Shanghai Charm Week Debuts at Thailand’s Yuyuan Lantern Festival, Celebrating the Meeting of the Huangpu and Chao Phraya Rivers
The “Shanghai Charm Week” event, held under the Thailand Yuyuan Lantern Festival and featuring the launch of Summer of Shanghai (Bangkok), recently opened in grand style at ICONSIAM, Bangkok. The dazzling lights of Yuyuan Lanterns symbolized the beautiful encounter between the Huangpu River and the Chao Phraya River. This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, as well as the sister city partnership between Shanghai and Bangkok. The iconic Yuyuan Lantern Festival, one of Shanghai’s cultural hallmarks, has once again traveled overseas—officially debuting in Bangkok on June 28 to showcase the culture and spirit of Shanghai through lantern artistry and digital light displays to an international audience.
Running until August 15, Shanghai Charm Week is a key highlight of the Thailand Yuyuan Lantern Festival, offering a multi-faceted portrait of Shanghai through short videos, captivating imagery, interactive check-in spots, cultural and creative design displays, and more—capturing the city’s unique charm while deepening the bonds between the two great metropolises. The event also marked the official launch of the global tourism promotion campaign Summer of Shanghai (Bangkok), warmly presenting Shanghai’s travel highlights to Thai visitors and inviting them to experience the unforgettable allure of the city firsthand.
A major highlight is the Shanghai Charm Shines in Bangkok – Shanghai Photography Exhibition, meticulously curated from the official Shanghai photo catalog and the “IP SHANGHAI” platform. The exhibition features more than 80 exceptional works by both Chinese and international photographers and illustrators—visual poems capturing Shanghai’s rhythm as it moves forward with the times. Through the lens, Shanghai emerges as a city of opportunity, embracing diversity and connecting people’s dreams and futures. The photographs are centered on three themes—Openness, Innovation, and Integration—showcasing everything from bustling street life and cutting-edge fashion to the unique fusion of Eastern and Western cultures.
The illustrations are divided into two sub-themes:
Classic Landmarks – The backbone of the city and guardians of its cultural heritage, such as the century-old Shanghai Post Museum, the dazzling Yuyuan Lantern Festival, the elegant Wukang Building, the globally connected Pudong Airport, the bustling Nanjing Road, the historic Cathay Theatre, and the “Three on the Bund” complex—icons of the Shanghai skyline.
Urban Renewal Projects – Stories of urban space design and lifestyle transformation, such as the Xinhua Community Creative Hub, the revitalized space under the Suzhou River Bridge, the redeveloped Yangpu Riverside, the Zhangyuan garden blending heritage and modernity, the Shanghai Planetarium, the emerging North Bund, the trendy Columbia Circle, and the lively Wuzhong Market.
These works reveal how Shanghai preserves its historical roots while infusing the city with new life, energy, and potential for the future.
Alongside the exhibition, Shanghai Charm Week also features 15 short films about the city, screened amid the glowing lantern displays of the Yuyuan Lantern Festival to give Thai audiences an immersive and interactive taste of Shanghai—almost as if they were visiting in person. Visitors can also enjoy specially designed interactive experiences, such as the “Shanghai–Bangkok Holding Hands” check-in point, which magically “teleports” guests between Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden and Bangkok’s Grand Palace, and the whimsical “Monkey King’s Holiday,” where the beloved character from Shanghai’s classic animated film Journey to the West serves as a lively tour guide through scenic spots like Wusongkou, the Huangpu River, Suhe Riverside, and the Oriental Pearl Tower—greeting guests with a cheerful “Nong Hao! Hello!” and leading them on a fantastical adventure.
Interactive motion displays allow visitors to bring illustrated scenes to life with a gesture, adding a playful and surprising twist to the cultural experience. Creative cultural products are also showcased, including gift sets from a Yuyuan Lantern Festival and “Shanghai Release” collaboration, heritage-themed designs from Donghua University, and licensed IP SHANGHAI merchandise. These products combine beautiful design with rich cultural storytelling, using creativity and innovation to inspire Thai travelers to visit Shanghai for a new kind of tourism that seamlessly blends shopping and culture.
“Summer of Shanghai” Invites Thai Visitors to Discover the City’s Unique Allure
The global tourism promotion campaign Summer of Shanghai made its vibrant Bangkok debut as part of Shanghai Week, unveiling highlights of the Summer of Shanghai 2025 International Consumption Festival and exclusive offers for Thai tourists through the Yuyuan Lantern Festival platform. The initiative aims to foster people-to-people exchange and cooperation between China and Thailand in trade, tourism, and culture, while encouraging more Thai travelers to explore Shanghai’s distinctive charm.
The Summer of Shanghai festival, a major annual event positioning the city as an international consumption hub, runs from the first weekend of July to the second weekend of October each year. Welcoming visitors from around the globe, Shanghai offers a diverse range of fresh and memorable consumption experiences.
This year’s festival introduces 14 new themed products and two special-themed services, leveraging the 240-hour visa-free policy to provide greater convenience and benefits for inbound travelers in dining, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment. For example, China Eastern Airlines has released over one million discounted tickets to reduce travel costs, while the “Shanghai Pass” offers an all-in-one card for public transport, attraction entry, and special discounts. UnionPay and other banks have rolled out various measures to facilitate spending and tax refunds for international visitors.
Cultural and commercial landmarks like Yuyuan Mall are also hosting dynamic events to give foreign tourists a deeper taste of Shanghai’s vibrant atmosphere. These exciting activities promise to make every Thai traveler’s visit to Shanghai a truly memorable and enriching experience.
