NEW YORK – Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Center for the China Shanghai International Arts Festival hosted Shanghai Day as part of Summer for the City, bringing a lively wave of culture to New York City.
From early afternoon into the night, crowds enjoyed a full mix of shows and hands-on activities across Lincoln Center. The day blended classic and modern styles, mixed fashion with tradition, and celebrated young artists. Audiences in the thousands joined in, getting a genuine taste of Shanghai’s creative spirit.
Li Ming, President of the Center for the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, shared that bringing Haipai (Shanghai-style) culture to New York was an honour. She said this celebration gave Shanghai artists a place to share their energy and ideas with the world, thanks to Lincoln Center’s invitation.
Mariko Silver, President and CEO of Lincoln Center, welcomed everyone to discover new cultures at the centre. She said today’s events offered a strong example of sharing traditions and creativity across borders, bringing people of all ages together. She highlighted the joy of working with the Shanghai International Arts Festival team.
Shanghai Day introduced Haipai culture at its best, with fresh takes on long-held traditions. These interactive moments showed a different side of Chinese arts, inviting visitors to see them in new ways.
Inside the David H. Koch Theatre, the Shanghai Grand Theatre brought Lady White Snake to a U.S. audience for the first time. This original dance, inspired by the Chinese solar calendar, paired traditional Chinese instruments with Western classical music and electronic sounds.
Bold visuals, including clocks and geometric patterns, set the scene and added emotional weight. The show brought together ballet, Chinese dance, and contemporary moves, as artistic director Tan Yuanyuan and her team created a vivid retelling of an ancient tale. Their work brought together ballet finesse, flowing water sleeves, and poetic stage design shaped by Jiangnan, casting a classic legend in a fresh light.
Shanghai Day Excites
In the lobby at the David Rubenstein Atrium, families watched The Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven, a colourful film from Shanghai Animation Film Studio. Children enjoyed live music from the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra in the family area, where suona and pipa mixed with water ink animation by Zhang Lelu. Kids got to try out traditional instruments and learn through play.
As evening set in, Lincoln Center’s garden turned into the “Shanghai Cultural Pavilion.” Visitors could try their hand at papercutting, knot buttons, calligraphy, qipao making, and cotton crafts. There were also vegetarian snacks from Longhua Temple and unique cloisonné boxes from Lao Feng Xiang.
The “Guochao Punk” Peking Opera makeup booth stood out, with lines of New Yorkers eager for custom face paint. The Zi-Ka-Wei Library display nearby featured creative designs and souvenirs inspired by Shanghai’s heritage.
Damrosch Park came alive with the Arknights Concert, created with famous composers like Gareth Coker. The music shifted between electronic, folk, and symphonic styles, pulling the audience into worlds inspired by video games.
On the Dance Floor, young dancers from China wowed the crowd with street dance, including breaking, popping, and locking. Their energetic routine to Spread Your Wings got everyone moving, with the audience joining in.
Jazz trumpeter Li Xiaochuan added his sound, blending jazz with Chinese themes. Late into the night, the Silent Disco drew crowds who danced with wireless headphones, listening to a mix of erhu, pipa, and electronic beats.
Throughout the celebration, symbols of Shanghai filled the Lincoln Center—from the skyline of Lujiazui to the outlines of Yuyuan Garden. New Yorker Fromm, visiting for the first time, shared how it felt like stepping into a different city, with every sense taken up by sights, sounds, and flavours that mixed the old with the new.
As the evening closed, the spirit of Shanghai Day stayed with everyone. From the elegance of ballet to the sounds of folk instruments, from hands-on crafts to dancing under the stars, the event created a bridge between cultures. Through art and connection, a fresh chapter in cultural exchange between China and the United States began.
