During Milan Design Week in April 2026, a newsstand on Piazza Agusto became an unexpected highlight: the “Banma Suhe · Garden of Light” pop-up space, blending Eastern aesthetics with Milanese artistry.
On display were century-old Hero fountain pens, intangible cultural heritage (ICH) bamboo weaving, Shanghai Mint zodiac bronze medals, and a series of “Banma Suhe” cultural creative products, another milestone for Putuo District’s cultural exports going global.
The event marked the third time that Putuo’s district-level ICH bamboo weaving has traveled to Italy. As early as the 2015 Milan Expo, master inheritor Cheng Li was invited to share Chinese bamboo culture with audiences from around the world. For Cheng, taking ICH abroad is more about cultural exchange than sales.
“Through exhibitions and performances, we help them understand our culture. Then we invite them to come and experience China’s development firsthand,” she said.
If cultural exports are Putuo’s invitation to the world, then the deep-rooted presence of Italian design, brands and cuisine along Suzhou Creek is the world’s warm echo.
The East China Electric Power Design Institute building, designed by Italian architect Giovanni Prazzi, has become a new Shanghai landmark with its “extra-long spiral walkway.” X Tower, renovated by Italian designer Per Erik Bjornsen, breathes new life into a century-old factory with Mondrian-style four-color checkerboard patterns.
Headquarters-level enterprises have become a core engine for attracting foreign investment to Putuo. Pininfarina, the legendary Italian design house behind classic Ferraris and Maseratis, established its China headquarters in Putuo in 2025. De’Longhi Electrical Appliances (Shanghai), a market leader in coffee machines, has upgraded its China headquarters to a Greater China regional HQ, with a “reverse innovation” model where R&D needs first emerge in China before expanding overseas, showing China’s transition from a “consumption destination” to an “innovation source.”
Italian dining clusters have also grown remarkably. AZUL Italiano has opened at Tian An 1000 Trees, partnering with Suzhou Creek cruise boats to offer a “Western food flight.” MOMENTI Artisan Pasta has set up an open pasta workshop at Hong Shou Fang, celebrating the authentic “Italian grandmother tradition” of home-style cooking. Grande A’moo at Zhenru UniPark MAX, as the first store in East China, has seen annual revenue growth of 5-10 percent since opening.
Whether through cultural exports or industry roots, Putuo’s underlying logic remains clear: deeply integrate culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions to fuel international exchanges and cooperation.
