Shanghai Landmarks Illuminated Red to Mark World Blood Donor Day

​Shanghai's iconic landmarks, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Shanghai Tower, are bathed in a warm red glow on the 23rd World Blood Donor Day to pay tribute to blood donors. [Photo provided to International Services Shanghai]

Shanghai's iconic landmarks, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Shanghai Tower, were bathed in a warm red glow on the evening of the 23rd World Blood Donor Day to pay tribute to the selfless individuals who donate blood to save lives.

The illumination coincided with a ceremony organized by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission and the Shanghai Red Cross Society to honor the city's blood donors.

Data presented at the event showed that 355,000 people donated blood voluntarily in Shanghai last year. Notably, the youth demographic continues to be the backbone of this life-saving effort, comprising over 70 percent of the city's blood donors.

To further enhance the experience and convenience for blood donors, Shanghai plans to optimize the layout of street-side blood donation sites and enhance the internal space of such sites to increase comfort and privacy.

In a move to streamline the donation process, Shanghai has recently introduced a system allowing donors to fill out registration forms via mobile phone scanning, eliminating the need for on-site queuing and manual form-filling and making the process more efficient.