Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden Malls has kicked off a month-long cultural season, showcasing nearly 100 traditional crafts alongside more than 20 time-honored Chinese brands in a lively, immersive public space.

Running from Nov 14 to Dec 14, the event turns the historic marketplace into an immersive arena celebrating China's living heritage in contemporary, youth-driven ways.

At the heart of this year's program is an exhibition featuring bamboo weaving and ginkgo leaves, created by a new generation of heritage artists. The golden ginkgo — an emblem running throughout the venue — symbolizes the revival of traditional craftsmanship in Yuyuan's century-old neighborhood.

The central plaza features a hands-on zone where visitors, both domestic and international, can try their hand at bamboo weaving and experience the serene beauty inherent in the craft.

The festival unfolds week by week, each segment highlighting a different form of heritage reimagined for contemporary audiences:

Week 1: Lion Dance Comes Alive (Now until Nov 20)

Yuyuan partners with the acclaimed animated film I Am What I Am, bringing its lion-dance culture from screen to stage. The film's second installment drew inspiration from Yuyuan's classical architecture, and the festival recreates this connection by integrating real pavilions, curved rooftops, and lantern-lit corridors with live performances of rolling-lantern dance and Wing Chun martial arts. The result is a vivid showcase of Lingnan culture.

Week 2: A Southwest Dance Arena (Nov 21 to 27 )

In collaboration with the music label China Music House, the plaza transforms into a vibrant dance floor inspired by the traditions of China's southwestern ethnic groups. Daily workshops invite visitors to learn choreography and join group dances, creating a festive, cross-cultural atmosphere.

Weeks 3–4: Heritage Meets ACGN Culture (Nov 28 to Dec 11)

The final two weeks showcase collaborations with a popular Chinese pastoral life-simulation mobile game and the beloved animation Fox Spirit Matchmaker. Through themed displays and craft workshops, the festival builds a bridge between the ACGN world (anime, comics, games, novels) and real-life craftsmanship, offering young fans a playful and immersive path into traditional culture.

Alongside these weekly highlights, Yuyuan's central plaza hosts a rotating heritage craft gallery, exhibiting textile works from Songjiang district, Zhuang brocade art from the Zhuang ethnic group, and more. Each weekend, master artisans serve as mentors, guiding visitors through hands-on sessions that allow them to experience the textures, techniques, and stories behind each craft.

Sources: Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, Huangpu district, Yuyuan Garden Malls