The launching ceremony was hosted by SJTU alumnus and HeartCity founder Zhu Yining. Distinguished guests attending the event included Xu Jun, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Shanghai International Culture Association and Director of the Science and Technology Division; Hu Huifen, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Jing’an District Committee and Director of the Jing’an District Culture and Tourism Bureau; Guo Xiaojing, Director of the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the CPC; Wang Yijing, Deputy Director of the Jing’an District Culture and Tourism Bureau; Yu Chaoyang, Director of the Publicity Department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Xiong Zhenhua, Secretary of SPEIT; Zied MOUMNI, French Dean of SPEIT; Lü Jiangying, Vice Secretary of SPEIT; and other distinguished guests.

Xu Jun welcomed all guests as well as Chinese and international teachers and students. He pointed out that the event was a vivid practice in deepening Sino-French cultural exchange and expressed his hope that the release of the Chinese-French bilingual map and museum-university cooperation would help young people from China and abroad tell revolutionary stories and Chinese stories well, while jointly promoting mutual learning among civilizations.

In his speech, Yu Chaoyang highly recognized the positive achievements of SPEIT in Sino-French cultural exchange and international talent cultivation. He encouraged Chinese and international youth to deepen mutual understanding and build consensus through exchange and mutual learning, and to serve as bridges of friendship and representatives of youth responsibility through dialogue among civilizations.

Coinciding with the upcoming “China Tourism Day” on May 19, the ceremony officially released the “GALLOP WITH JINGAN” Chinese-French bilingual exploration map. Featuring bilingual annotations connecting revolutionary historical sites, historic buildings, commercial districts, and cultural spaces, the map provides clear guidance and cultural interpretation for Chinese and international visitors, becoming a practical tool for international youth to experience Shanghai and understand Jing’an.

Following this, the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the CPC and the SJTU Paris Elite Institute of Technology held a cooperation signing ceremony. Together, the two parties will jointly create the “Red Light” youth lecture brand and the “Jing’an Red Classroom,” promoting culture through multilingual, youth-oriented, and internationalized approaches, enabling Chinese and international youth to appreciate the Chinese spirit and cultivate patriotic feelings through storytelling.

Witnessed by all attendees, Xu Jun, Yu Chaoyang, and Hu Huifen jointly took the stage to officially launch the 2026 “City Classroom Season” and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University “China and France Sharing This Moment” Series. The launching ceremony concluded successfully with a group photo, after which the CityWalk urban tour officially began.

Leaving behind the desks and chairs of traditional classrooms, Chinese and international teachers and students measured the city with their footsteps and embarked on a warm and meaningful urban cultural walk. Guided throughout by Zhu Yining, the group departed from the Jing’an International Reception Hall and successively visited Mao Zedong’s Former Residence in 1920, the Shanghai Exhibition Center, the Time-Honored Brand Street on North Shaanxi Road, Zhangyuan, and Mao Zedong’s Former Residence on Maoming Road (Jiaxiu Lane), appreciating Shanghai’s century-old cultural heritage through every step and every scene.

Through vivid and engaging narration, Zhu Yining connected the stories behind the buildings, the memories hidden within the neighborhoods, and the warmth embedded in history. Zhu Yining, an alumnus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, founded the HeartCity brand in 2017, which has now grown into one of Shanghai’s influential platforms for urban cultural heritage protection, inheritance, and innovation. This event also represented his heartfelt tribute and contribution to the 130th anniversary of his alma mater. In front of the small building at No. 63 Anyi Road, he led everyone in revisiting young Mao Zedong’s journey of exploration in Shanghai a century ago. Standing on North Shaanxi Road, he carefully recounted the century-long persistence of time-honored brands and the commercial heritage of the area. Upon entering Zhangyuan, he interpreted the pulse of Shanghai’s urban renewal amid the fusion of old and new architectural textures.

At the Mao Zedong Former Residence on Maoming Road, student volunteers Li Peixuan and Li Xinyan from SPEIT delivered full English-language guided tours for international teachers and students. Using an international perspective and language, they introduced Mao Zedong’s revolutionary experiences and patriotic ideals in Shanghai, vividly presenting the original aspiration and convictions of Chinese Communists, and making revolutionary culture more compelling and impactful in cross-cultural communication.

Throughout the walk, Chinese and international teachers and students communicated and interacted warmly with one another. They stopped to listen attentively at historical sites, took photos in characteristic neighborhoods, and grew closer through enthusiastic discussions. Cultural differences were dissolved through sincere interactions, while scenes of youthful friendship and mutual learning among civilizations could be seen throughout the streets of Jing’an.

For the Chinese and international teachers and students participating in this event, this was a heartfelt encounter between people.

As an important platform for Sino-French cooperative education, the SJTU Paris Elite Institute of Technology has always upheld openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning, and mutual appreciation. Through diverse activities such as the Sino-French Cultural Festival, bilingual theater productions, and urban study tours, the institute has continuously built bridges for exchange between Chinese and international youth. The “City Classroom Season” and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University “China and France Sharing This Moment” Series represent another vivid practice by the institute to break classroom boundaries, promote university-local cooperation, and deepen internationalized education.

This event was guided by the Publicity Department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Publicity Department of the Jing’an District Committee, and the Sino-French Cultural Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. It was jointly organized by the SJTU Paris Elite Institute of Technology, the Jing’an District Culture and Tourism Development Promotion Center, and HeartCity, with strong support from numerous partner organizations including the Shanghai International Culture Association, the School of Media and Communication of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the CPC, and the Jing’an International Reception Hall.