Everything’s going to be fine on the night

Zhou Dandan, Xia Haoyi and Yang Yang

Aplan to promote Songjiang’s night-time economy has been issued by the district’s economic committee to ensure high-quality development.

Songjiang will enhance control to ensure harmonious relations between night-time commercial zones and nearby neighborhoods, the plan says.

“We heard children crying and people quarreling at night. The cooking and barbecue smells are so thick that we dare not to open the window,” said a

resident surnamed Gao who lives at the Zi Dong Xin Yuan residential area in the west of the Dongming Square commercial zone.

“The business is in a slump. If we don’t add tables outdoors, we can’t improve our business,” said the manager of a barbecue store.

Qian Xingming, a member of Songjiang’s first batch of “night-time district chiefs,” suggests food stores around the square only display their food at outdoor booths and sell food indoors.

“We hope we can develop the Dongming Square night fair into a brand representing Songjiang and Shanghai’s night life, just like the Shilin Pasar Malam in Taipei,” said Qian.

The district will also enhance fire protection, public security, food security, road hygiene and greenery coverage, according to the plan. The times and frequency of public transport around the night-time commercial zones will be increased to cater to people’s needs, and more night-time parking areas will be set up, the plan says.

To avoid too many similar businesses in night-time commercial zones, the plan also encourages various commercial areas such as Songdong Road, Dongming Square, Lanqiao Commercial Street and Wenhan Road to introduce their unique dining brands.

“I don’t think the night-time economy just equals hanging out at bars or eating delicacies, we might as well add culture and art into that,” said Sun Jiangyan, chairman of Shanghai Homing Swallow Health Tech Co and one of Songjiang’s “night-time chief executive officers.”

The district will encourage cultural activities, light shows and concerts at its tourist sites, musical plays or dramas in its theaters and night-time cultural or entertainment events in its midnight stores or music clubs, the plan says.