On June 1, the Google Cross-border E-commerce Acceleration Center announced its upcoming settlement in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. This initiative positions Shangcheng as a leader in building a world-class digital hub to support local enterprises in going global, serving as a powerful engine for Hangzhou-based businesses to expand into international markets, according to the information office of Shangcheng District government.
Shangcheng District is a place where time-honored cultural heritage blends seamlessly with modern innovation. Home to the ruins of the Southern Song imperial city, Shangcheng has been the core of Hangzhou since the Sui and Tang dynasties, carrying forward Song-style culture for over 800 years. The local government has advanced the inheritance and promotion of Song-style culture, building an open-air museum and launching cultural tourism routes themed on Song aesthetics. Qinghefang Historical and Cultural Characteristic Block retains the architectural layout of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with traditional establishments like Hu Qing Yu Tang Chinese Pharmacy and Wang Xing Ji maintaining their centuries-old crafts.
Scientific and technological innovation acts as the core driving force for Shangcheng's high-quality development. In 2025, the district launched the construction of a Central Innovation District (CID) to unleash new productive forces. Covering 122 square kilometers, the district has transformed from a traditional commercial center into an innovation ecosystem powered mainly by artificial intelligence. Shangcheng has set up a ten-billion-yuan industrial fund for AI and embodied intelligence, providing financial support for tech enterprises from R&D to commercialization. The district is home to over 50,000 college graduates under 35, with a total talent pool of 420,000, and its index for the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements ranks among the top in Zhejiang Province.
Driven by this strategy, innovation platforms like Xizi Smart Industrial Park have flourished. Renovated from old industrial workshops, it now hosts over 30 humanoid robot enterprises, and the Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Training Base was inaugurated there in early 2026. Humanoid robots have been deployed in factories and daily scenarios, with breakthroughs in motion control and environmental perception.
The integration of culture and technology has also boosted international consumption. Adjacent to West Lake, Hubin Pedestrian Street attracts 40 million visits annually and houses over 1,200 domestic and international brands. Digital applications create distinctive experiences, bringing technological fun to everyday consumption. Sijiqing Fashion Street, a major garment distribution hub, is transforming into an international tourist and consumption destination, with digital design and flexible manufacturing reshaping traditional supply chains.
"Rooted in history and culture, driven by scientific and technological innovation, and connected via international consumption, Shangcheng demonstrates how an eastern urban district balances preservation and innovation, enabling millennia-old heritage to write a new chapter in the contemporary era," said an official of the district government.
