Government News
"Shanghai Day" lights up Lincoln Center in New York 2025-07-27
Co-hosted by the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Center and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, "Summer for the City: Shanghai Day" ignited a cultural wave in New York City. From afternoon until late at night, a vibrant array of performances and interactive experiences—fusing classics with innovation, fashion with tradition, and youth with passion—took place across various spaces within Lincoln Center, drawing an estimated audience of over 100,000. This spectacular artistic exchange opened a vivid window for New Yorkers to experience the diverse vitality of Shanghai-style culture.
Li Ming, President of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Center, stated: "We are honored to bring Haipai (Shanghai-style) culture to this global stage at the invitation of Lincoln Center. Through this unique artistic celebration, we hope to showcase the charm of Shanghai and the creativity of Chinese artists to a worldwide audience."
Mariko Silver, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, expressed her enthusiasm: "'Summer for the City' is dedicated to inviting New Yorkers to explore diverse cultures and deepen their connection to cultural roots. We warmly welcome everyone to immerse themselves in 'Shanghai Day' and experience how Shanghai seamlessly blends history with contemporary culture. Our partnership with the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Center promises a new journey of artistic discovery and cultural connection for audiences of all ages."
Shanghai Day marked a world-class presentation of Haipai culture. Innovative interpretations of traditional Chinese arts offered immersive and interactive experiences that reshaped global perceptions.
Inside the David H. Koch Theater, the Shanghai Grand Theatre premiered its original dance drama White Snake to US audiences for the first time. Drawing from the Chinese solar terms for musical inspiration, the performance blended traditional Chinese instruments with Western orchestration and electronic sounds. Visually symbolic elements such as clocks and geometric forms illustrated spatial shifts and emotional depth. The performance integrated ballet, classical Chinese dance, and modern dance into a fluid cross-genre dialogue. Artistic director Tan Yuanyuan led an elite team to deliver a stunning fusion of ballet grace, flowing water sleeves, and poetic stage aesthetics inspired by Jiangnan, presenting an ancient legend in an entirely renewed form.
In the lobby of the David Rubenstein Atrium, the Shanghai Animation Film Studio's classic The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven captivated audiences with vivid colors and Chinese mythological charm. In the family zone, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra presented The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals in Traditional Music using suona, pipa, and other folk instruments, accompanied by animated ink paintings that delighted children and invited them to engage with traditional instruments.
As night fell, the garden transformed into a "Shanghai Cultural Pavilion." Intangible heritage booths offered hands-on experiences: papercutting, knot buttons, calligraphy, traditional qipao, handmade cotton crafts, vegetarian treats from Longhua Temple, and dazzling cloisonné candy boxes from Lao Feng Xiang. A "Guochao Punk" Peking Opera makeup booth was particularly popular, with New Yorkers lining up for custom opera face designs. Nearby, Xujiahui Library showcased Shanghai-themed creative products that condensed cultural meaning into modern design.
At Damrosch Park, the Arknights game music concert—produced in collaboration with globally renowned composers like Gareth Coker—offered an electrifying mix of electronic, folk, and symphonic sounds. Audiences were transported into immersive game worlds through high-impact musical storytelling.
Meanwhile, the Central Plaza transformed into a summer dance stage. China's new generation of dancers energized the crowd with breakdance, robot dance, and hip-hop. Their specially choreographed global hit Spread Your Wings sparked spontaneous dancing among the audience. Jazz trumpeter Li Xiaochuan bridged East and West with original compositions reflecting the evolving "Chinese sound." As the evening deepened, a "Silent Disco" allowed hundreds of attendees to dance freely in isolated headphone worlds—blending erhu, pipa, and electronic bass.
Throughout the event, the Lincoln Center was imbued with "Shanghai"—from the Lujiazui skyline to Yuyuan Garden silhouettes. "Today felt like being transported to the other side of the world," said Fromm, a New Yorker who had never been to Shanghai. "Every sense—from sight and sound to taste—was immersed in a city that is both ancient and modern, Eastern and global."
As the lights dimmed at Lincoln Center, the cultural resonance of "Shanghai Day" lingered. From elegant pointe work and traditional music to intangible heritage and immersive beats, this celebration became an invisible bridge connecting hearts across the Pacific. Through the power of art and culture, a moving new chapter was written in the story of US-China cultural exchange and mutual understanding.
Source: Shanghai Eye
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