Hongqiao hub will pilot smart vehicles
Minhang District will designate areas like Hongqiao Transportation Hub as pilot zones for testing intelligent connected vehicles.
Han Dadong, head of the automobile industry division at the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, said open road networks will allow intelligent connected vehicles in selected Minhang neighborhoods.
The goal is to better align with the city's initiatives and connect open roads for autonomous driving tests.
Shanghai awarded new intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) demonstration operation licenses during the 2025 World AI Conference.
By 2027, the city plans to enable autonomous driving on 2,000 square kilometers and 5,000 kilometers of roadways.
The initial wave of licensed enterprises targets smart mobility, long-haul logistics and last-mile deliveries.
The licenses cover two important sectors: smart taxis and smart freight, with Baidu's smart driving Shanghai division and Dazhong Transportation (Group) Co Ltd among them.
By 2027, Shanghai aims to have over 6 million passenger trips with Level 4 autonomous vehicles, open over 5,000 kilometers of roads to autonomous driving, and equip over 90 percent of new vehicles with Level 2 and Level 3 functionalities.
The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization plans to gradually extend autonomous driving zones, including complete coverage in the Pudong New Area and key districts like Fengxian and Minhang, and interlink test sites, according to officials.
China's first new energy ferry, the "Shanghai Ferry No. 11," sets sail in Wujing Town with two dozen families learning about the town's history.
'Cityboat' links tourism with urban landmarks
The "Shanghai Ferry No. 11" debuted in Wujing Town's waterways in early August.
The first new energy ferry boat in the country took off from the Chegouqiao Ferry Crossing with two dozen families, who enjoyed the riverbank landscape and learned about the town's history.
The "Cityboat" ferry ride covered 21 kilometers in about 70 minutes.
The ferry's cabin is decked with monthly commuting tickets from 1988, when it transported an average of 1 million passengers every day.
Later, cross-river bridges and highways made public transportation more accessible.
The large industrial town, featuring "Five Golden Flowers" – the Shanghai Carbon Plant, Shanghai Coking Plant, Wujing Chemistry Plant, Shanghai Electrification Plant and Wujing Thermal Power Plant, later transformed into a green riverbank area and a national high-tech innovation park.
Gu Zhen, a teacher at a community school in Wujing, told passengers that the Wujing Power Plant served local companies and households. The two massive cooling towers are still used by grain warehouses directly linked with the China Grain Reserves Group.
The ferry journey provided guests with a fresh understanding of the city's economic development.
Wujing's Party Secretary Jin Haimin said the ferry tour integrates tourism, recreation, history and urban landmarks, enabling passengers to witness ecological restoration.
Migrant children take a virtual voyage into space
Several dozens of migrant workers' children participated in a special space adventure at the LOOP Star Ring Center's summer camp program last month.
The "Aerospace Mission Immersive Experience Exhibition" taught attendees about basic astronomy using virtual reality scenarios, space voyage simulations, interactive sessions and a stamp collection activity.
Young children took a virtual voyage of the Mars rescue mission, studied significant space exploration landmarks, space food and historical aircraft models, and got astrological information from different perspectives.
The two themed tasks for visitors were deep space exploration and daily life on a space station, both of which presented challenges and surprises.
The children learned about the astronaut selection and training procedures, as well as China's lunar landing missions. Those who completed nine tasks received a unique honorarium badge.
Over 20 missions have been built to provide visitors a realistic experience of space missions, such as satellite phone calls between Mars and Earth and the seed selecting and planting process on Mars.
A new esports stadium, the LOOP Star Ring Center, opened earlier this year in the Qianwan neighborhood of the Hongqiao International Central Business District.
The venue focuses on the combination of esports and technology, and the exhibition, which will run until the end of August, complements the VR gaming and esports halls, as well as other commercial amenities at the location.