Lujiazui to get cultural infusion

District government looks to make the financial hub a more appealing place to work and live in

Authorities in Lujiazui, Shanghai's financial and trade district, have pledged to host more cultural events to make the area more than just a place for business.

According to the district's latest five-year plan which was released on April 19, authorities are aiming to turn the area into a vibrant space for culture that can rival its international counterparts such as New York and London.

Ren Kaifeng, director of the financial and shipping services department of Lujiazui Administration Authorities, said that the area will become "an attractive place to work and live in".

Lujiazui, a peninsula formed by a bend in the Huangpu River in Pudong New Area, is home to 727 financial services firms, 96 wealth management companies, eight payment services providers and four rating agencies. About 20 percent of all multinational companies headquartered in Shanghai can be found in the district.

Yuan Yefeng, coordinative department director with the Lujiazui Administration Authorities, said that museums, theaters and galleries within skyscrapers, in addition to more cultural events for financial and trade professionals, will be required to realize the district's goals.

"Each skyscraper is like a vertical financial street, housing hundreds of offices of consultancy firms, law firms, bank branches, brokerages, insurers and shipping companies," he said. "In Lujiazui, there are more than 90 buildings that each contributes more than 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) annually to fiscal income. The well-being of people who work in these buildings is key to their willingness to stay and grow."

Yuan said that skyscrapers in the area already allow office workers to visit galleries, theaters and gyms without having to leave the building.

"The more professionals are engaged in events within these buildings, the more lively the buildings will be. Lujiazui will eventually become a central activity region, not just a central business district. We would like to see more social life alongside economic activities here," he added.

Zhu Liting, a sales manager in a bank who works in Jinmao Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Lujiazui, said she enjoys exploring the cultural offerings in the area.

"Now, in almost every tall building in Lujiazui, you can find a space for exhibitions, a mini theater, a tea room or an indoor garden. Sometimes a concert held during lunchtime at the lobby of the building can attract hundreds of people," said the 26-year-old.

Zhu said she once invited her friends to watch the performance by Mare Nustrum Musicae, a string quartet from Catalunya, which took place in one of the buildings in Lujiazui. She is now aiming to visit the Modern Art Museum of Shanghai after work.

"Five years ago when I wanted to meet my friends after work, they would tell me to go over to their homes in another district because Lu-jiazui was viewed as a place that was strictly for business. Nowadays, they actually come over to watch shows and visit galleries," she said.

wuyiyao@chinadaily.com.cn