Written by Dai Qian Photographed by Xu Jie Chen

When the car reaches the Lu Pu Bridge, leaving the old town of Puxi behind, what lies before us was the newly laid broad road in Pudong New Area. We drive along the road when there appears a greenery dock, realizing that we have arrived at Pujiang Expo Garden. At the intersection between the dock and Friendship River of Expo Garden, a public green land is still under construction. This green area is“Xinsong Park”of Pujiang Expo Garden.

A Door Leads Into A New Life

The contractor of Pujiang Expo Garden, Shanghai Expo Land Holding Company Limited has adopted the design theme as“A Door Leads Into A New Life”on the basis of“Creating A New Harmonious Community, Sharing A New Urban Life”.

The major design element in Xinsong Park fully demonstrates the special feature of Shanghai Linong, that is, Shi Ku Men. When we walk through Shi Ku Men Archway, Shi Ku Men Long Corridor and Shi Ku Men Decoration Wall consisting of

"original site of the garden, old dwellings, sunlight relocation and new homes", it presents part of the life scene and utensils of the relocated inhabitants of Puxi Expo Garden in the past and lays out the bright future. This is also a place for people,s leisure activities and social communication.

Actually, a lot of constructions in Xinsong Park are taken from the old sites. The Archway at the entrance of the square is taken from the original one on Bansongyuan Road in Huangpu District. Some other materials are also taken from the former residential areas like blue bricks, tiles, steel chairs and wood stools.

With its unique language, Xinsong Park delivers the conception of“Carrying forward the spirit of Expo, Inheriting the Chinese culture”.

Origin of "Xinsong Park"

Among the relocated inhabitants in Pujiang Expo Garden, a lot come from former Bansongyuan Road in Huangpu District. The living scenes and life utensils preserved here vividly record the relocation and resettlement process during preparation of Shanghai 2010 World Expo and depict the original Linong life, like a linkage to historical culture and a carrier to enhance the cohesion feeling of the relocated inhabitants. This is the origin of Xinsong Park, a nostalgia public green land.

The design scheme of Xinsong Park of Pujiang Expo Garden was highly praised by Mr. Vicente Loscertales and the leaders of Bureau of Shanghai Expo Coordination. In the beginning of 2006, when Mr. Loscertales visited Pujiang Expo Garden, he agreeably wrote the epigraph for Xinsong Park and expressed that the Bureau of International Expositions would also do their bits for it.