A Shanghai-themed cultural exchange event took place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 3, 2026, according to Shanghai Media Group, which held it. Titled "Future Resonance — ShanghaiEye Night," the event was part of the "Shanghai Let's Meet" city promotion initiative and of a wider series of China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges.
Nearly 100 prominent figures from China and the United States attended, drawn from politics, business, technology, culture and the arts. Song Jiongming, president of Shanghai Media Group, and Susan Lee, Secretary of State of Maryland, spoke at the event, and China's ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, was also present.
In the afternoon the National Mall became a "mini Shanghai" carnival, with 50 stalls of international cuisine, a "Shanghai Charm" exhibition area and displays of China's intangible cultural heritage. A model of the C919 passenger jet and a model of the Oriental Pearl Tower were on show alongside Chinese cultural and creative properties, and the Shanghai Museum provided VR headsets. Time-honored brands including White Rabbit candy, Hero fountain pens and Lao Feng Xiang appeared at the event, and an IP SHANGHAI lenticular art exhibition used images that changed as visitors moved around the displays. Visitors said they hoped to visit Shanghai and explore it on foot through a "city walk."
As the sun set, an outdoor concert began. Young performers from China and the United States shared the stage with established artists from both countries, and the One Voice Children's Choir and the Manhattan Philharmonic performed "We Are Together," a song created in Shanghai to mark friendship between the two countries. The program mixed symphonic works, traditional Chinese music, Chinese opera and anime music, while footage from Shanghai's city image film "UP! SHANGHAI" played on a screen behind the stage.
Later, around 100 guests joined a dialogue session themed "Invest in China for a Win-Win Future," which highlighted the China International Import Expo and Shanghai's development as an international economic, financial, trade, shipping and technological innovation center. A reception area displayed 20 historical photographs of Shanghai moments in China-U.S. relations — among them the signing of the Shanghai Communiqué, the launch of the first China-U.S. air route, the opening of Apple's first store in China, the Tesla Gigafactory and the 10th anniversary of Shanghai Disney Resort — alongside 20 IP SHANGHAI photographs under the theme "Chasing Dreams in Shanghai." The event was supported by the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government and co-hosted by Shanghai Media Group, the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Conservation Center and the Washington Chinese Community Alliance.