Shanghai Tourism Festival 2015 brings together the many styles from countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road

SHANGHAI - Shanghai Tourism Festival 2015 is now in process and runs from September 12th to October 6th. The traditional opening celebration parade brought together 21 performing teams from 19 countries and a procession of floats in a wide range of exquisite shapes, providing local residents and visitors a visual feast along Huaihai Road. It is the first time that five new countries, among them the Czech Republic, Denmark and Latvia, have participated in the Shanghai parade. Processions joining the parade from overseas accounted for 70 percent of the participation.

The theme of this year's tourism festival "The Maritime Silk Road. The Floats and Parades along the Silk Road Showcase the New Silk Road Styles" was selected in a move to showcase the "One Belt and One Road" national strategy. A range of celebrations including sightseeing, food and leisure-related events are to be staged on various dates during the more than 20-day run of the festival.

The folk dance performance group from Latvia. (PRNewsFoto/Shanghai Municipal Tourism)

This is the 26th Shanghai Tourism Festival: besides classic fare such as the traditional float parade and the grand prix, the Pujiang barge parade and international music fireworks festival, this year's event also strives for innovation - the promotion of cross-regional tourism cooperation and exchanges by virtue of the Yangtze River Economic Zones Tourist Industry Cooperation Forum and of bringing together the nine provinces and two self-governing municipalities that border the Yangtze River.

The cheerleading squad from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the United States. (PRNewsFoto/Shanghai Municipal Tourism)

This year's Shanghai tourism festival also keeps up with the social trends by also being the organizer of the Shanghai stop of Cable 2015, an event that promotes the dynamic integration between sports events and leisure tourism, and that is in line with the government program to encourage the health and fitness of every Chinese citizen. The vibrant development and utilization of new media has broken down the barriers between government departments and accommodated the "Mini Tour in Shanghai" program into the daily routine of Shanghai's residents as well as serving as an additional attraction for the city's many visitors. As an illustration, the Fashion Qipao (Cheongsam) Show - a 100-year-old event that takes place along the Bund and which showcases the beauty of the traditional Chinese qipao dress through displays and representations of qipao culture and Shanghai culture, have been added to list of going-ons in Jing'an district.

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SHANGHAI - Shanghai Tourism Festival 2015 is now in process and runs from September 12th to October 6th. The traditional opening celebration parade brought together 21 performing teams from 19 countries and a procession of floats in a wide range of exquisite shapes, providing local residents and visitors a visual feast along Huaihai Road. It is the first time that five new countries, among them the Czech Republic, Denmark and Latvia, have participated in the Shanghai parade. Processions joining the parade from overseas accounted for 70 percent of the participation. The theme of this year's tourism festival "The Maritime Silk Road. The Floats and Parades along the Silk Road Showcase the New Silk Road Styles" was selected in a move to showcase the "One Belt and One Road" national strategy. A range of celebrations including sightseeing, food and leisure-related events are to be staged on various dates during the more than 20-day run of the festival. 
The folk dance performance group from Latvia. (PRNewsFoto/Shanghai Municipal Tourism) This is the 26th Shanghai Tourism Festival: besides classic fare such as the traditional float parade and the grand prix, the Pujiang barge parade and international music fireworks festival, this year's event also strives for innovation - the promotion of cross-regional tourism cooperation and exchanges by virtue of the Yangtze River Economic Zones Tourist Industry Cooperation Forum and of bringing together the nine provinces and two self-governing municipalities that border the Yangtze River. 
The cheerleading squad from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the United States. (PRNewsFoto/Shanghai Municipal Tourism) This year's Shanghai tourism festival also keeps up with the social trends by also being the organizer of the Shanghai stop of Cable 2015, an event that promotes the dynamic integration between sports events and leisure tourism, and that is in line with the government program to encourage the health and fitness of every Chinese citizen. The vibrant development and utilization of new media has broken down the barriers between government departments and accommodated the "Mini Tour in Shanghai" program into the daily routine of Shanghai's residents as well as serving as an additional attraction for the city's many visitors. As an illustration, the Fashion Qipao (Cheongsam) Show - a 100-year-old event that takes place along the Bund and which showcases the beauty of the traditional Chinese qipao dress through displays and representations of qipao culture and Shanghai culture, have been added to list of going-ons in Jing'an district.