【Starting from 2017, the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, together with district governments, has started hosting the "Internationalized Shanghai Promotion Series" to help Shanghai turn itself into an international economic, financial, trade, shipping and technology innovation center, and become a global city of excellence and a modern socialistic international metropolis.

　　Following the first two events in Yangpu and Jing'an District, this May, an event series will be held in Huangpu. The event will highlight the advantages of the financial agglomeration in the Bund area and promote the Innovation and Development Demonstration Area for High-end Service Industry at Bund Waterfront. Eastday.com sat down with some expats who shared their stories of living and working in Huangpu.】

　　At the junction of Shanghai’s South Xizang Road and Middle Huaihai Road in Huangpu District, a group of red-brick buildings distinguish themselves among the nearby high-rises. They belong to Shanghai Guangming High School, which has a history of 132 years. There, Eastday reporters have an interview with the two French teachers at the school: Stéphane Sourget and Annie Langlois.

　　Stéphane and Annie are a couple who were appointed by the French government to Shanghai Guangming High School in September 2017 for a French class program. Annie teaches French culture and literature while Stéphane teaches maths in French. Thanks to them, students in the class have improved a lot in oral French, dramatic performances, and maths reasoning. In the future, some of the students will have the opportunity to enter universities in France.

　　Founded in 1886, Guangming High School has a long history of French teaching. According to Stéphane, in 2014, the Chinese and French governments launched an educational program called SPLF (Section Pilote de Langue Française en Chine). Guangming High School is one of 11 pilot schools in China. In 2012, it paired with a French engineering school (ESIGELEC) and began to open classes for each grade where French is the first foreign language. As the only school in Shanghai with the majority of students studying French as their first foreign language, it is the one and only high school in China that has received the Label Francéducation, which validates the quality of the teaching done in the school and the commitment to the program from the French government. On this year's International French Day (March 20th), French President Emmanuel Macron especially mentioned Guangming as a model school for teaching French.

　　The couple are from a small village of 500 inhabitants in Southwestern France. In Shanghai, a city with a population of more than 20 million, they have had totally different experiences. As Annie says, "Everything is fast, big, modern. There is so much to do in Shanghai!"

　　Soon after their arrival, the couple began to use WeChat. They also learned to shop on Taobao and use Alipay, and even use mobile apps to order food deliveries. "Even a cup of coffee can be delivered, which is incredible. That is not possible in our hometown in France," Stéphane, who loves to drink coffee, says with excitement.

　　To their further amazement, there are a lot of historical monuments and beautiful architecture in Huangpu District. Stéphane says, “As a French person, I think Huangpu has a lot of appeal. Many of the historic buildings here are a mixture of multiculturalism, including many masterpieces of French architects. For example, Guangming school was built by French Jesuits in 1886 and the street nearby was called then the Joffre Avenue, named after a French general.” Annie adds, “In France, many historic buildings were destroyed by war. So it is an incredible chance to still have such great places.” She also hopes that except for historic buildings, all buildings in Shanghai will be nicely protected to keep the city beautiful.

　　The couple commute by metro, saying that, "Shanghai’s Metro is very clean and fast." But if they want to go somewhere beyond the metro network, they have to take the bus. “For foreigners, it is still struggling to take a bus. The signs are all in Chinese. If there is a foreign language version, that'll be much better.”

　　In Huangpu, the Bund is a must-see attraction. "The Bund is spectacular. It is beautiful at any time of the day," agrees Annie. However, there are so many tourists that there is little time for them to stop and enjoy the surrounding scenery, especially on East Nanjing Road.

　　Having lived in Shanghai for more than half a year, the couple have also discovered a common thing between China and France, which is people's love for food. “In France, we say: We live to eat and enjoy food. The Chinese people are similar to us in this case. Even if they are busy, they still sit down at a table and enjoy food and the moment.”

　　To better experience the local culture and life, the couple chose to live in an ordinary residential area, where French residents are a rarity. Annie says, “Since we are in Shanghai, experiencing local culture is essential. If we live in a French way, I don’t see a point.” They have a good relationship with their neighbors. “Shanghai is very welcoming to foreigners, and people here seem to be used to mixing with foreigners.”

　　Along with the couple, their two children also came to China last year. At first, the children were reluctant to leave their school and friends in France and go to an unfamiliar city. Their original plan was to return to France when their parents finished their one-year education mission. But now, they tell their parents, “We don't want to leave Shanghai!" The couple also like Huangpu and Shanghai. They have even signed up for a Chinese language class to study Mandarin. They’ve also applied to the French government, hoping to stay in Shanghai and teach for another year. Their life in Shanghai has just begun and their joie de vivre is overflowing.