Shanghai's first public cultural space dedicated to 120 years of Suzhou Creek history opened on July 29 in Putuo District's Changfeng Bay, marking a key event of the 6th Half-Marathon Suhe Culture and Tourism Festival.
The Suzhou Creek Image Space is located at 160 Daduhe Road. The space features a curated collection of rare footage from 1898 to the present, compiled through a partnership between Putuo District and SMG.
Highlights include the earliest known moving images of Waibaidu Bridge from 1898, shipping scenes from 1917-1919, 1927 waterfront life and 1935 aerial footage of the creek.
Exhibitions are organized into three sections, tracing the waterway's transformation from an industrial corridor to a vibrant public space.
Local musician Wang Yuanchao performed the Shanghai dialect folk song Suzhou Creek at the opening and praised the immersive experience. "It's fascinating to see how Suzhou Creek went from polluted to clean," Wang said. "This river carries so much of Shanghai's memory, and now we can be proud of it."
The space also debuts the public Suzhou Creek Image Archive. The database contains more than 5,000 audiovisual items spanning 1898 to today, with self-service access for visitors. Officials announced a public call for additional video and audio materials to expand the collection.
The space complements the nearby Suzhou Creek Industrial Civilization Exhibition Hall, creating a dynamic pair of cultural venues documenting the waterway's history . The ongoing exhibition "From Yuan Dynasty Water Gates to Waibaidu Bridge" at the Shanghai History Museum further contextualizes the creek's millennium-long role in Shanghai's development.
The Suzhou Creek Image Space is open from 9am to 5pm daily (last entry 4:30pm) and is closed on Mondays (except holidays). Admission is free and no reservation is required. The Suzhou Creek Industrial Civilization Exhibition Hall at 2690 Guangfu West Road operates from 8:30am to 4:30pm daily (last entry 4pm), and is also closed Mondays with free admission.
