1,300 historical buildings equipped with QR codes

AROUND 1,300 historical buildings in Shanghai’s six districts have been equipped with QR codes that give information about the buildings in Chinese and English, Shanghai’s cultural and tourism authorities said yesterday, adding that 1,088 buildings of the total number were open to the public.

Visitors can read texts, listen to audio, watch videos or even have virtual reality tours of the structures in Jing’an, Xuhui, Huangpu, Changning, Hongkou and Yangpu districts by scanning the code with their smartphones.

A total of 87 walking tour routes covering historical buildings have been released, the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism said.

By the end of 2020, all historical buildings in the city will have QR codes and will be open to the public if conditions permit, said Yu Xiufen, director of the administration.

Walking tours and lectures will be organized to get more residents involved, and more tour routes covering these buildings will be developed, she said.

Meanwhile, 4.5 million tourists had enjoyed the cruise tours on the Huangpu River by the end of October. The figure is expected to exceed 5 million by the end of the year, a surge of over 30 percent from last year. Diverse cruise options have been offered on the river to make the iconic Huangpu River cruise a world-class attraction, according to the administration.

“The city will further improve public tourist attractions like Huangpu River, Suzhou Creek areas and countryside parks, and develop tourist itineraries blending cruise tours on the river and attractions on the banks,” said Yu.

The goal is to make the Huangpu River cruise tour a must for tourists from home and abroad, she said.

Also, 60 minsu (B&Bs) in the Pudong New Area and Jinshan, Fengxian, Qingpu, Jiading and Chongming districts have been licensed after city authorities released a guideline in September last year to encourage their development and regulate the market.

A service platform covering the city’s countryside tourism and minsu will be launched, and a suburban tourism insurance system established.