Major Advantages

1. Unique Geographical Advantages
Hongkou District, particularly the North Bund, enjoys a unique geographic location. Sitting in the north and facing the south, the North Bund possesses a water-front as long as 3.2 km with graceful views. Together with the Bund and Lujiazui Financial Zone, it forms a “Golden Triangle” CBD which best presents Shanghai’s urban image. With its favorable scenery and advantageous water depth, the North Bund provides a predominant geographical foundation for the development of shipping service industry, especially the cruise economy. Apart from that, connected to Yangpu District and Baoshan District, Hongkou can be considered as the gateway for Shanghai’s northeast region, which creates favorable conditions for Hongkou’s further development.
2. Profound Cultural Heritage
Its profound cultural accumulations have earned Hongkou the title “National Cultural Model District”, the only one in Shanghai. The first cinema in the Far East and the first arts school in China were born in Duolun Road, Hongkou. Many renowned figures in China’s modern cultural history, such as Lu Xun, Mao Dun, Ju Qiubai and Ding Ling had lived or worked in Hongkou successively. Lu Xun Park, Hongkou Football Stadium, Duolun Road and Liyang Road form an “Elegant Culture Circle” featuring the combination of celebrity relics, arts exhibitions, cultural, sports and tourist activities. Besides, the district is also a gathering place of abundant cultural resources, such as Lu Xun Memorial, the Museum of the Left-wing Authors Alien, Uchiyama Bookstore, the former residences of Lu Xun, Shen Yinmo and Mao Dun, as well as Zhu Qizhan Art Museum. The profound cultural accumulations constitute a favorable foundation for the development of Hongkou’s modern trade, commerce and tourism.
Meanwhile, Hongkou District boasts of a long cultural history of its shipping industry. The North Bund is one of the cradles for Shanghai’s shipping industry and Xiahai Temple was where fishers prayed for good luck in the past. The water-front area in Hongkou was once the distribution center for foreign imported goods.
3. Mature Educational and Medical Facilities
Education is a powerful strength of Hongkou District, including 48 primary schools, 54 ordinary middle schools as well as a batch of famous higher education institutions, such as Shanghai International Studies University and Shanghai University of Finances and Economics. With the solicitude and support from the district government, Hongkou District is witnessing the formation of a life-long education system during which the before-school education is one of the priorities.
This district also possesses abundant medical resources and a wholesome public hygiene system, including several renowned hospitals, such as Shanghai No. 1 People’s Hospital, Yueyang Hospital and Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.

Major Industries

With a rapid advancement of the modern service industry, Hongkou District now has fostered an initial industrial system focusing on shipping service, knowledge service, an integrated industry of trade, commerce, culture and tourism and the real estate industry.
1. Shipping Service
Shipping service is Hongkou’s unique and most prosperous industry with the longest history. It is also the core industry in the future. It was more than a century ago that Hongkou started its shipping industry with the North Bund as the central area, and through the long development a profound industrial foundation has been established. In the past decade, the major function of Hongkou’s shipping industry has been transformed from the original loading and unloading services to the shipping management services and other matching services. At the end of 2004, the North Bund Shipping Service Zone was listed into one of Shanghai’s modern service concentration areas, positioned as an essential part of building Shanghai into an international shipping center. The Shanghai Municipal Government has written the plan of “Constructing Dongdaming Road as A Shipping Service Street” into the “Master Plan of Shanghai City”.
2. Knowledge Service
The potential for the development of knowledge service industry in Hongkou District is obvious. The district has gathered together famous higher education institutions like Shanghai International Studies University and Shanghai University of Finances and Economics, scientific research institutes like Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics and Institute of Materials, and a great number of talented professionals. Recently, Hongkou District has been making great efforts to invite and foster a large group of professional economic appraisal and testimony organizations, such as law firms, accountant and auditor companies. Meanwhile, the number of professional consultancy organizations concerning management, medical care and health care has increased apparently, and the design and R&D companies, including the designing of architectures, decorations, garments, leather articles and bags and cases, and the development of computer software, information service, bio-medicine and new materials, have also witnessed a rapid advancement. In addition, education brokers, intermediary agencies and training schools have also formed their respective characteristics. To sum up, knowledge service has grown into one of the key parts of Hongkou’s regional economy.
3. The Integrated Industry of Trade, Commerce, Culture and Tourism
Trade and commerce is the traditional industry of Hongkou District, and North Sichuan Road is one of the three famous commercial streets in Shanghai. In 2002, North Sichuan Road started its new round of reconstruction, which shall revitalize this commercial street and bring the commercial, tourist, cultural and sports resources along the street into better performance. At the same time, the two sub-commercial centers in the district, Dabaishu and Tilanqiao, will rely on their modern commercial facilities to advance their entertainment and recreational functions.
4. Real Estate
As Hongkou District was once praised as one of the districts most suitable for living in Shanghai, its real estate industry has been quite prosperous and established several well-known brands. In order to promote a coordinated economic development, the district government recently has been endeavoring to upgrade the real estate structure through supporting the development of top grade office buildings.