Blue Whale World’s East China Flagship: 60% First-Launch Stores and an Ocean-Themed Mall Ignite Shanghai Lingang

Project Overview & Launch Background.On August 27, Longguang Commercial officially opened its first flagship project in East China — Shanghai Blue Whale World.As the first large-scale shopping center in Lingang’s Dishui Lake core area, the project spans an impressive 143,000 square meters, featuring nearly 60% first-entry brands and a unique ocean-themed immersive space.This development not only fills the gap for high-quality retail in the region but also reshapes the commercial landscape of eastern Shanghai with a leasing rate exceeding 97% at launch.As the debut project for the area, Shanghai Blue Whale World made a remarkable first impression, signaling its ambition to become the next growth engine of eastern Shanghai’s retail scene.With its grand opening, the Lingang New Area officially enters a new stage of “commercial-driven urban integration.”A Dual-Strategy Milestone: “Lingang First Launch”.The debut of Blue Whale World coincides with a crucial year when the Lingang New Area advances its dual national strategies — integration into the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone and inclusion as one of Shanghai’s Five New Cities.As the core section of China’s pilot free trade zone, Lingang has rolled out generous policy incentives such as tax reductions and fast-tracked residence-to-permanent status for skilled talent, shortened from three years to just three months.These measures have attracted over 3,000 tech-innovation enterprises and nearly 50,000 high-end professionals, forming cutting-edge industrial clusters in semiconductors, biomedicine, and automotive manufacturing.

At the heart of Lingang, Nanhui New City is emerging as the eastern growth pole of Shanghai’s “Five Centers” strategy, with a population plan of 2.5 million and an average annual GDP growth rate of 8.5%.Against this backdrop of rapid population and industrial expansion, Lingang’s retail market is transitioning from basic infrastructure to quality-driven consumption upgrades.The region urgently needs a landmark commercial complex to match its urban scale and release its growing consumer potential:Population-driven demand: 74 premium residential communities house 250,000 highly educated residents, and 5 universities add over 100,000 students and staff, creating a strong consumer base seeking higher-quality experiences.Tourism-driven flow: Anchored by the Dishui Lake International Tourism Resort — home to Haichang Ocean Park and the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, with a combined annual visitation of 15 million — the area’s cultural-tourism-to-retail conversion potential is enormous.Industry-driven demand: Over 3,000 technology enterprises drive diverse business-service needs, calling for more comprehensive and upgraded commercial amenities.In this context, Shanghai Blue Whale World positions itself as a “regional flagship pioneer”, leveraging its 143,000㎡ scale, 60% first-launch brands, and immersive thematic space to serve as a consumer hub that connects residents, students, and tourists.The project marks Lingang’s transformation from “supporting facilities” to “experience-driven retail leadership.”Flagship Spatial Innovation, Format & IP, Thematic Design, Retail Mix & Cultural Marketing.Flagship-level innovative space, format & IP’s three-dimensional breakthrough.

As the flagship edition of Blue Whale World, the project embraces the concept of “architecture as IP,” constructing a flagship spatial identity system from façade to detail:As a landmark architectural IP, the main volume uses streamlined curved surfaces to simulate the whale’s swimming motion. On the west side, a tower is shaped like a “sailboat,” echoing Lingang’s coastal character, forming a dual visual IP anchor of “blue whale + sailboat.”At the entrance plaza, a 12-meter high giant whale sculpture is forged in stainless steel, with nighttime “breathing light effects” turning it into a landmark photo spot for the region.IP is emotionally embedded across every scenario: two Q-version characters, “Blue Little Whale” and “Cute Little Whale,” represent different gender demographics. Derivative designs include soft furnishings, themed installations, and signage systems. Through IP merchandise redemption and interactive activities, emotional connections are strengthened, and through emotionalized IP operations, user stickiness is enhanced, building a stable user ecosystem.The immersive scenographic circulation design is also striking:In the external plaza, a “100-meter Flower Street” is crafted with terraced plantings, flowers, and seating to create a relaxed, slow-life urban park atmosphere.In the project’s interior atrium, the mangrove—an ecological coastal guardian—was chosen as the design motif to compose a mangrove-theme courtyard landscape.Inspired by the blue whale, a curved mid-island LED screen adds a unique visual highlight.

Whale-themed hanging ornaments float above, and a 7-meter Blue Little Whale installation provides a focal photo zone, immersing visitors in an ocean ambiance.On Level 1, a themed art street zone centered on Blue Little Whale is carefully crafted, with various interactive photo spots that further reinforce the ocean theme.“6+X” ecosystem planning, 200+ brands lead regional consumption upgrade.Shanghai Blue Whale World aims for full audience coverage, all-day consumption, building a flagship “6 major anchor formats+ X innovative experiences” ecosystem. This effectively fills the market void in Lingang’s new area for high-quality family consumption + youthful trendy experiences.The first-store economy builds scarcity: among 200+ brands, over 60% are debuting in Lingang, spanning multiple formats like specialty dining, trendy retail, and child-parent experience, forming a “first-store check-in economy” as a core competitive advantage.On the dining front, first stores include GALANGLA Thai Bistro (specialty Thai bar), Chu Yuan Yu Yakitori (high-end Japanese yakitori), Yu Da Shi (Chongqing hotpot benchmark), Vietnamese Restaurant (authentic Southeast Asian flavors), Luxi River Peach Crisp, Jasmine Milk White, Dongsheng Buffet, Wang Xiang Yuan (leading Hunan cuisine brand), Steak Village Super Energy Universe (AR/VR interactive experiences), Beixi Growth Center (early education & family) debut their first stores, shaping an “sports + technology + education” family experience ecosystem.

