Not too long ago, we wrote a piece on how the new area in Shanghai, Lingang is booming and is on a mission to attract expats and foreign businesses.

I had been to Lingang in 2021, and three years later... I can say the type of development happening in that part of Shanghai is faster than lightning. It's truly impressive. While down there, I had a nice chat with Jules (朱乐) Thevenon, a business casual Frenchman, who like a moth attracted to light, he's drawn to progress and break speed growth.

At the time, I was in the area interviewing other public servants who dedicated their time to shaping Lingang as an international boomtown for Shanghai. That piece was nearly 3,000 words (if you haven't read it, and you are interested in ways that Shanghai is specifically developing infrastructure for foreign residents, have a look), so we had to cut Thevenon's interview out.

But it stuck with me, how he spoke with such effervescence about the area, and not like someone who paid to do so (even though his title is International PR Specialist for the Shanghai Lin-gang Special Area Economic Development Co).

I called up Thevenon because I wanted to know a little more about what life is like for expats living in this rapidly developing area of Shanghai. For most of us expats living in Jing'an, Xuhui, Gubei, Jingqiao, we don't equate Shanghai with "lakeside living, kayaking and miles and miles of bike trails, amid rapid urban development."

City News Service: Thevenon, bonjour mon ami! Give us a quick intro why don't ya!

I'm 30 years old, and I've been living in Shanghai for almost 9 years now. I first came here for my studies, which is why I've spent such a significant amount of time in the city. I completed my Master's degree in France and then pursued an additional two years of study in Shanghai.

Professionally, I've worked for four years with a French company as a financial controller. About three years ago, I moved to Shanghai Lingang Economic Development, which is a branch of the larger Lingang Group. Currently, I focus on international public relations.

Specifically, my role involves working with Fortune 500 companies, including top organizations, CEOs and managers. We assist them in settling in Lingang if they choose to do so. Additionally, we participate in many events to promote Lingang's international image and showcase our capabilities.

Also, I have a dog named Tobi (inspired by the Japanese Manga series Naruto).

Most foreigners, when they think of Shanghai, they think of living in the downtown areas. Lingang is a newer district, just 5 years old. What is life like living there?

People think it's far, but they might not realize that there are many top companies in Lingang, like HSBC, Ford, Tesla, Amazon, Caterpillar, Maersk, Comac, Saic, General Electric and more. But aside from the international companies moving to Lingang, there is also a very different way of life compared to most of Shanghai.

How is living in Lingang as a foreigner different from the expat who lives downtown?

Well, from next week you can go skiing, we have the largest indoor skiing resort called Snowstar which is opening. Then there's kayaking and bike riding. There are many beautiful, and modern parks around the area.

But one big thing about life in Lingang is the space. Lingang is waaaay cheaper, than downtown. For example, I live in a four-bedroom apartment with my own ground-floor private garden, and my rent is only 8,000 yuan per month. And the apartment is COMPLETELY new. Everything inside is all new decoration. Brand new. So people when they come down here, are completely surprised at how much more space there is to live comfortably.

A new 3-bedroom apartment around 100-sqm apartment near the center of Lingang will cost about 4,000 yuan to compare, and of course cheaper for a 2-bedroom apartment.

The nightlife situation is expanding in Lingang. They've developed a bar street in Lingang that has a few names downtown that people will recognize Perry's and Helen's to name a few. So we already know that having an evening social life won't be terribly expensive compared to the likes of The Nest or Le Barron downtown. There are a few bars, and pizza places down by the lake, as well as a nice Brazilian BBQ place called Latina Parilla. But also there are some really nice, upscale places, where you can drink and dine around the lakeside.

Key Policy's Attracting Expats, Government WeChat Groups for Laowai, and Lotsss of Events

Are you seeing the foreign community grow in Lingang?

Yes absolutely. The policy for growth among expats is really good. You can have multi-year visa's up to 5 years in Lingang instead of needing to renew every year. Also, there are also tax benefits for foreign talents where the individual income tax can be reduced to 15 percent down from 45 percent in some key areas.

There are also a lot of events specifically for foreigners in the district. Many cultural institutions are nearby such as the Maritime Museum, and the Planetarium. A lot of these places have really impressive architectural design. The local government has WeChat groups for foreign communities, where they organize regular events for the expat community like learning Chinese calligraphy, outdoor and sporting activities, or special activities for families with kids. There are groups for playing soccer, a surfing group. Also, just as an example, the local government put on a fireworks show right on the lake last May, for no special reason, it was just for fun.

And even though the expat community is small, it's growing and has diversity. I know expats from France, Germany, the US, Australia, Russia, people from Korea, Singapore, India, and more. The soccer team I plan on there are people from France, Australia, and Botswana.

