Hongkou District has launched a new cultural initiative aimed at connecting global museum collections with local audiences through digital technology, creating an immersive platform for cross-cultural exchange along Shanghai's North Bund waterfront.
The "Suzhou Creek Meets the Seine — World Museum Corridor" program officially opened recently at Hoshu Superyacht ahead of the 50th International Museum Day, which this year carries the theme "Museums: Connecting the World."
Officials said the project seeks to strengthen cultural exchange while further integrating culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions across the district.
Leveraging Hongkou's position as an important historical center of cultural interaction between China and the West, the project uses the symbolic connection between Suzhou Creek and France's Seine River as a framework for international dialogue.
Organizers combined global museum intellectual property resources with digital technology to create what they described as a three-dimensional cultural experience centered on literature, museums and digital innovation.
The program links physical exhibits with online digital collections, allowing visitors to experience and interact with cultural artifacts in new ways.
The exhibition area is divided into several themed spaces.
The first-floor literature section builds on the bookstore's identity as a "literary cruise ship," displaying Nobel Prize-winning works and major international literary classics intended to serve as an entry point into global cultural exploration.
The second-floor digital museum serves as the project's central attraction. Using blockchain-based technology, it digitally presents collections from major international museums including the British Museum and the Hermitage Museum.
Visitors can scan digital displays to view historical artifacts in interactive formats and can also claim limited-edition digital collectibles designed for the event.
Outdoor installations at Century Double Frame Plaza include a "World Museum Window" exhibition that combines Impressionist artistic elements with Shanghai's waterfront scenery to illustrate connections between the cultures represented by Suzhou Creek and the Seine.
The site also features an interactive public art activity called "Ten Thousand People Create the Suzhou Creek Scroll," inviting visitors to contribute to a collaborative artwork using themed stickers.
Additional attractions include ancient Egyptian cat-themed installations, a riverside museum-themed exhibition corridor, interactive activities and collectible cultural stamp booklets.
Organizers said the program was designed to create an experience that visitors can observe, participate in, collect and share.
The initiative also expands beyond traditional museum programming through collaboration with the 2026 Shanghai Wine Festival.
Along North Suzhou Road, dedicated festival spaces combine creative markets, themed displays and artistic installations, extending a broader cultural consumption network described as a "wine aroma map."
The 10-day event formed part of Hongkou's wider effort to enhance North Bund's cultural influence and transform its waterfront spaces into internationally recognizable destinations.
District officials said future efforts will continue to deepen integration among culture, commerce, tourism and related industries as Hongkou works toward building a new global cultural landmark along Shanghai's waterfront.