In retail, new first stores include MINISO LAND (global IP collab store), Wanting flagship, HKG Hong Kong Gold (fashion jewelry), eyeslive (trendy eyewear concept), TONG (designer brand hub), etc. This retail innovation responds to “weekday business + weekend family + tourist flows” demand, building a flagship-level consumption supply system.With “full category + high quality” supply, over 100 dining outlets follow “all-day coverage + scenographic experience” as the core logic: ranging from global fast food, coffee & tea (KFC, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Nayuki, Bawang Tea) to specialty F&B (Dongsheng buffet, Wang Xiang Yuan, Fanju Family Banquet, Weilai Bar, Ai Ma Shi Hotpot, Taco Trio, Xiao Qi Bistro (Guizhou cuisine)), covering business lunch/social settings, family dinners, nighttime relaxing social dining, white-collar “solo meals,” and more.Retail focus is on brand upgrading + full-category coverage, creating a regional consumption highland:Retail brand matrix includes NIKE (sport & street), Jiaoxia (outdoor gear), Chow Tai Fook (jewelry) to elevate regional family consumption quality.In digital & tech, full lineup coverage from Huawei, Xiaomi, Apple, OPPO, Suning.com, etc., building integrated “tech experience + product service” space to satisfy demands from tech-savvy and youth demographics.Brands like Watsons, Haotemai serve as high-frequency community consumption icons, meeting residents’ daily needs and reinforcing the convenience aspect of regional commerce.

The entertainment & culture format builds an “immersive interactive + all-age coverage” experience landmark:.The region’s first laser IMAX cinema, Times Cinema, becomes the local movie landmark.Mei KTV, NetFish Internet Cafe, Xi Manyou, Super Energy Universe further unleash nighttime consumption potential in the university city.Beixi Growth Center, Hanyu Sports Arts Center, etc., build a one-stop children’s growth space.Cultural marketing activates urban vitality and forges a new benchmark in industry-city integrationFrom day one, the project focused on scarcity + topic appeal to ignite consumption heat in the district. Cultural events launched swiftly:“Chinese Battle Dance · Chaoshan Yingge Dance” made its eastern Shanghai debut, using intangible cultural heritage visuals that captured citywide attention.The acrobatic show “Flame Divine Bird” premiered in Shanghai with tech light & shadow effects to create an immersive experience.The Aurora Bubble Music Concert, with thousands of spectators waving glow sticks and dancing with giant bubbles, created a melodic, joyous breeze across the night.A dimension party turned into a youth carnival, with parade teams stirring up fervent chasing.As night fell, families and young people thronged in groups, snapping photos and mingling—buzz and vitality abounded.

A series of cultural marketing tactics allowed Blue Whale World to rapidly establish its identity as a “city public cultural space”, leveraging flagship-level cultural drawing power to realize “commercial space carrying cultural identity” at a high level.In the future, with further deepening of Lingang New Area’s “International Consumption Center Pilot City” policy, Blue Whale World will carry greater responsibility as a regional commercial benchmark. It is set to become a “super hub” connecting the university town, tech innovation parks, tourism zones, local communities, etc., shaping Lingang’s “public reception living room,” and supporting the region’s evolution from an “industrial-agglomeration functional area” to a “vibrant city for living and working.”From the Bay Area to the Yangtze River Delta — Longguang Blue Whale World’s East China sample.As Longguang Commercial’s East China flagship, the launch of Shanghai Blue Whale World holds two significant meanings:For the company, the successful opening marks a milestone breakthrough of Longguang Commercial expanding from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area into the Yangtze River Delta.As a rising player in China’s commercial real estate arena, the company builds a dual product-line system around the Blue Whale IP — the urban commercial center brand “Blue Whale World” and the regional center brand “Blue Whale Land.”

By 2025, the group has formed a commercial map covering the Bay Area, Yangtze Delta, Southwest city clusters, with over 30 projects developed or operated.This project is not a mere product-line replication; rather, it deeply integrates the Blue Whale IP’s cultural core with Lingang’s local culture and consumption traits. Through “standardized genes + localized innovation” flagship configuration, it not only embeds blue whale elements into architectural design, but also builds core competitiveness via “ocean culture themed immersive space + full-category first-store matrix + cultural marketing.” Through “tech interaction + experience innovation + industry collaboration,” it achieves scenario innovation across commerce and industrial value.From a city perspective, the opening of Blue Whale World not only solves Lingang’s long-standing issue of consumption leakage, but also, as a hub of industry-city integration, becomes a key driver enabling the region’s commercial leap from “infrastructure support” to “district vitality engine.” As a crucial piece in Lingang New Area’s “International Consumption Center Pilot City” strategy, Blue Whale World is claiming the posture of East China’s commercial benchmark, injecting eastern momentum into Shanghai’s “Five Centers” construction and serving as a vivid practice of “commercial empowerment of urban upgrading.”