The 2018 Shanghai Tourism Festival held from September 15th to October 6th opened with a traditional parade bringing together 37 performance teams and 25 elaborate floats from around the world and delivering a visual feast to the mass of tourists aligning Huaihai Road, with the countries of Ecuador and Peru participating for the first time. This year, more than 80 per cent of the performing troupes came from abroad.
With this year being EU-China Tourism Year and Canada-China Tourism Year, the noteworthy EU float depicted the essence of tourism resources in the member states with their concentration of monuments honoring the humanities and the region’s history, while Quebec’s included a flawless interpretation of typical a North American snowy country scene, a native polar bear and a snowbound cottage.
The unrivalled skills that accompanied the performing teams from abroad enabled spectators to experience a 100-minute procession of the world’s oceans of humanity. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pipe Band and the Highland Dancers were well-dressed and solemn, while the Ecuadorian Dance and Warriors Inspiration Ballet kept it light and lively, displaying the grace and beauty of the South America country. A mix of percussion instruments and dance styles exemplified the performance put on by the Spanish Badur Youth Marching Band while their tailored clothing ensembles specially designed for this year’s festival showcased the characteristics and customs of southern Spain. The Slovak Flower Blossom Cheerleading Team, a young and energetic group of young women cheerleaders, conveyed their positive energy through exquisitely choreographed routines.
To give as many visitors and local residents as possible an opportunity to experience the beauty and joy of the event, and for them to share the experience with their friends who “wish they could be here”, more than a dozen Taiwanese “special envoys” from the Shanghai-Taipei Mini Tours in Two Cities event were invited to attend the opening parade in person. Experiencing the warm and inviting atmosphere of the Shanghai Tourism Festival has become an excellent way to get a feel for the real Shanghai.
In a follow-up effort to benefit attendees of the festival after launching the half-price ticket campaign for access to Shanghai’s top tourism attractions in 2012, through the E-tour of Shanghai Tourism Festival online flash sale event launched in conjunction with JD.com, more than 100 lucky visitors received tickets to enter a special area where they could watch the floats and performing teams up close. During the more than 20-day festival, visitors to the E-tour platform will be able to purchase ultra-low-priced tickers online for the classic one-day tours that originate from famous tourism attractions such as Shanghai Oriental Pearl, Shanghai Wild Animal Park and other points as well as from the Shanghai Tourist Bus Center.
This year’s 29th Shanghai Tourism Festival will witness the roll out of a number of new events reflecting the healthy development of the city’s tourism sector. The “Reading Shanghai, Fun Travel on Huangpu River” Special Event presents a new perspective on Shanghai’s urban sightseeing by understanding what is behind the architecture of the city’s many buildings, while also giving visitors an opportunity to experience the fully modern facilities at the renovated boarding piers for the Huangpu River Cruise. The Phoenix Cup Shanghai Riding Festival welcomes the renewed popularity of cycling and the sport’s healthy approach to promoting an environmentally-responsible travel experience along the Huangpu River’s magical waterfront.
SOURCE Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration
