Shanghai, known for its stunning skyline and vibrant cityscape, is gearing up to celebrate the upcoming May Day holiday in a sparkling fashion.

From April 30 to May 5, the city's iconic landmarks will be adorned with special lights as a gesture of appreciation for workers and to mark the festive occasion.

The bustling core commercial areas of Shanghai, including the Bund, the North Bund, and the Lujiazui financial district, will present dynamic glowing light displays on skyscrapers and landmark bridges such as the Nanpu Bridge.

In addition to the luminous displays in the central business districts, Shanghai's major elevated roads in the downtown area, such as the Inner Ring Road, the North-South Elevated Road, and the Yan'an Elevated Road, will also be illuminated from 6 pm to 11 pm.

Along the Suzhou Creek and within the city's core business circles, the regular illuminations will be on full display from 6 pm to 10:30 pm.

To further enhance the festive ambiance, a May Day-themed celebration video will be projected onto famous buildings such as the Aurora Plaza, the Citigroup building, Shanghai Tower, and the Museum of Art Pudong, screened every half an hour from 6 pm to 10:30 pm.

Lighting schedules for different areas

1. Core areas such as the Bund, North Bund and Lujiazui

Dates: April 30 to May 5, 2025

Time: 6 pm – 11 pm (lights-off time extended by one hour)

2. Along elevated roads forming the "申"-shaped configuration (Note: 申 is the abbreviation character for Shanghai in Chinese)

Dates: April 30 to May 5, 2025

Time: 6 pm – 11 pm (lights-off time extended by one hour)

3. Key areas such as the Suzhou Creek waterfront and city-level commercial districts

Dates: April 30 to May 5, 2025

Time: 6 pm – 10:30 pm (lights-off time extended by one hour)

4. Major standalone buildings and structures

Dates: April 30 to May 5, 2025

Time: 6 pm – 11 pm (lights-off time extended by one hour)

5. Media façades of key buildings along the Huangpu River

Labor Day-themed promotional videos will be displayed on the media façades of major buildings along the Huangpu River, including the Aurora Plaza, Citigroup Tower, Shanghai Tower, Museum of Art Pudong, Sinar Mas Plaza (White Magnolia Plaza), International Port Building, and Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal buildings.

Dates: April 30 to May 5, 2025

Time: 6 pm – 10:30 pm

Frequency: Videos will be shown every 30 minutes, on the hour and half-hour.

Source: Official WeChat account of the General Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government at "shanghaifabu"