On the afternoon of 20 October 2026, the event "International Students Explore the North Bund" was held in the North Bund Sub-district, Hongkou District, Shanghai. Faculty and student representatives from the College of International Cultural Exchange of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) visited the North Bund and, through an opening ceremony, a city walk and on-site visits, gained an in-depth understanding of the area's urban landscape, community culture and innovative development, experiencing the vitality and humanistic appeal of Hongkou.
◆The event was hosted by the Hongkou District People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and co-organised by the North Bund Sub-district Office. Those attending included Xie Rongrong, Vice Chair of the Hongkou District Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the Hongkou District People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; Guo Nan, Director of the North Bund Sub-district Office; Liao Guangjun, Deputy Director of the Hongkou District Government Office, Second-Level Researcher and Deputy Director of the North Bund Sub-district Office; and Cai Rong, Full-Time Organising Secretary at Division Level of the CPC Committee of the College of International Cultural Exchange, SUFE. The event was moderated by Li Fangxia, Deputy Director of the Hongkou District Government Office, Second-Level Researcher and Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Hongkou District People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
A Journey of Discovery: Culture as a Bridge to the North Bund
The opening ceremony took place at the Community Cultural Activities Centre of the North Bund Sub-district. In her welcome address, Xie Rongrong extended a warm welcome to the visiting faculty and students and expressed the hope that the event would enhance exchange and mutual understanding between young people in China and abroad and help more international friends come to know Hongkou and the North Bund.
◆Guo Nan then presented Yang Jingzhuo (France), a student representative, with a certificate as a "North Bund Sub-district 15-Minute Community Life Circle Experience Officer", encouraging international students to gain a deeper understanding of community life through first-hand experience and to share what they see and hear with more international friends.
◆Liao Guangjun delivered a keynote speech entitled "Culture as a Bridge: A City Walk and Dialogue in the North Bund", introducing the area's urban development, community features and cultural exchange and helping those present to appreciate the North Bund's distinctive appeal.
◆In his remarks, Yang Jingzhuo (France) said that experiencing the rapid transformation of the North Bund at first hand had given him a more direct and vivid understanding of the concrete practice of Chinese modernisation in urban development. He looked forward to more opportunities to step beyond the campus and to share his genuine experiences in China with more friends overseas, and to act as a young ambassador for friendship and exchange between China and other countries.
◆In the interactive question-and-answer session that followed, faculty and students exchanged views on urban culture, community life and other topics, deepening mutual understanding through sharing and dialogue and furthering their knowledge of the North Bund's urban landscape and community culture.
A Riverside Walk: Community Culture and the Warmth of Everyday Life
After the opening ceremony, the group set off on the "Binfen Tour", visiting the Riverside Reception Hall, the Hongshufang Reading Boat and Binfen Space, and stopping along the way at distinctive venues such as the Hongliang 18 Entrepreneurship Incubation Base, the Malcolm Clarke Studio on Panlong Street, the Panda Canteen and the Binfen Station.
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◆International students learn at first hand about the North Bund's explorations and practices in public space creation, cultural services, innovation and entrepreneurship, and convenient community living
◆From cultural spaces to distinctive lanes, and from innovation and entrepreneurship platforms to community service stations, these varied urban spaces showcase the North Bund's diverse, integrated and open community character, giving international students a more direct and concrete understanding of urban life in Shanghai.
Historic Buildings and the Vitality of Innovative Design
The group then visited the Shanghai Innovation and Creative Design Institute (the former site of the Lester Institute of Technical Education) to learn more about the cultural value of historic buildings and their integration with contemporary innovative design. The visit gave the students a perspective that combines historical heritage with modern design, deepening their understanding of Shanghai's explorations and practices in urban renewal, cultural inheritance and innovative development.
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◆Bringing together community experience, urban exploration and visits to sites of innovative design, the "International Students Explore the North Bund" event used the city walk as a bond and cultural exchange as a bridge, opening a new window for international students to understand Shanghai and experience China. Going forward, the College will continue to build platforms for cultural exchange between China and other countries and to encourage more international students to step into Shanghai's neighbourhoods, communities and cultural spaces, so that through first-hand experience they come to know Shanghai and feel China, become participants in and communicators of cultural exchange, and together tell the story of an open, inclusive and vibrant China.
