A vibrant community cultural showcase took center stage on August 20 as the "Blossoming Beauty in Every Corner" — the sixth edition of Xujing Town's Community Arts Season — opened at the Beidaju Community Cultural Activity Center in Qingpu District, Shanghai. The event featured solo performances of "You Came," acrobatics in "Set Sail," the dance "Heart's Desire," and a recitation titled "Our Xujing," all presented by local cultural teams under expert guidance. Streamed live online, the celebration welcomed residents both at the venue and virtually, bringing a high-quality cultural feast right to their doorsteps.
The performance unfolded in three chapters — "Distinctive Brands Nourish Hearts," "Original Works Tell Neighborhood Stories," and "Cultural Troupes Compete in Brilliance" — collectively showcasing the achievements of Xujing's grassroots public cultural development. The opening dance "Beautiful China" set an energetic tone, igniting the audience's enthusiasm from the start. The first chapter highlighted four signature cultural brands: the Community Arts Season, Neighborhood Culture Festival, Folk Culture Festival, and Face-to-Face with Masters, featuring solo vocals, acrobatics, dance, and original recitations that demonstrated the success of regular public art education and age-specific cultural services, vividly interpreting the warmth of culture in uniting and inspiring the community.
The second chapter, "Original Works Tell Neighborhood Stories," drew the loudest applause of the day by spotlighting locally produced original artistic pieces. These works were crafted by residents based on their community lives, self-written and self-performed, then refined by renowned artists. Highlights included the award-winning Shanghai opera dance-drama "The Flower Farmer's Daughter Marries," the original skit "The Light of Relocation," and the classic Shanghai opera excerpt "Waves of Honghu Lake," following in the footsteps of earlier original productions like "Express Delivery Neighbors" and "Neighbors." These pieces offered a literary perspective on Xujing's neighborhood warmth, community transformation, and quality of life, embodying the new mass culture philosophy of "written by the people, performed by the people, enjoyed by the people."
The third chapter turned the spotlight on grassroots cultural team development, with local troupes such as the Liren Fashion Show Team, Huajing Walker Brass Band, and Colorful Dance Team taking the stage. Performances ranged from the runway show "China in Lights" and saxophone medleys to song-and-dance numbers like "Blossoms Bloom in China," showcasing a diverse array of talent. Xujing Town's Folk Culture Festival, now in its sixth year, has become a beloved tradition where residents celebrate with folk performances like dragon dances and lake boats, while hands-on activities such as acrobatics, paper-cutting, clay figurine making, and sugar painting are demonstrated and taught. The "I Want to Be a Star" competition, now in its 15th edition, has unearthed talents in community dance, music, theater, and folk arts, cultivating numerous cultural backbone members. Over six editions of the Neighborhood Culture Festival, countless original skits, dances, and fashion shows have been created, enriching community cultural activities. The long-running "Face-to-Face with Masters" forum brings renowned artists directly to residents, with figures like Shanghai opera performers Ma Lili and Chen Yu, Yue opera artist Qian Huili, dancer Song Jie, comedian Shu Yue, and storytelling master Ge Mingming all offering lectures and coaching to cultural teams.
The event drew an enthusiastic on-site response. Elderly resident Tang Chunhong, six years into retirement, has become a regular at the Beidaju Cultural Activity Center. "Since these brand activities began, there's never a dull season," she said. "I've studied in the Shanghai opera class for two years, learning to read scores and master vocal techniques step by step. Every year, I sign up for the Folk Culture Festival's Lantern Festival intangible heritage experiences and the Neighborhood Festival's art showcases. I also catch free movies, calligraphy exhibitions, and craft workshops — my life is truly fulfilling." Resident Hu Die, a middle-aged pillar of the community dance team, shared her journey: "I joined the team at the center to learn. Before that, I was retired with nothing to do. One day, I passed by and saw rehearsals — I wanted to dance but feared I couldn't keep up as a beginner. Director Quan understood our concerns and arranged for teachers to lead free beginner dance classes, held weekly, building skills from the basics." Now a seasoned performer with over four years on stage, she feels a surge of excitement and pride performing alongside her neighbors.
The opening ceremony was directed by Quan Changjie, a leading figure in Shanghai's mass culture and director of the Beidaju Community Cultural Activity Center. This spectacular showcase was a microcosm of six years of grassroots arts education at Beidaju. Through its innovative "Culture + Property Management" fully entrusted operating model, and under Quan's leadership, the team has consistently developed four core cultural brands, nurturing multiple in-house troupes including the Colorful Dance Team, Shenfu Shanghai Opera Troupe, Brass Band, and Children's Choir. The "I Want to Be a Star" mass talent competition has established a comprehensive, age-tiered arts education system covering seniors, adults, and children. The team has persistently invited industry masters to engage with the community, allowing art to subtly permeate every household. The center runs year-round public training classes in Shanghai opera, dance, sketching, and children's eloquence, offering tailored activities for diverse groups, hosting over a hundred small and medium-sized events annually, multiple themed art exhibitions, and regular free movie screenings.
Resident Lu Huizhen, who initially worried that suburban areas lacked artistic resources after moving to Beidaju, has completely changed her perspective. "I attend nearly every 'Face-to-Face with Masters' session with my child," she noted. "What's more, the center encourages residents to create original programs based on relocation experiences and daily neighborhood life — this time, 'The Flower Farmer's Daughter Marries' and 'The Light of Relocation' were both written, rehearsed, and polished by us residents." With original stages for adults and dedicated showcases for children, from learning to performing, everything is available in one place. "Right at our doorstep is a true artistic paradise." The event was organized by the Xujing Town Committee of the CPC and Xujing Town People's Government, with co-hosting by the town's Party-Mass Work Office and the Beidaju Community Committee among other units.
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