This summer, Shanghai offers many ways to get closer to intangible cultural heritage, from traditional craft exhibitions and specialty stores to night markets and seasonal food festivals.

Here are three routes to explore, shop for, and enjoy ICH across the city.

 

Route 1: Explore traditional crafts

Special Exhibition of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Ba-Wuxi Embroidery

• When: July 3 to 30
• Where: House of H&M B1 Exhibition Hall, No 649 Middle Huaihai Road, Huangpu district

The exhibition highlights Ba embroidery, particularly the Wuxi Jiahua tradition, which originated in Wuxi county, a mountainous area in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality. Recognized as a national-level ICH item, it preserves the legacy of the ancient local ritual culture through its distinctive cross-stitch techniques.

More than 20 historical embroidery pieces and related exhibits trace the evolution of Ba-Wuxi embroidery from traditional works to contemporary design. With its red walls and natural wood displays, the exhibition seamlessly blends traditional textile craftsmanship with modern exhibition design, allowing visitors to appreciate the warmth of handmade craftsmanship.

Blanc de Chine porcelain exhibition

• When: July to October
• Where: Temporary Exhibition Hall, 1F, WorldSkills Museum, No 1578 Yangshupu Road, Yangpu district

Blanc de Chine refers to the white porcelain produced in Dehua county, East China's Fujian province. Renowned for its craftsmanship, it is one of China's most celebrated ceramic traditions. Its porcelain-firing techniques are included on China's national list of ICH.

The exhibition features more than 90 works by leading ceramic artists and masters. Organized into five themed sections — Classic, Horse, Icon, Nature, and Advance — it introduces visitors to the beauty, craftsmanship, and innovation of white porcelain.

It showcases traditional decorative techniques such as openwork carving, relief carving, and painted decoration, alongside contemporary interpretations of traditional firing techniques.

The 13th Shanghai Lotus and Water Lily Exhibition

• When: June 28 to July 28
• Where: Guyi Garden, No 218 Huyi Highway, Nanxiang town, Jiading district

During the exhibition, Guyi Garden enhances the experience by pairing blooming lotus flowers with heritage-themed activities.

On weekends, visitors can join lotus-inspired workshops, including dough sculpture, fused bead art, mother-of-pearl inlay, and handmade ceramic lotus incense holder making.

A special, time-limited guqin exhibition also offers interactive activities such as trying the guqin, taking photos, tracing traditional guqin notation, and experiencing guqin-based sound therapy.

 

Route 2: Shop for traditional crafts

Made in Nature

• Where: Building 26, EKA Tianwu, No 535 Jinqiao Road, Pudong New Area

Made in Nature's first Shanghai store is located at EKA Tianwu, occupying a 3,000-square-meter, two-story space dedicated to Chinese handicrafts and gift items.

The store is divided into four themed areas and decorated with traditional Chinese design elements, such as handcrafted oil-paper lanterns, fishbone rabbit art installations, and goldfish lanterns.

Visitors can browse a wide selection of traditional handicrafts from across China while exploring regularly updated exhibitions that showcase local crafts in everyday settings.

Chinese Hand Printed Blue Nankeen Gallery

• Where: No 24 Alley 637, Changle Road, Huangpu district

The striking blue-and-white storefront makes this gallery one of the most recognizable on Changle Road.

Blue nankeen printing has a history of more than 1,900 years and was included in China's first national list of ICH in 2006. On the first floor, visitors can browse handmade textiles crafted using traditional spinning, weaving, and dyeing techniques, including clothing, home furnishings, accessories, and decorative pieces. Upstairs, the museum showcases looms, spinning wheels, and traditional printing and dyeing tools that reveal the craftsmanship behind this centuries-old textile tradition.

Liuliu Haipai Intangible Cultural Heritage Studio

• Where: No 159 Jiaozhou Road, Jing'an district

This studio is dedicated to the traditional craft of ronghua, or velvet flowers crafted from silk and copper wire. It also integrates other traditional techniques such as kingfisher feather inlay known as diancui, Song brocade weaving, mother-of-pearl inlay, and scented bead making. These techniques are used to create accessories designed for modern everyday fashion.

In addition to producing handcrafted works, Master Liuliu teaches ronghua techniques, designs contemporary Chinese-style jewelry, and curates cultural events that bridge traditional craftsmanship and modern lifestyles.

 

Route 3: Experience heritage through festivals and food

Lotus-themed summer fair at Daning Park

• When: July 18 to Aug 2
• Where: Daning Park, No 288 West Guangzhong Road, Jing'an district

This summer fair transforms Daning Park into an evening destination, with lotus flowers, cultural performances, and evening markets.

More than 100 potted lotus and water lily displays are arranged throughout the park, while mist-filled landscapes create an atmospheric setting after sunset. Visitors can explore food stalls, creative markets, and floating markets throughout the event.

Every weekend, the fair features dedicated night tours and lakeside performances, including musical fountain shows, water-screen light displays, molten iron fireworks known as datiehua, and Huizhou fish lantern parades.

Song Dynasty-inspired summer market at Shanghai MixC

• When: June 30 to Aug 31
• Where: Shanghai MixC, No 1599 Wuzhong Road, Minhang district

Shanghai MixC's SoLong Park has been upgraded into an immersive night market inspired by the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Stretching across a 600-meter pedestrian street, the market recreates the ambiance of an ancient marketplace with themed buildings and stalls featuring handicrafts, incense, traditional brewing, ceramics, tea, desserts, and regional foods.

Visitors can also enjoy traditional performances, including shadow puppetry, traditional Chinese magic shows, Sichuan Opera face-changing and storytelling. Interactive activities such as touhu, an ancient arrow-tossing game, and cuju, an early form of soccer, offer a fun introduction to traditional Chinese leisure activities.

The 19th Shanghai Zhuanghang Mutton Festival

• When: July 10 to Sept 10
• Where: No 4399 Nanzhuang Road, Zhuanghang town, Fengxian district

The Zhuanghang Mutton Festival celebrates the traditional custom of eating mutton during the hottest days of summer, a practice that has been observed in Zhuanghang for more than 600 years.

In 2009, the local custom of eating mutton with shaojiu, a traditional Chinese distilled liquor, was included in Shanghai's municipal ICH list.

Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of mutton dishes from Zhuanghang, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, and other regions, alongside barbecue, seafood, beer, and other night market favorites.

The festival also features electronic music performances, animated light shows, and seasonal markets, creating a vibrant atmosphere for a summer evening.

 

Sources: Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and the venues mentioned above