The 2025 North Bund Fortune and Culture Forum opened this week in Shanghai’s Hongkou District, spotlighting the evolving synergy between finance and culture in a globalized economy.
Held at the Grand Hall on the city’s waterfront, the forum drew around 300 participants from government, academia, and leading industries to explore how openness, innovation, and cooperation can drive sustainable growth.
The event underscored Shanghai’s ambitions to position the North Bund as a leading international financial and cultural hub.
Hongkou Party Secretary Li Qian welcomed guests, while Shanghai Executive Vice Mayor Wu Wei delivered a keynote speech, praising the city’s role in fostering global collaboration and high-level dialogue. The forum was chaired by District Director Lu Ming.
Throughout the day, forum participants addressed the cultural foundations of long-term, value-based investing, examined global mechanisms for aligning cultural diversity with economic benefit, and emphasized the importance of sustainability and inclusivity in cross-sector cooperation.
Three major initiatives were launched during the forum. The North Bund Finance Salon will serve as a high-level venue for regular exchange between financial leaders and cultural innovators.
A campaign to collect and showcase exemplary cases of finance-culture integration was also announced, aiming to surface replicable models that demonstrate mutual empowerment.
In addition, the new North Bund M&A Ecosystem Alliance and Deal Sourcing Center was unveiled to support corporate mergers and acquisitions by connecting capital, talent, and legal infrastructure in a streamlined service platform.
In a move positioning Hongkou at the forefront of sustainable finance, the district formally released its carbon finance policy—the first of its kind in Shanghai.
The guidelines, developed with support from the People’s Bank of China Shanghai branch and the city’s financial office, offer subsidies for green loans and incentives for low-carbon transformation.
Over 800 green businesses have now set up in Hongkou, further cementing its reputation as a leading destination for climate-conscious investment.
Prominent experts from finance, academia, and culture contributed to the forum’s thought leadership. Tu Guangshao, founding chair of the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics President Liu Yuanchun addressed the shifting global financial narrative.
Amundi COO Guillaume Lesage discussed cultural codes in wealth management, while Ivan Frishberg of the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) emphasized ESG disclosures. Oscar-winning director Malcolm Clarke explored culture’s role in soft power development.
In the afternoon, a specialized asset management forum gathered executives from banks, investment firms, and legal institutions to examine fiduciary duty and the principles of rational, long-term investment. Roundtable discussions offered deep dives into industry ethics and the cultural context of wealth stewardship.
Since its inception in 2011, the North Bund forum has emerged as a strategic platform linking financial innovation with cultural enrichment. With Hongkou leveraging the North Bund’s financial clustering and cultural heritage, the district aims to drive forward Shanghai’s dual ambitions as a global financial center and a cultural capital.