Six international students from Malaysia, Russia, Greece, Ghana, and Kazakhstan studying at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, embarked on a 3.5-kilometer cultural exploration route blending tradition with modern trends through Shanghai's Jing'an district.

The event, titled "Unlock My Exclusive Jing'an", was organized by the Jing'an District Culture and Tourism Development Promotion Center and Shanghai Daily. This season's theme, "Chill in My Jing'an," connected four cultural experiences: vintage morning exercises, urban renewal contrasts and comparisons, intangible cultural heritage delicacies, and Chinese character aesthetics. It offered participants an immersive encounter with the district's diverse Shanghai-style culture, historical depth, and modern vitality.

At Fudeli Park, the students changed into blue retro school uniforms inspired by the styles of the 1980s and 1990s and followed the rhythm to perform radio calisthenics. They stretched, turned, and jumped, experiencing the traditional Chinese wisdom that "the plan for a year lies in spring, and the plan for a day lies in the morning." Diana Puzikova from Greece said that the retro uniform design made her feel connected to the collective memories of old Shanghai's morning routines.

After the morning exercises, the students held vintage photographs and engaged in a cross-temporal dialogue at landmarks such as Zhangyuan Garden and Feng Sheng Li.

Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey from Ghana was impressed by the transformation of former amusement gardens into cultural landmarks as well as a boat-style Louis Vuitton store beside the Shikumen neighborhoods. He remarked that old buildings hold new stories, perfectly capturing the magic of Jing'an. Anastasiia Melikhova from Russia said West Nanjing Road has become a must-visit spot, with The Louis and its nearby cafes offering ideal spots to relax with friends. Diana drew inspiration from Shanghai's urban transformation that preserves tradition while embracing innovation. She praised the city's spirit of progress and expressed her hope to grow alongside it.

The journey also featured a unique culinary session that captured the warmth of life in Jing'an. The students visited several time-honored brands to taste local snacks, including Wangjiasha's dim sum, Kaisiling's cream cakes, and Lifeng's dried meat jerky. These traditional techniques have all been recognized as part of Shanghai's Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The students also joined a creative challenge, using Lifeng's ingredients to transform mantou (steamed buns) into "Chinese burgers." Karina Novoselova from Kazakhstan was surprised by how local ingredients could be reinvented to create new flavors, while Diana was curious about gluten, saying that it looks like mushrooms but is actually made from flour, and tastes amazing.

Their cultural exploration continued with a focus on Chinese characters. At the Shanghai Printing Font Exhibition Hall, guided tours introduced the history of Chinese character printing. The students then took part in a social aesthetic education activity themed Aesthetic Dialogue Between Ancient and Modern Chinese Characters, and joined a DIY session titled "Autumn in Jing'an," where they combined characters creatively and discovered the distinctive beauty of Chinese writing through hands-on experience.

During their relaxed autumn stroll, the Gen Z students uncovered Jing'an's dual appeal, experiencing both the leisurely rhythm of alleyway life and the dynamic energy of international openness — "Beautiful, diverse, comfortable, and progressive", as they described Jing'an.

Source: Official WeChat account of shanghaijingan at "jaxwzx"