The grand finale of the first Shanghai Night Festival was staged on a cruise ship on the Huangpu River on July 18. The Kunqu Opera Pujiang Lanyun, performed by Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, was launched on the cruise ship.

To boost the night economy, Shanghai launched its first night festival June 6 this year, and the event was scheduled to last till June 30. However, due to the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, some key activities were postponed to July.

According to a nightlife index released by Yicai Media Group earlier this year, Shanghai ranks second only to Shenzhen in China for the vitality of its nightlife. The index measured 338 cities at or above prefecture level.

Although Shanghai ranks first in China in terms of NASA lighting value and diversification value of night dining, the city's weakness lies in the core indicators of the night economy, such as bars, night shows and movies. In this respect, Chengdu and Shenzhen surpass Shanghai.

"The content of Shanghai's nighttime economy needs to be broadened," said an official of Shanghai Commission of Commerce.

Therefore, the first Shanghai Night Festival was given a brand new appearance: in addition to night shopping and night dining, there are more than 180 special activities with six themes, including night tours, night entertainment, night shows and night reading.

According to the commission, in the next three months, some of the popular night activities are expected to carry on, continuing to light up Shanghai nights and accelerate economic recovery.