Shanghai, China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Aerial shots of city, Chinese Art Museum
2. Entrance to Shanghai Wild Animal Park
3. Panda
4. Sign for party activity
5. People having fun
6. Various of exhibition in museums; people
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Raphaela Wilde, German tourist (starting with shot 6/ending with shots 8-9):
"We are both staying in Paris. I fell in love with Shanghai the first time I went here. I just wanted to come back and experience more. It's the exhibition in the World Expo building, to get an idea of Chinese culture."
8. Exterior of Chinese Art Museum
9. Various of exhibition, people
10. Entrance to Shanghai Wild Animal Park, people
11. Various of nighttime event at zoo; performances; visitors
12. Various of animals, tourists
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Anastasia Chumakova, Russian tourist (ending with shot 14):
"We are coming from Russia, Moscow. We want to visit the zoo, because it's very wonderful. Today it's WOW for me because I see for the first time lions and tigers."
14. Various of animals, tourists
15. Various of cultural activity
16. Exterior of art museum building
17. Sign for exhibition
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Ami Petcavage, US exchange student (ending with shot 19):
"I am doing an internship volunteering here at the Jiushi Art Museum. I give tours to foreign visitors in English. It's pretty amazing that they have such global connection here at this museum."
19. Various of exhibition, people
20. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhu Juanyan, manager, Awakening the Fifth Sun (ending with shot 21):
"Our 'Awakening the Fifth Sun' event actually includes a guided tour, and we'll also be offering costume services. We have face painting like what I have on my face now, and some headdresses for rent."
21. Various of themed cultural exhibition
22. Aerial shots of city
23. Various of tourism projects at scenic spots in Shanghai; people

A grand tourism festival is in full swing in Shanghai, attracting global tourists to a wide range of events from colorful exhibitions in museums to wild animal park during nighttime.

The event benefited from a surge in foreign arrivals to China, which rose over 20 percent in the first half of this year. Nearly 18 million of the arrivals were visa-free.

The Shanghai Tourism Festival features over 170 summer events, offering a journey through time and culture.

A stunning collection from the Mawangdui Han Tombs is showcased at the Shanghai Art Museum. The stunning silks and the ancient musical instruments reveal the sophisticated daily life and aesthetic pursuits of the people over two thousand years ago.

"We're both staying in Paris. I fell in love with Shanghai the first time I went here. I just wanted to come back and experience more. It's the exhibition in the World Expo building, to get an idea of Chinese culture," said Raphaela Wilde, a German tourist.

The Shanghai Wild Animal Park has transformed into a carnival of sound and light, with parades and photo-ops.

As night falls, nocturnal predators roam free, offering a magical and often mysterious glimpse into their world.

"We are coming from Russia, Moscow. We want to visit the zoo, because it's very wonderful. Today it's WOW for me because I see for the first time lions and tigers," said Anastasiya Chumakova, a Russian tourist.

And navigating these cultural experiences is getting easier, with venues boosting support for international visitors.

"I am doing an internship volunteering here at the Jiushi Art Museum. I give tours to foreign visitors in English. It's pretty amazing that they have such global connection here at this museum," said Ami Petcavage, an exchange student from the United States.

The Shanghai Museum is presenting a unique interactive exhibition named "Awakening the Fifth Sun," offering rare opportunity to explore the worlds of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations right in the heart of the city.

"Our 'Awakening the Fifth Sun' event actually includes a guided tour, and we'll also be offering costume services. We have face painting like what I have on my face now, and some headdresses for rent," introduced Zhu Juanyuan, manager of the project.

This vibrancy is driving real economic impact. In the first half of this year, Shanghai welcomed over 5 million inbound tourists. That surge fueled the city's total cultural tourism spending to more than 543 billion yuan (nearly 80.5 billion US dollars) during the period.