【Shanghai Daily＆JING'AN News】Moments in January

Jing'an District sits in the heart of Shanghai. It represents the essence of the history and culture of the city, home to century-old buildings, bigname attractions, glitzy retail malls, and charming art galleries. Annual music and art events give the district a distinctive ambiance. In this series, we highlight the best of Jing'an.

People enjoy a pleasant night on the terrace of a local shop in Jing'an.

A recent high-profile ceremony kicked off a number of important projects for the  first quarter of this year, laying a solid foundation for the district’s growth this year.

Leading district authorities, including District Party Secretary Yu Yong, attended the ceremony on January 3, which saw the formal launch of these projects including a commercial real estate complex and three livelihood developments. 

The commercial real estate project  will be a 5.5-billion-yuan (US$811 million) complex with a five-star hotel and upscale office space that will house the headquarters for high-tech information enterprises and financial services. It will be  bounded by Yongyuan Road on the  north, Nanjing Road W. on the south,  Huashan Hotel on the east, and Xin’an Apartment on the west. 

At 115 meters, the towering structure has the potential to become a new icon in the area’s west end. 

The livelihood projects comprise a fire station, a fitness center and a junior middle school. 

The 40-million-yuan Wanrong fire station will be built at 750 Lingshi Road. It will house five fire engines, boast a five-story building and have a six-story drill tower. The fire station will be strategically important in boosting the firefighting capabilities in the area because of optimized fire station distribution and a correspondingly smaller firefighting radius. 

The civic fitness center project in  the Zhongxing community will be built with an investment of 1.1 billion yuan, covering an area of 6,677 square meters with a construction area of 28,691 square meters. 

The complex, with two stories above ground and three below, would house fitness facilities, offices and underground parking. Once completed, it will meet residents’ multiple and diverse needs for fitness and sports. 

The Shibei junior middle school project in the same community will  take up an area of 6,064 square meters and a gross floor space of 21,534 square meters. The structure will have six levels above ground and two below ground. 

By meeting local educational needs, the project promises to further promote the even distribution of premium educational resources in the region. 

The district authority plans to accelerate expansion by utilizing its abundant resources in terraces and outdoor venues to sponsor business events and activities and by forming a coalition that will make it easier for outdoor businesses to integrate with the night economy. 

Commercial entities will be invited to support various outdoor activities and night markets to revitalize the local business environment. 

At an event on January 11 at CITIC Square, six businesses were recognized as members of the new economic coalition for their contributions to advancing these activities, including HKRI Taikoo Hui, Jiuguang shopping mall and CITIC Square. 

The new members were urged to  make use of their outdoor spaces to create immersive experiences and interactive spaces for a “terrace economy” focused on night-time dining, shopping, entertainment and performances. 

Commercial entities were told to reinvent themselves by designing and creating related activities. One successful example is the “GO OUT! SUHEWAN” event, featuring camping and a fair, that has become Internet famous since it was launched.

Another example is a project themed “Sense the City, Live the Style” under the initiatives of the CITIC Square, which boasts no less than 14 terraces and a rooftop garden after a major upgrade in 2022.

The district, which wants to become a showcase for international consumption, will try to get more organizations to join the coalition, with a focus on the Jing’an Temple area, the Zhangyuan area and the Daning area near Shanghai Circus World.

Although Q1 began well, Q2 experienced  a steep decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was a fast recovery in Q3 thanks to the stimulus package. Jing'an District achieved nearly 27.94 billion yuan (US$4.12 billion) in general public budget revenue last year, up 0.34 percent from a year earlier. 

Its tax revenue of foreign-related business amounted to 44.78 billion yuan, ranking it first among all downtown districts. Its total retail sales of consumer goods, estimated at 150 billion yuan, would also rank first among downtown districts. 

With the addition of 20 regional headquarters for multinational companies, Jing'an now  has 112 regional headquarters. Last year,  these 112 regional headquarters paid taxes totaling 14.78 billion yuan, which is 13.78 percent more than the year before. 

