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A Wisteria Park worker explains the park’s culture and history to expatriate families.
Directed by Yang Yang. Shot by Yang Yang. Edited by Yang Yang. Subtitles by Yang Yang.
Expatriate families from the UK, Germany and Sweden visited the Wisteria Park in Jiading District on Saturday to admire the flowers.
They also tried traditional Chinese dressing hanfu (Han style clothing), eating Nanxiang xiaolongbao (small steamed buns) and paper cutting animal figures and patterns for good luck and longevity.
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Every spring, when wisteria flowers are in full bloom, Jiading Wisteria Park becomes one of the most popular attractions
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Per Edberg, Senior R&D Director of Complete Vehicle Engineering at Volvo Car Asia Pacific, appreciates wisteria flowers.
Every spring, when the wisteria flowers are in full bloom, Jiading Wisteria Park becomes one of the most popular attractions, filled with visitors from all over the city.
Fujimoto Michio, former director of Wake, Japan’s Okayama Prefecture, proposed building the Wisteria Park in Jiading in 1996 as a gift from his hometown in Shanghai. Wisterias, which typically have a lifespan of 500 to 1,000 years, reflected Michio’s wish that the friendship between China and Japan could last as long as possible.
“The smell is amazing, and the color is amazing too,” said Gary Hooper, vice president of automotive oil product management and engineering at FUCHS Lubricants China. “We have white, pink, dark pink, mauve, purple. And the possibility of wearing this traditional dress is very interesting.”
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Kai-Marcel Dodel from Germany eats Nanxiang xiaolongbao.
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For Edberg from Sweden eats Nanxiang xiaolongbao.
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Gary Hooper’s wife and son enjoy the treats.
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kay to plow and his wife’s taste Nanxiang xiaolongbao.
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Hooper, from England, has settled permanently in Shanghai with his Chinese wife and son. Jogging around Yuanxiang Lake in Jiading and walking Nanxiang Ancient Street with his family were described by him as “a panacea to cure work fatigue.”
Shen Liang, an official from the Shanghai Information Bureau, said: “When we are abroad to study or work, we also expect our foreign friends to introduce us to local items.
“So we hope this Wisteria Park tour, as well as other activities of the Shanghai Foreigner Storytelling Club, will channel our foreign friends in Shanghai to better adapt to life here and develop their careers” .
Kai Pflug, a chemistry doctor from Germany and bird photography lover, said: “I think Jiading is a good place for foreigners. They really take special care of us, like today. I hope that in general we can come back- there is something. Jiading.”
Pflug has been interested in tracking and photographing birds at Nanhui in Shanghai for years and published a photo album recording more than 370 bird species through his more than 500 trips to Nanhui.
Germany’s Kai-Marcel Dodel, general manager of ZF Transmissions Shanghai Co, said: “I have been living in Shanghai for eight years and my two children were born here, which means I am very close to the city.”
The family had moved to Malu City of Jiading District in 2016, and they enjoy visiting the night fair, having bubble tea and barbecues.
Sweden’s Per Edberg, Senior R&D Director of Complete Vehicle Engineering at Volvo Car Asia Pacific, said: “Shanghai is a Chinese city that attracts people from all over the world, and I think that’s why it fascinates me as a foreign. there is also traditional Chinese culture.”
