Shanghai celebrates 37th Tourism Festival showcasing cultural heritage

The 2026 Shanghai tourism festival is underway, with parades, markets and cultural events running citywide until early October.

The event attracts millions of visitors a year who come for sightseeing, culture, food and the wild animal park.

"Every time I come, I love seeing the pandas, and lots of big crocodiles, and especially the African elephants and Asian elephants. That area is really breathtaking.”

The festival also showcases distinctive cultural traditions and performances.

Yin Guoxu GWO-Shoo is director of cultural heritage for Nujiang prefecture:

"We’ve brought the songs and dances of Nujiang’s various ethnic groups to Shanghai, both to showcase rich cultural heritage of the Nujiang Gorge and to extend an invitation to the people of Shanghai. We warmly welcome our friends from Shanghai to visit Nujiang.”

The tourism festival runs across Shanghai until October 6.