personalized makeup robot that uses artificial intelligence to produce skincare and makeup products.

Zhang Fan of L』Oreal said with Perso, people use an app to take a photo and within seconds the robot can detect their skin tone and texture and produce the appropriate lotion.

Earlier this year, makeup giant Maybelline — now part of L』Oréal — opened its first global concept shop on Wujiang Road in Jing』an. The store uses augmented reality technology that enables customers to see which makeup foundations best suit them.

Hot spots in postcards

A map of the city’s most popular destinations located close to Metro lines was a hit with CIIE attendees.

Xu Chenyao, who works for the city’s Metro operator Shentong, said people often ask her to recommend places to visit around town, so she decided to create a leaflet to better serve visitors.

In it, she lists the city’s most iconic destinations, such as Shanghai Disneyland, Yuyuan Garden and Jing』an Temple.

She also included Shanghai specialties such as xiaolongbao (steamed buns) and baizhanji (sliced cold chicken).

「With this leaflet, visitors can locate Metro stations and enjoy the city’s flavor,」 Xu said. 「The last page of the leaflet is designed as a postcard that visitors can take it home as a souvenir.」

Facelifts for Nanjing Road W. landmarks

Kokaistudios』 design for CITIC Pacific Plaza’s podium introduces the concept of 「a pixel city,」 displaying a hi-tech image of the renovated building. — Ti Gong

An artist’s rendering of the high-end commercial complex under construction on the site of the former Shanghai JC Mandarin Hotel. — Ti Gong

Slide up to read

Renovations of three major landmark buildings on bustling Nanjing Road W. will soon be completed.

The former Shanghai JC Mandarin Hotel, one of the city’s oldest luxury hotels dating back 30 years, is being converted into a high-end commercial complex. Major structural work on the building — which sits opposite Plaza 66 in Nanjing Road’s most highly coveted section — is complete.

Scaffolding outside the retail podium is coming down, and the public will soon witness its new and improved appearance.

The overall renovation is set to finish by the end of this year, and tenants will begin moving in immediately thereafter, according to Yang Jian, vice president of the Shanghai Baohua Group.

JC Mandarin opened to the public following the merger of three hotels — Jinjiang, Cangzhou and Mandarin Oriental. It was one of the most popular and prestigious five-star hotels in Shanghai until it was sold in 2013. To meet the changing landscape of Nanjing Road, Baohua decided to transform it from merely a hotel to a full-blown commercial juggernaut.

The site will consist of a 17-story office building and five-floor podium, which will open in September 2021 as a high-end retail mall featuring luxury outlets and fine dining.

「It’s not a new building but an old building being granted a new lease of life,」 Yang said, adding the new site will be called JC Mandarin Plaza to commemorate its past.

「We』ve heard many locals say the hotel is full of memories and was a symbol of reform and China’s opening-up to the world,」 Yang said. 「We added some nostalgic elements to the design to keep such memories alive.」

Just across the street, CITIC Pacific Plaza’s podium is undergoing the biggest renovation in its 20-year history, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.

Officials said the renovation will set the plaza back by as much as 600 million yuan (US$91.38 million), but is necessary to meet the changing demands of younger people who expect more personalized and interactive experiences.

Nearly 80 percent of the brands in the refurbished plaza will be new to Shanghai, which officials hope will set it apart from nearby retail malls.

The renowned architecture firm Kokaistudios introduced the concept of 「a pixel city」 into the design. Well-arranged glass walls on the fa.ade will appear like countless computer pixels, displaying a hi-tech image of the renovated building.

The partially borderless plaza will feature 14 large terraces and balconies, as well as three crystal palace-like, transparent glass spaces, including a crown-style space on top of the building with 270 degrees of views. Discussions are underway with artists to combine advanced technologies and innovative art in the crown.

In response to the pandemic, the plaza will contain an advanced air-purifying system, akin to those used in Wuhan’s makeshift hospitals.

Jing』ansi Plaza across from Jing』an Temple will partially reopen by the end of the year. The sunken plaza opened in 1999 as a popular shopping destination for young people. Due to the construction of Metro Line 14, it was temporarily closed, which served as the perfect opportunity for an upgrade.

According to officials at the Shanghai Jindi Urban Construction Development Company, the plaza’s depth will be reduced from 7 to 2.5 meters to make room for a new underground pedestrian pathway designed to reduce traffic on Huashan Road. In a nod to nearby Jing』an Park, the plaza will feature more green space, including rows of Japanese maple trees that change color with the seasons.

In addition to these three landmarks, the Four Seasons Hotel and Shanghai Airport City Terminal are also undergoing renovations.

