A piano concert and Kunqu Opera are performed at the opening session of the seasonal event at Yuyuan Garden Malls last night, marking the beginning of a number of cultural performances to be staged at the central plaza for the summer party.

Yuyuan Garden Malls opened a summer party yesterday (Sunday) where visitors can dine and drink outdoors while watching cultural performances.

The Summer Party at the malls opens from 7:30pm to 9:30pm every day through August 3 for citizens and tourists to recall and experience the traditional summer night lifestyle of Shanghai, according to Yuyuan Inc, the owner of the malls.

Outdoor dining tables and seats have been arranged at the central plaza of the malls along with free music and cultural performances. The traditional eateries at the malls are also offering seasonal specialities during the party. They include the Song Yun Tower, the Shanghai Classical Hotel opened in late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the Lubolang Restaurant, which originated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and has catered for many national leaders.

Outdoor dining choices include crayfish in various flavors, a popular summer dish for locals, scallion pancake, a popular local snack as well as the Tsingtao Beer, according to the organizer. The Shanghai Classical Hotel has created an innovative plum flavor crayfish for the summer party, while the Lubolang serves the crayfish with mustard.

A piano concert and Kunqu Opera were performed at the opening session of the seasonal event last night, marking the beginning of a number of cultural performances to be staged at the central plaza for the summer party.

Famous Chinese pianist Gu Jieting played with the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe in a performance which combines the classic works of French composer Achille-Claude Debussy and traditional Kunqu Opera, the Peony Pavilion.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Visitors wait in a long line to buy the Shanghai scallion pancake at the Summer Party of Yuyuan Garden Malls yesterday.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Visitors taste crayfish in various flavors, a popular summer dish for locals and beer at the Summer Party of Yuyuan Garden Malls yesterday.

Classic music, folk guitar and Shanghai jazz will be performed at the plaza throughout the event. Traditional Chinese instruments such as bamboo flute, erhu (two-string fiddle), pipa (a four-stringed instrument), suona (Chinese double-reed horn) and horse head string instrument will be featured on weekends. These instruments will play with western instruments such as cello and classic guitar.

Furthermore, several small workshops have been set up at other squares at the malls where traditional handicraft masters are displaying and teaching local heritage skills such as paper-cutting, woodcut paintings, bamboo-weaving and mud sculptures.

The Yuyuan Garden Malls — the dining and shopping facilities near historic Yuyuan Garden, originated from a prosperous market of the City God Temple some 140 years ago.

The malls plans to host a series of such cultural events through the end of the year, to be themed on the City God culture, Chinese characters, costumes and gold to help revive traditional Chinese cultures, according to the malls. It is also part of Shanghai’s broader efforts to build up its “four brands”: services, manufacturing, shopping and culture.