Shanghai Disney Resort General Manager: Shanghai - a win-win land where dreams come true

“Shanghai is my home”

“Between the first time I came to Shanghai in 1999 and the day I arrived to live 14 years later, the city has changed completely,” Philippe said. Coming from a country where people take their time, the pace of life here is much faster.“Shanghai is a city that transforms very rapidly.” When he first arrived here, Lujiazui was still very much nascent, with few tall buildings other than the Oriental Pearl Tower TV Station. It was hard for him to even imagine what it would be in the future.

In 2014 when he returned to Shanghai, he was impressed by the pace of the growth of Pudong. One of the first things that he did was to go to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center.“There is a huge model, which gives you a sense of how the city has changed, grown and has developed over time.” Whenever he has friends coming to visit him, he likes to take them there first in order to help them understand what the city was, what it has become, and what it is preparing to be.

In Philippe’s eyes, Shanghai is a combination of history, fashion and vitality. He said,“Shanghai is a great place for me to enjoy a weekend, to bike, to walk around, to do some sports, and to meet with friends– it’s now become my home.”

(Wishes for China’s further reform and opening up from Philippe Gas)

Story by Wu Qiong

Cameraman: Liu Hao