Over the years, Nanjing Road W. has upgraded to become a world-class community and retail hub. In April, it became the city’s first commercial area to experience an increase in sales, and during the 8-day National Day holiday year-on-year sales increased 26.1 percent.

According to the district’s commerce commission, Jing』an has introduced more than 300 brands since 2018 that made their debuts in either Shanghai or China — more than 70 percent of them on Nanjing Road W.

What’s more, the pandemic hasn’t affected that break-neck pace. In less than 3 kilometers of this major city artery, there are 70 commercial buildings that generate more than 100 million yuan in tax revenue annually.

As the gateway to new brands in Shanghai, more than 2,000 have set up shops on this fabled road, 60 percent of which are from overseas.

Moments in November

Slide up to read

Inexpensive breakfast

Office workers in the downtown Jing』an Temple area can now enjoy an 18-yuan (US$2.74) breakfast combo offered by the Swissotel Grand Shanghai.

At the corner of Yuyuan and Changde roads, a red container-size breakfast stall offers salad, milk, coffee, sandwiches, rolls, bread and pastries — all freshly made and, according to hotel officials, the same quality as those sold in the hotel.

The specially designed 18-yuan breakfast set includes a hot drink, raisin muffin and Danish fruit bread.

The district government has encouraged local eateries to expand their menus to include inexpensive breakfast items.

Pocket park

A music-themed pocket park is now open at the corner of Jiaozhou and Anyuan roads, renovated from a 1,000-sqaure-meter temporary parking lot. Notes written on music staff are incorporated into the design of the park’s walking paths and benches. Plus, an interactive installation formed by giant loudspeakers makes sounds such as singing birds, ringing bells and flowing water.

Better eldercare

Jing』ansi Subdistrict, with one of the largest elderly populations in Shanghai, has embraced technology to offer personalized eldercare to local seniors.

At eldercare locations around Jing』an Temple, seniors can have their faces scanned to make appointments for services such as food delivery, laundry and bathing assistance. Associated fees are automatically deducted from their accounts.

Subdistrict officials said few elderly people use smartphones, so eldercare locations enable them to experience the conveniences of the digital age.

Party building

A new Jing』an practice center to promote Party-building and make the Party stronger, through means such as self-reform and self-governance, opened its doors on November 18. According to President Xi Jinping, strengthening and uniting Party organizations are important foundations for Party-building, which will serve as the new center’s mission.

Martial arts going animated

A new series that combines animation with martial and folk arts — the first of its kind in China — will soon be launched on popular Chinese video sites.

The series, 「Let’s Learn Martial Arts,」 was produced by the city’s radio station and financially supported by the Jing』an Culture and Tourism Bureau.

It tells the story of a group of children who find a martial arts school in a concrete jungle and constantly challenge themselves. It combines Chinese art such as traditional opera and shadow puppetry, a heritage-listed ancient form of storytelling dating back 2,000 years.

「We combine old storytelling forms with today’s popular animation to teach children about our tradition,」 said Shen Qijie, who oversees the series.

「Shadow puppetry itself is not attractive to today’s young children, but in this animation, the puppets are designed in a new colorful style,」said renowned cartoon artist Sun Zongqing.

The first season, which consists of 20 five-minute episodes, will debut on SMG’s BestTV + in December, and will premiere on iQiyi, Youku and Tencent next year.

Beautiful balconies

Two Jing』an families were awarded for the beauty of their balconies in the city’s 「beautiful balcony」 competition.

Zhang Ping and her husband live on Hutai Road and have worked with their neighbors to make the terrace on the roof of their building into a beautiful garden.

They planted lantana camara, hardy blue-flowered leadwort, seasonal flowers and bushes in a self-made flowerbed. Across from it, they built wooden frames on which wisteria grows.

The garden has become a popular hangout for neighbors and their friends.

Convenient services

As the Yangtze River Delta region becomes increasingly integrated, many with businesses in their hometowns have flocked to Shanghai to explore opportunities. Now, they can handle administrative affairs related to their hometown businesses in Shanghai.

Earlier this month, a businessman surnamed Zhang who has an agricultural products company in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, became the first to benefit from this new convenience. He visited Jing』an’s administrative service center to change the scope of his business, where his documents were scanned and sent to government authorities in Taizhou.

The next day, his request was approved.

read more

Source | Information Office of Jing'an And Shanghai Daily

Editor | Vivian

↓可能你還想看↓

▶

▶

▶

▶

▶

原標題：《【Shanghai Daily & JING』AN News】Moments in November》

閱讀原文