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    Exploring Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek
    The new font of the city’s flourishing art and culture scene
    Shanghai city view
    Credit: fanjianhua/Getty Images
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    Shanghai

    Since the dawn of civilisation, rivers have shaped some of the world’s greatest cities. In Shanghai, the Huangpu River, which is lined with futuristic skyscrapers and historic European-style buildings along its eastern and western banks, is a symbol of the city’s long-standing status as a world-class trading and financial hub.

    But to truly feel the city’s pulse, head to Suzhou Creek, a long and winding tributary of the Huangpu which passes through multiple districts of Shanghai. Throughout history, Suzhou Creek has played an important role in the city’s development as a major trading and shipping route in the Chinese Mainland. Now, it’s central to Shanghai’s artistic community, housing cutting-edge galleries and museums.

    White stairs
    Shanghai Photohraphy Museum exterior view
    Shanghai photography museum interior view

    It’s an area I know well, having lived at the intersection of Nansuzhou Lu and Xizang Zhong Lu between 2014 and 2019. But as I now return to explore Suzhou Creek on foot, the extent of its evolution since I left is striking.

    In recent years, Shanghai has been on a mission to improve tourism and establish more cultural landmarks along the Suzhou Creek riverfront as part of its citywide “One River, One Creek” initiative. This boost of creativity has manifested in the opening of several prominent art spaces, including high-profile names such as auction house Sotheby’s, and UCCA Edge, the Shanghai outpost of the leading contemporary art museum from Beijing. But it’s not all shiny new developments: some of the neighbourhood’s historical buildings have also been given a facelift.

    Fotografiska Shanghai  – the first Asian offshoot of the Stockholm-based contemporary photography museum – occupies a four-storey, 1930s warehouse along Suzhou Creek’s northern bank. Walking through the exhibition space, I take in the artworks while appreciating the history of my surroundings and the effort it took to pull off a metamorphosis that works in harmony with the existing neighbourhood.

    “Since our museum is located in one of the historic buildings along Suzhou Creek, we want to strengthen our bond with this landmark through the works we display,” says Han Peipei, Fotografiska Shanghai’s exhibition director. “A lot has been done to rejuvenate Suzhou Creek, including cleaning the water and refurbishing the pavements in the area to make it more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly. All these efforts have attracted many art venues to the area.”

    Art piece of silver colour
    Suhe Historic Building exterior view
    art piece of a man face

    After a short walk east along Beisuzhou Lu, I reach Suhe Haus, a five-storey creative space that’s now home to the Longlati Foundation’s new art space, pop-up event venues and a rooftop exhibition area. Like Fotografiska, Suhe Haus  occupies a former warehouse – the National Industrial Bank of China’s, which was built in the early 1930s. After being immersed in the restoration for months, the Longlati team launched two inaugural exhibitions in April: one of which, Anamorphosis (until 16 August), a cyberpunk-inflected, surrealist collection of paintings and sculptures by Pol Taburet, was partly inspired by the young French artist’s visit to Suhe House last year.

    “Artists we work with are interested in places that have a rich history and incorporating it into their work,” says Longlati co-founder Chen Zihao. “The neighbourhood’s past lives on through art.”

    I continue my eastward journey. After crossing the Zhapu Lu Bridge, I arrive at Rockbund . After a 17-year-long restoration by David Chipperfield Architects, the complex of 11 historic buildings has come alive with a mix of international and Chinese lifestyle brands and F&B concepts, a contemporary art museum and well-thought-out public spaces.

    Rockbund complex view

    Credit: Tian Fangfang

    “We want the whole area to be a place where art and everyday life converge,” says Michael Shen, Rockbund’s commercial general manager, as he shows me around the bustling complex. “The process of choosing tenants is like creating content for a magazine. Having well-curated, thought-provoking venues makes visitors want to spend more time here. The Bund is a gateway between the world and China, and the Rockbund provides a window for the world to discover emerging brands and talents from China.”

    Building with many rectangular windows

    Credit: Tian Fangfang

    Rockbund historic buildings

    Credit: Tian Fangfang

    Sky view

    Credit: Tian Fangfang

    Central to the complex is the Rockbund Art Museum  (RAM), which opened in 2010 in a 1930s Art Deco-style building that once served as the Royal Asiatic Society’s (RAS) North China headquarters. Its archival Shanghai Palimpsest: Re-staging the R.A.S. Library exhibition (until 25 August) pays homage to the building’s literary heritage and forms part of RAM artistic director X Zhu-Nowell’s vision to experiment with different ways of presenting art. The Shanghai native and former Guggenheim New York curator, who joined the museum last year, is ecstatic to see the art scene thrive.

    “What sets Suzhou Creek apart from other districts like West Bund is its rich historical narrative. The area’s architecture tells unique stories of Shanghai’s past,” says Zhu-Nowell. “There’s a vibrant blend of for-profit and non-profit cultural spaces here, which is essential for a thriving artistic ecosystem.”

    After a full day of museum hopping while wandering along Suzhou Creek, I retreat to my hotel, located at the confluence of the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek. The view is striking: the glitz and glamour of the Bund and the futuristic Lujiazui skyline on one side, and Suzhou Creek’s laid-back charm on the other. Just before sunset, I spot aunties chatting as they cycle home with their groceries and uncles enjoying a cigarette as they fish in the creek. It’s scenes like these, of everyday life set against a backdrop of historic grandeur, that remind me why Shanghai is so easy to fall in love with – the city a masterpiece all of its own.

    Hotel bedroom in Shanghai
    Shanghai hotel night view

    Stay here

    Opened in late-2023, Regent Shanghai on the Bund is located at the former site of the iconic Seagull Hotel at the meeting point of the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek. The property takes full advantage of its riverside landscape – its restaurants, event spaces and modern, luxurious guestrooms and suites all offer river views.

    Suzhou Creek’s newfound art pedigree is reflected in the design: novelist and artist Jin Yucheng, who wrote and illustrated the book that serves as the source material for the hit TV series Blossoms Shanghai, contributed artworks depicting everyday life in Shanghai in the guestrooms and public areas.

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    Country / Region
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    Humid subtropical
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