In 2025, marking the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, a grand cultural exchange event—the "2025 China-Italy Fashion & Culture Carnival"—brilliantly unfolded along Shanghai's Yangpu Riverside, attracting widespread attention and becoming a vital platform for cultural and commercial exchanges between the two nations.

Long before its commencement, the carnival had already generated great anticipation. On May 12, it was announced that from May 16 to 18, the event, meticulously crafted by the Italy Innovation Center, would take place at the Minghua Sugar Warehouse and the Yangpu Riverside. Themed "Folding Time and Space: The Creative Riverbank Meets the Eternal City," it aimed to showcase the perfect fusion of Italian charm and the industrial aesthetics of Yangpu Riverside. The event boasted a rich array of highlights. At the main venue, the Minghua Sugar Warehouse, the "Technology-Enabled Civilizational Dialogue" exhibition area on the first floor stood out, featuring the VR experience "Sino-Italian Stellar Archaeology Revelation," presented with Italy's national treasure-level digital technology. This allowed visitors to virtually traverse Italy's renowned archaeological sites, experiencing the deep integration of technology and history. Additionally, Tongji University's special Renaissance digital media art exhibition recreated classical sculptures through 3D animation, exploring the rebirth of art in the metaverse era. Furthermore, a distinguished Italian-Chinese writer was invited to unveil the hidden narratives in Renaissance masterpieces, with accompanying books and merchandise available for purchase. The sub-venue along the riverside, the "Masked Dimension Bazaar," was equally captivating, featuring an Italian gourmet corridor, a fashion culture market, and a "Dimension Roma Plaza," each with its own unique appeal. There was also a special exhibition on Italian rugby culture and CIIE-themed cultural products, as well as a romantic drone performance lighting up the night sky from 20:00 to 20:15 on May 17. The carnival was free to enter, with convenient transportation, aiming to create a new landmark through the innovative model of "industrial heritage + digital art," promote the alignment of cultural industries between China and Italy, and contribute to Shanghai's vision of becoming a global cultural hub.

On May 16, the carnival opened as scheduled at the Minghua Sugar Warehouse on Yangpu Riverside. According to Xinhua News, as a key annual international project of Yangpu District, the event adopted the innovative model of "industrial heritage + digital art + people-to-people diplomacy," becoming a Shanghai exemplar of East-West civilizational exchange in the new era. The digital art exhibition created a "spectacle of folding time and space." The VR project "Stellar Archaeology Revelation" by the Italian team, Tongji University's project reviving Renaissance masterpieces in the metaverse, and the stunning works "Golden Dragon" and "The Garden" by Italian artists all demonstrated the unique allure of digital art in this event.

During the carnival, numerous activities stood out. The Sino-Italian designers' joint fashion show was a highlight, with hundreds of Italian haute couture outfits flown to Shanghai, while Chinese designers responded with the intangible cultural heritage-inspired "Legend of Mountains and Seas" embroidery show. Meanwhile, Italian brands actively engaged with local enterprises, fostering two-way cultural and economic exchanges between China and Italy. At the "China-Europe Youth Roundtable," representatives of overseas Chinese youth deliberated on "Communicating China's Stories in the Digital Age," exploring new pathways for cultural dialogue.

On the commercial front, 30 Italian business and cultural figures specially flew to Shanghai to attend the carnival. The general manager of an Italian international consulting firm praised Shanghai highly, expressing hopes to promote more exchanges in the fashion sector between China and Italy. The Italian general manager of a multinational group brought food brands to China, held talks with Chinese enterprises, and reached preliminary cooperation agreements, expressing confidence in the prospects of bilateral economic and trade collaboration. The president of a China-Italy promotion association also highlighted the vast potential for cooperation between the two countries in archaeology and cultural tourism development. The general manager of the Italy Innovation Center stated that efforts would be intensified this year to enhance business matchmaking between Chinese and Italian enterprises, accelerate technology implementation, and build a "super bridge" for Sino-Italian cooperation.

Moreover, the "People-to-People Diplomacy Salon," established as part of the carnival, played a significant role. Representatives of the Italian diaspora community, serving as "International Communication Ambassadors" for the district, shared stories of Yangpu Riverside's industrial heritage revival on overseas social media platforms. This transformed the century-old buildings into urban windows for the world to understand China, making the "urban salon" not only a stage for cultural dialogue but also a new landmark showcasing Yangpu's innovative vitality.

The 2025 China-Italy Fashion & Culture Carnival, through its diverse activities spanning culture, commerce, and other fields, comprehensively demonstrated the fruitful achievements of friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and Italy. It also laid a solid foundation for deeper collaboration in more areas in the future, ensuring its place as a significant milestone in the history of Sino-Italian exchanges.