Across the district, 82 office buildings and commercial complexes had each reported over 100 million yuan in tax revenue for the year, and 200 key office buildings and commercial complexes had reported 60.65 billion yuan in tax.

In light of municipal guidelines, the district has drawn up policies aimed at helping businesses better cope with the ravages of the pandemic. 

Over the year, tax exemption, deduction and refund totaled 11.48 billion yuan, the highest annual figure in the past three years. 

Meanwhile, the district's state-owned enterprises had waived rentals totaling 566 million yuan, benefiting 2,590 private businesses. To help restaurateurs, retailers and conference sponsors tide over the dificulties, 2.027 billion yuan in loans had been extended to them. 

In a major inspection aimed at better identifying those enterprises worst hit  by the pandemic, a total of 12,307 businesses have been visited, with dedicated personnel assigned to help beleaguered enterprises stay afloat.

In the face of a worsening COVID-19 pandemic, the district government has done everything possible to leverage the limited resources available to provide for pandemic-related work such as PCR testing, medical assistance, contact tracing, quarantine and the provision of daily necessities, laying a solid foundation for winning the fight. 

During the lockdown period, a total of 23 makeshift hospitals, two designated hospitals, 15,000 hospital beds and 5,600 rooms for quarantine had been put into use. Some 4.76 million packages of daily goods had been distributed to households in the district in nine batches. Over one million visits had been paid to the elderly living alone, or senior residents. 

As part of a three-year production security rectification campaign, inspections and rectifications were conducted in such vital sectors as construction, self-built houses, transportation, natural gas, food, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. A total of 8,032 issues had been identified, with follow-up rectification reviews. 

Fire-fighting facilities in 30 old communities had been upgraded, and charging facilities for electric bikes were newly provided in 173 old communities.

Four city-level “Beautiful Streets” had been set up, with three roads identified as “well managed” in light of high standards of hygiene.

The public space along the two banks of the Suzhou Creek kept improving. A total of 28 roads had been renovated and 14 kilometers of overhead wire had been moved underground. About 86,700 square meters of greenery had been created and 2.9 kilometers of dedicated walking lanes had been newly added. To reduce daily garbage, a total of 372 tons of kitchen waste were disposed of on an average day.

A riverside public space by the Suzhou Creek

There has been steady progress in the systematic renovation of old communities. In the “beautiful hometown” project,  a total of 500,000 square meters of old communities have been upgraded and the number of elevators newly installed in old communities ranked first among all downtown districts. 

There had been an all-out effort to ensure stable employment, with a total of 43 million yuan in subsidies provided to various enterprises. Personalized help was also extended to all college graduates with local household registration. 

The establishment of two dedicated educational groups, Fenghua Primary School and Daning International Primary School, was a sign of coordinated social development and deepening educational reforms. A good 58.4 percent of kindergartens also have nurseries in tandem. 

Relevant policies on reducing school burdens have been effectively implemented, and online and offline teaching were well coordinated during the pandemic. There have been a host of activities sponsored to publicize the “Red” culture, among them activities marking the centenary of the second Party congress and the birth of the first Party constitution.

In light of building a conservation-oriented society and cutting down on unnecessary costs, the government has achieved savings in expenditures totaling 3.557 million yuan to better prioritize essential needs in the public sector and residents' lives. 

Additionally, efforts have been made to address recommendations put forward by district lawmakers and political advisers, with 83.2 percent of the lawmakers' submissions and 94.8 percent of the advisers' suggestions being addressed.

With the surge in the number of junior and senior high school students expected soon, this would place a high demand on the faculty, and it is hoped that the education commission and government would pay the highest attention to the teachers.

The district government should make more effort and come up with more concrete measures to attract investment, with a view to having more business resources deployed in shanghai in general, and Jing’an district in particular. attention should be paid to enterprises that play a pivotal role in the digital economy, to gain first mover advantage.

