Qingpu's water towns and villages offer alluring summer escape

Shanghai's Qingpu district is rolling out a diverse range of summer events to lure global visitors, especially urban residents seeking a mini-getaway in its water towns and villages, the district announced at a news briefing on Tuesday.

Qingpu district features a distinctive landscape and culture built around water, along with a profound history and rich ecological resources. Delicately blending agriculture, culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibition, the district is ready to wow visitors with its unique charm.

Visitors seeking cultural experiences can explore the district's roots at local museums and immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture at Zhujiajiao ancient town. For visitors looking to beat the summer heat, Sun Island Resorts will embrace visitors with its waves through the end of August, while Panlong Tiandi will host night tours and the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) will provide a feast of beers for enthusiasts from June 24 to 28.

Making full use of its ecological resources, the district has also transformed its villages into refreshing and relaxing stations for urban residents, families and the elderly. The hydrangeas festival continues to draw massive crowds at Dongshe village, while lotus flowers are expected to fully bloom next month at Lianhu village in Jinze town. Meanwhile, the Art-M Cultural and Creative Industry Park is set to offer chilling experiences featuring outdoor concerts, barbecues, creative markets and camps.

Among the district's highlighted destinations, the Zhujiajiao ancient town has become a must-visit spot for a growing number of visitors from both home and abroad, with many popular coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores clustering throughout the town. In the first half of the year, the water town received about 3.5 million visitors, including 1.06 million foreign visitors.

"Cities are getting more crowded nowadays, but Zhujiajiao is quite and beautiful. We hope such a space could help visitors put down cellphones, get relaxed in nature and simply enjoy healthy meals and the fresh air to get powered up again," said Lamu, founder of the Timber and the Woods bookstore in the town.

To boost cultural tourism and consumption, the district has offered a total of 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) in vouchers covering a wide range of sectors including scenic spots, accommodation, restaurants and entertainment venues. It has also optimized multilingual signage and streamlined the tax refund process for departing travelers to better serve inbound tourists, according to the district.