Shanghai: Where Tradition Meets Modernity

Shanghai allows us to explore a different side of China’s cultural heritage. Traditionally, crafts are displayed behind glass cases, illuminated by spotlights yet somehow still shrouded in the dust of time. At the waterfront market in Panlong Tiandi, Qingpu District, Shanghai, however, wooden rowing boats, winding canals, ancient bridges, and bustling market stalls come together to create a space where tradition feels alive. This almost makes the culture intangible yet present. Here, cultural heritage is no longer something confined to the past. Jiangnan textiles, traditional paper-cutting, handmade crafts, and creative cultural products are woven into the urban weekend getaway, becoming part of the everyday aesthetic experience of modern city dwellers. It reminds us that intangible cultural heritage is not merely a relic of the past, but a living aesthetic that we can continue to experience, appreciate, and make our own.

The meaning of perpetuating these cultures is similar to why we read ancient texts. Despite living in social contexts vastly different from the past, we can still find ourselves moved by the emotions and imagery conveyed through the words of classic literature, or gain insight into how society functioned at the time. These works continue to spark our imagination across generations. Cultural heritage, too, is deeply rooted in its historical context, yet people from different eras and historical perspectives can discover new interpretations and find new points of connection within the same creations. In much the same way, traditional cultural heritage must find its own language of expression in the modern world.

In the twenty-first century, modern media and digital advertising have accelerated the spread of information, offering us new opportunities to bring traditional culture closer to contemporary audiences. We hope to harness the possibilities of this digital age to break through the barriers of traditional cultural communication and make heritage that may seem distant in time feel relevant to our lives today. What we seek to convey is not only the historical depth accumulated over thousands of years, but also the vibrant vitality of traditional culture as it intertwines and coexists with modern life in the digital age.

上海：传统与现代

在上海，我们希望让大家看到不一样的非遗传统文化。传统的非遗展示往往在玻璃展示柜里，虽然顶着打光灯，却感觉这些非遗物品上笼罩着时代的灰尘。上海青浦区位于蟠龙天地商业中心的水上集市里，摇橹船、河道、古桥、市集摊位融为一体，在这里，非遗物品不再是老古董，而是将江南织物、非遗剪纸、传统手作、文创好物放进都市人的周末微度假场景中。它告诉大家：非遗不是过去的遗迹，而是当下依然可以享用、可以拥有的美学生活方式。

我们在文学课上总被要求阅读名著，尽管我们身处在几乎完全不同的社会背景，仍然能从过往作品的字眼中体会情绪、意境、或是当时社会运行的规律，依然能激发我们的想象力。正如文学具有鲜明的时代性，不同时代的读者站在不同的历史时空，对同一部作品会产生全新的解读与共鸣。传统非遗在今天，同样需要寻找属于这个时代的“表达语言”。 在二十一世纪，现代传媒与数字化广告加速了信息传播，我们希望充分借助这一时代赋能，突破传统传播的壁垒，让看似历史遥远的非遗传统文化靠近我们。我们想传递的，不仅是传统文化沉淀千年的历史底蕴，更是它在数字时代与现代生活交织共生的蓬勃生命力。