Riverside living rooms provide culture, friendship and views

A SERIES of “cultural living rooms” have been built along a 22 kilometer stretch of the east bank of the Huangpu River in the Pudong New Area.

The aim is to create a visitor-friendly riverside rich in cultural ambience.

Every kilometer, there stands a “wangjiangyi,” literally posthouse facing the river.

Built in the style of a cottage, with a glass façade, they are more than just a place for people to take a seat and have a rest. They also act like “cultural living rooms” for locals and “scenic spots” for tourists.

Of the 22 pavilions, three stand out. The No.1 wangjiangyi is decorated like a book cafe. People can attend reading activities and make friends.

The No.2 wangjiangyi features bold lines, primary colors and simple styles. Photos of Pudong’s modern landmarks such as the skyscraper cluster in Lujiazui’s financial hub and structures in the former World Expo site are hung.

People can don virtual reality glasses for shows. Visitors can also make their own post cards and mail them with a specially-designed postmark.

The No.3 wangjiangyi has “two faces,” one for day and one for night.

In daytime, it is a kind of a “memory box” with items such as the original manuscripts of renowned writer Ye Xin, the chesspieces of Women’s World Chess Champion Ju Wenjun, and ballet shoes of celebrated ballerina Tan Yuanyuan, on display.

When the night falls, it becomes a broadcasting studio. In November, guests including Internet celebrities, renowned writers and financial experts will meet their fans there and make a program to be aired at 7pm from Monday to Saturday.

“Initially, we just wanted to build some public seating areas, but later we came up with new ideas and decided to inject some cultural elements,” said Huang Wei, director of Pudong’s Culture, Radio, Film and TV Administration. Huang said the sites will be upgraded to cater to the changing demands of locals.

Pudong is stepping up its efforts to become a cultural highlight of Shanghai, featuring an arts and culture cluster. Under its grand scheme, the construction of five world-class cultural facilities will be completed in 2020.

The Pudong Art Museum is in the heart of Lujiazui, and Expo Culture Park is set to be the largest green space in urban Shanghai once completed.

The other three are near the Century Park.

The Shanghai Planetarium is designed to cover more than 38,000 square meters. The east branch of the Shanghai Museum will cover 105,000 square meters.

The east branch of the Shanghai Library is designed like a “well carved jade” and will be a cultural oasis.

Together with the existing Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and Shanghai Oriental Art Center, they will form a “cultural highland.”