Minhang Steps Up Urban Renewal and Community Programs

New Ferris wheel scheduled for 2027

Last month, workers began renovating the Shanghai Ferris Wheel at Jinjiang Action Park, with completion expected by 2027.

The new Shanghai Ferris Wheel will have 36 viewing cars. In addition to high-altitude catering and VIP customized services, the 10,000-square-meter ground-level plaza will host home entertainment, retail, immersive interactive experiences, specialty catering, and brand activities, connecting high-altitude viewing with leisure activities.

The Warner Bros Studio Tour Shanghai – The Making of Harry Potter will open in 2027.

Drawing on the park's location and proximity to metro stations, it will become a spot for residents and tourists for leisure and fun activities.

The renovated Shanghai Ferris wheel targets the new generation of tourists, aiming to meet their needs for content, quality, and experience.

University gate renovated

East China Normal University has completed the renovation of its "Guanghua Gate."

The university is celebrating its 75th anniversary and the 101st anniversary of its predecessor, Guanghua University.

Environmental improvements and related renovations were completed within 10 months.

The newly constructed West Gate is modeled after the original Zhongshan Road gate of Guanghua University, showcasing a seamless blend of modern structural engineering and traditional craftsmanship.

The ECNU Minhang Campus's "Guanghua Gate" will be a new landmark with picturesque landscaping, teacher and student activities, and historical displays.

The West Gate restoration and area improvement project spans approximately 11,000 square meters. Besides the new "Guanghua Gate" archway, a gatehouse, bridge, ground-level plaza, university signage, asphalt paving, curbing, access control gates, surveillance systems, night-time landscape lighting, and utility infrastructure were added. It included landscaping, water supply and drainage system upgrades, and traffic flow reconfiguration.

The project eased peak-hour traffic congestion by replanning traffic routes, extending pedestrian walkways, and enhancing landscaping.

Organic renewal

The Minhang Sports Park, a local favorite for 23 years, is undergoing an "organic renewal" to remove walls and reveal greenery and improve quality and efficiency.

The renovation project has completed about 80 percent of its work and is set to open in late September. A vibrant "urban living room" designed for all ages with the possibility of 24-hour access is taking shape.

Three sections of solid, enclosed walls are being replaced with "soft" boundaries like ecological hedges and low, transparent landscape walls to create seamless connections between the park, the Outer Ring Greenway, and the urban pedestrian network.

The area next to the sports complex will remain to meet residents' fitness needs, while Nongnan Road will become an artistic, waterside ecological leisure zone with quiet rest areas and family-friendly strolling paths.

Three new pedestrian entrances are being added near the intersection of Xinzhen Road and Nongnan Road.

The stream landscape along Xinzhen Road is being upgraded, and by raising the water level and optimizing the arrangement of river stones and under-canopy landscaping, it creates a rare urban spot for viewing a natural stream.

An open area with a standardized outdoor lecture structure is being built at Xinzhen Road and Nongnan Road as a "nature classroom" to meet requests for nature-based educational activities and study tours.

Urban organic renewal is evident in the latest upgrade. The vibrant ecological park will offer leisure, sports, educational study, and family activities to nearby residents after its completion and opening in late September, setting a new standard for livability in Minhang's southwest.

Taiwan-themed festival shines in Wujing

The 3rd Wujing Town Taiwan-Themed Community Neighborhood Festival and a new internship and study tour program for Taiwanese youth in Minhang began in early August as part of Shanghai's Minhang Taiwan Month.

Eighty Taiwanese youths gathered at the venue and embarked on a 10-day journey of internships, visits, and cross-strait exchange.

They will intern in nine district sub-districts and towns, including Wujing, Meilong and Maqiao. Their roles include sci-tech R&D, brand operations, event planning, new media communication, and cultural and creative design, fostering mutual growth through practical work and exchange.

As Minhang's longstanding brand for cross-strait exchange, "Shanghai Minhang Taiwan Month" combines youth internships with the neighborhood festival. It provides internships in the sci-tech innovation industry and community interaction for Taiwanese youth to learn about the area and experience shared heritage.

Xu Jialin, general manager of Wujing Economic Development Co, a representative of the participating companies, said that Wujing continues to offer high-quality internship positions and create pathways for career development, offering different kinds of internship, employment, or entrepreneurship opportunities.

At the Taiwan-themed community neighborhood festival, a bustling market is staged to celebrate Taiwanese culture and community spirit, and authentic Taiwanese delicacies and creative cultural products are showcased.