To promote quality economic development, a series of incentives could be created to stimulate consumption and rebuild market confidence. at the same time, the digital transition in the economy should go deeper and stronger, so that it is of a scale that is globally competitive.

In this fastchanging era, various governments, in their effort to foster a better investment environment, should also focus on raising their own ability   to empathize so that they could better read business sentiments and would be able to do more to instill confidence in businesses to help them tide over their difficulties.

The district government has decided on 10 projects deemed particularly relevant to the improvement of residents’lives in 2023.

As part of the“Beautiful hometown”initiative, 800,000 square meters of old communities will be upgraded, and 500 elevators will be installed in old, multistory apartments that were previously not equipped with elevators. The sewage system will also be upgraded, and overhead wire will go underground.

About 56,000 square meters of public greenery and two kilometers of dedicated pedestrian lanes will be added. about 17 roads will be upgraded or repaired, with significant improvements to sections of roads where water tends to collect.

Fire-fighting infrastructure will be improved in 15 high-rise apartments, and security campaigns will be launched in select residential and commercial communities. smart locks will be installed in 20 gated communities or maintained on a routine basis in communities where smart systems are already in place. Charging stations will be renovated in 80 residential  communities.

There will be an addition of 475 beds for elderly care, and two community canteens for senior residents. about 500 households will undergo adaptations for the needs of the senior occupants. Meanwhile, 400 eligible households will also undergo renovations for the handicapped.

Help will be provided to 620 young people who have been jobless for extended periods, and technical training will be given to 500 people in a new format of apprenticeships.

An effort will be made to proceed with the construction of daning international school (the primary section), and attention will be paid to the provision of nursery services. Forty social care centers will be set up to meet the needs of primary school students during the summer holidays.

Efforts will be made to proceed with the high-quality development of four public medical centers focused on TCM, and two exemplary rehabilitation centers will be launched to facilitate rehabilitation services at the doorstep. six large, free medical consulting sessions will be sponsored to help extend the availability of premium medical resources.

In the drive to help foster literacy about the history of heritage buildings, a cultural map will be drawn up that focuses on the bridges and landmarks in the suhe Bay area, followed by a publicity blitz about select minitour lines designed to explore the banks of the suzhou Creek.

In pursuing the objective of building a 15-minute sports and life circle, one new civic fitness center will be created. six jogging lanes will be created, and four renovated. Two public sports fields will be renovated. district stadiums, particularly swimming pools, badminton courts and table tennis facilities, will be made available to 150,000 residents at reduced prices.

To spruce up the appearance of wet markets, two markets will be standardized. a total of 45 dining places frequented by office workers will be improved in terms of quality and services, and two will be adjusted.

Early on January 15, local residents woke up to the sight of feathery snowflakes in their neighborhoods. But the snow melted since the ground temperature still hovered above zero degrees, though some remained on leaves. Winter snow is a rarity in this part of the country, so it was not a surprise that excited residents started uploading snowy photographs on their WeChat Moments.

The Linfen Neighborhood Committee takes special care of newly employed residents. During the recent two sessions, some delegates proposed that more attention be paid to the demands of the people hired in the new business model, such as the large number of deliverymen. There is a growing trend among Internetenabled businesses to hire temporary workers for short periods of time. As a  result, the majority of employees (gig workers) are meeting important societal demands, even if some are not receiving the full benefits of stable employment. People have suggested setting up outdoor employment post stations so that these workers can take a break from rushing from one delivery to the next.

An art fair outside Jing'an Temple on January 13 attracted office workers during their lunch break. It was themed “Aspiring to learn from the 20th Congress, and enrich the New Year festival with culture” and supported by the Jing'an Neighborhood Committee and the Shanghai Academy of Painting and Calligraphy. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last year sought to unite all ethnic groups in achieving the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist nation. The Chinese Lunar New Year on January 22 marked a new start. Traditional culture activities before the holiday enhanced the celebratory mood.