Chinese festive celebrations, lifestyle events, and street fairs featuring folk items and the latest smart home appliances will be held during the Shanghai Chao Festival as part of the “Shanghai Summer” consumption campaign.

A pop-up bazaar for community lifestyle services, specialty drinks offered in longtang, or old Shanghai-style alleys, Chinese traditional folk performances and a street fair will take place at the INLET commercial and leisure complex over the weekend.

The festival, launched on Friday, is one of the key initiatives during the three-month “Shanghai Summer” campaign to woo customers from home and abroad.

The city has been encouraging the integration of cultural attractions, tourism, shopping and exhibitions to offer new commercial and shopping scenarios in its latest bid to boost consumption and attract more foot traffic.

Latest offerings at this weekend’s bazaar include smart home appliances, skincare sets, as well as special discounts from leading retailers such as Shanghai Jahwa and Suning.

Local tea house Talk Tea has opened its first store at the INLET which combines tea drinking and Chinese poetry culture, offering items such as herbal teas, pure Chinese tea and seasonal drinks.

Hongkou has already benefited from a series of consumption driven activities earlier this year amid continuous efforts to integrate online and offline shopping, according to the district’s deputy director Chen Xiaojie.

To fully leverage the summer campaign, a series of pop-up stores, art exhibitions will be held in the coming months, she said.

Special performance sessions featuring young artists will be held during the Shanghai International Arts Festival, and a series of sports and leisure activities during key occasions such as the Olympic Games, Mid Autumn Festival and the National Holiday will also be staged.

Event info:

Date: 12pm-8pm, July 13-14

Admission: free

Address: INLET north plaza, No. 35-95, Lane 989, Sichuan Road N

虹口区四川北路989弄35-95号