What is Lingang like compared to downtown Shanghai?

Alors! The pace of life is so different. We have nightlife of course, like you do downtown, with bars, and clubs, pizza restaurants, Brazilian restaurants, lots of nightlife activity. But, it feels different because down here, we have so much more nature and open space. So yea, I guess if you are from downtown visiting, you might ask about what there is to do at night, but after a while, you start to think more about "Oh, maybe this weekend I'll go surfing" or … "maybe this weekend, we'll go for bike rides around the lake."

You know, we have 20-30 km of biking trails in Lingang, it's a big draw for people who love to bike, around the lake or the seaside. It's beautiful scenery here.

But really, you just feel like you don't need so much nightlife. It's like being in the countryside at your grandparents' home. The mood is different. You can breathe, you can relax. Lingang is like this, away from the pressures of downtown life. But at the same time, there is a lot of opportunity in Lingang, so in that way, it's NOT like your grandparents' home, haha. You have a fast-paced work life, but then after work, you feel like you're on holiday.

It's also a district that is doing a lot specifically to attract younger talent, is that right?

Yes, there are many universities in the area. And there are a few notable universities that are specifically attracting foreign students. There's the Dishui Lake Advance Finance Institute, there is also the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) which has partnerships with the University of California Berkeley and the London School of Economics.

What are some interesting things in the business sphere happening in Lingang right now?

There are a lot of interesting things happening in medical technology, pharmacology, artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, and now also ramp up in technology in the automotive space and cross-border data tech.

The last two are interesting because right now a big trend is the development of smart cars, and EV's, especially from China, Telsa, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, and General Motors all have production in Shanghai for example.

Right now a lot of R&D is going into autonomous driving technology. And so the idea goes, that if you export autonomous cars to other countries, and an accident or something happens overseas, well right now the industries are coming together to begin discussing frameworks for cross-border data sharing and standardizing data sets for the automotive industry, and a lot of that is happening right here in Lingang.

And what about infrastructure development? Is anything exciting down there from an expat's perspective?

Well yes, I already mentioned the indoor ski venue that will be complete soon. It's massive. But from other public infrastructure, the Metro Line 16 to Lingang was opened more than 10 years ago.

But even more exciting is that there are other transportation projects in the works, that will reduce travel time from Lingang to downtown Shanghai in half. The trains are designed to operate at high speeds and will take people to Pudong Airport in about 15 minutes. There is another transportation project being done that will link Pudong Airport and Hongqiao Airport which will bring travel time to under 40 minutes. So in the future, you can get from Lingang to Hongqiao in less than an hour, whereas before the travel time now is about two hours.

Also, they have developed some infrastructure specifically for foreigners in Lingang. They opened the Lin-gang Special Area Multilingual Services Center. They help with a lot of things from translation to interpretation, social events, to just asking simple questions like how to find an ayi in Lingang. There are also some really big building projects, like the new twin Bank of China Towers.

Overall, it's very interesting to see Lingang grow, because you feel like every year there is something new to see, which is very important. You feel like you are moving in your career, in your job, there is opportunity everywhere because every business in Lingang is looking to cooperate, looking to expand, looking at creating more opportunities.

Cool, any final thoughts Thevenon?

Yeah, I have to say… that, even though I work to promote Lingang to other companies… it's not just about my role. I like living there. My company didn't ask me to start a Xiaohongshu about promoting Lingang. My company didn't ask me to come and sit here for this interview. No one is paying me to create a WeChat Channel to share my life in Lingang, I just really enjoy it. What can I say, it's a good quality of life here. I have a big apartment, for a low price, and plenty of natural space, which my dog loves.

But more than that… I know that people who come to Lingang now… will be part of a huge China transformation project. In 10 years, Lingang will be an international commercial, financial and trade metropolis. It will be an impressive development, and … well it's just a rare experience to have on the one hand, this huge economic engine of growth that is spinning at full speed, and at the same time, the tranquil life of nature and lakeside living.

If anyone is reading this, my advice is to just come and visit Lingang, and see what it's like now, because you can feel that it will be something big. There are three new hotels in this area that are really nice. People can come and stay on the lake at the Intercontinental Hotel Harbour City which sits on its own island in the lake, they have nice outdoor pools, or there is also a new Artyzen Lingang Hotel is also lakeside as well, and a Radisson Collection Hotel, all of which are very nice for a weekend visit to the area.

Lingang, to me, is a special place in Shanghai. The entire area literally didn't exist 10 years ago. And when you walk around and see how this city with a lake sprung up suddenly, with new businesses and expats moving in, it has this unique mix of nature and a sense of real opportunity. If ever I decided to set up my own business. It would be here. Come for a visit... if not for the opportunity, then at least for the water sports, especially now during summer.