As we welcome the spring season with its milder weather and blooming flowers, we would like to extend our greetings to all the Norwegians in Eastern China.
We are delighted to share information on upcoming events, and previous highlights.
2024 marks the 70th year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Norway and China. It was great to start this important year with a visit by the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide. While in Shanghai, Eide met with the Norwegian business community, visited the under-construction Shanghai Opera House by the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, was our guest of honour at a reception at the renowned Peace Hotel and last, but not least met with Norwegian students in Shanghai for a walk and talk on the Bund.
There are many events taking place throughout this particular year, but we would like to highlight our “Norway Now” -week from 21 – 26 May. Together with TEAM Norway members we will organize a week of indoor and outdoor activities, showcasing the best of Norwegian business and culture across sectors, including exhibitions, market, expert talks, business meetings, musical performances, cultural activities and more.
As is tradition, Klubb Norge will be organizing the Norwegian National Day at Emerald in Shanghai. The celebration date is set to the 12th of May, with more information to be shared in Klubb Norges WeChat group.
We hope to see many of you on different occasions in the upcoming months.
Warm regards,
Consulate General in Shanghai
Upcoming events:
International Women’s Day Norwegian Film Screening at American Centre, Norwegian film screening - 12 April
Starting on March 8, the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai is organizing the 3rd International Women Film Festival. The Norwegian Consulate will be participating with a screening on April 12, with the movie “Løvekvinnen” (“Lion Woman”), which depicts the story of a young girl experiencing discrimination because she’s born with an unusual amount of hair, covering her face and body. The movie screening is open to the public, and if you want to join you can sign up here.
International Environmental Expo China - Trade fair for environmental technology solutions, 18-20 April in Shanghai
For the first time, IFAT China, the world’s premier trade fair for environmental technologies and the largest of its kind in China, will include a Norway Pavilion. Cambi, Orkel, Tomra, Doscon, and Johnsen Chemicals, will present Norwegian innovative and sustainable solutions for waste-to-value and circular economy, which aims to make a substantial positive impact on the environment. IFAT China, also known as IE Expo in China, is part of the IFAT network. Last year, it hosted over 2,400 exhibitors and welcomed more than 91,000 visitors from 68 countries. The exhibition is open to the public, and you can get tickets here.
Nordic Shanghai Climate Cycling - 20 April
A Nordic Shanghai Climate Cycling event will take place on April 20. The event is a collaboration between the Nordic Consulates and Pudong FAO, with the aim to inspire people to choose more sustainable transportation methods. In addition to this, the event will also highlight the opportunity for great cycling experiences in and around Shanghai and be a good occasion for networking with other people from the Nordics.
Shanghai Climate Week - 22-26 April
During the first ever Shanghai Climate Week, the Norwegian Consulate General and Innovation Norway, together with our Danish and Finnish counterparts and other partners, plan to organize a Nordic Climate Talks event as part of the climate week’s opening day on April 22. The opening ceremony will be held at MAP (Museum of Art Pudong). Key topics in the Nordic event will be the green transition and circular economy. Representatives from the three Norwegian companies Cambi, Tomra, and Orkel will join the event, together with key business representatives from Denmark, Finland, and China. The Nordic Climate Talks event is open to the public. Details on how to participate will be announced shortly.
Jon Fosse Chinese translation launch
The Norwegian playwriter Jon Fosse has been gaining vast international attention since he won the Nobel Prize of Literature in 2023. More of his work is now being translated into Chinese. Yilin Press will this year publish Jon Fosse’s full-length novel “Morning and Evening”, and nine of his best plays recommended by Jon Fosse himself, including “Someone is Going To Come”, “Dream of Autumn”, “I Am The Wind” and “Death Variations”. The book will be launched for the Chinese public at the end of April/early May.
Klubb Norge 17th of May celebration - 12 May
Klubb Norge will be organizing the Norwegian National Day at Emerald in Shanghai. The celebration date is set to the 12th of May. More information will be shared in Klubb Norges WeChat group.
Historic Walk and gathering at Waldorf Astoria - 17 May
This year we are collaborating with Historic Shanghai to provide a city walk throughout Shanghai. The walk emphasizes history, culture and Norwegian traces in the city, showcasing Shanghai’s charm throughout modern history. To celebrate the national day, the event will be concluded with a gathering at Waldorf Astoria.
You can register by sending an email to our trainee Nikolas: nikolas.ikonomeas@mfa.no.
Norway Now - 21-26 May
To mark the 70 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations between Norway and China, we are pleased to be launching the event “Norway Now”. A week of exciting, varied activities and cultural performances, showcasing the best of Norwegian culture and businesses in China, including exhibitions, markets, and meetings.
Norway Now will be launched with a Norwegian Constitution Day reception at The Grand Halls on May 21, followed by a five-day tailor-made program at the historic venue “The Inlet”. Key people will be joining from Norway, including the heads of Innovation Norway (IN) and the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC).
This will be a great opportunity to meet with fellow Norwegians, and we hope to see many of you there! The “Norway Now” week will be taking place from the 21st to the 26th of May at “The Inlet” in downtown Shanghai.
Design Shanghai - 19-22 June
Design Shanghai is one of the leading design fairs in Mainland China. Last year, four Norwegian architecture firms participated. Through their projects they presented sustainable Norwegian architectural practices, and how nature and culture play an integral part of Norwegian contemporary architecture. This year 6 Norwegian architecture companies have been selected to take part in the Norwegian pavilion, the biggest scope ever for Norwegian participation.
After last year’s success we are aiming even higher this year, with both familiar and new Norwegian players in architecture and design taking the stage. Design Shanghai will be held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, and the event is open to the public. You can find more information and buy tickets here.
International Ibsen Conference - 24-26 June
The XVth International Ibsen Conference on “The Intermedial Ibsen” will be held in Nanjing, China on June 24-26th 2024. The conference is hosted by Nanjing University, in cooperation with the Centre for Ibsen Studies at the University of Oslo. It is expected that about 300 domestic and foreign experts will attend the conference, including about 15 Norwegian scholars. Several researchers of the European Academy of Sciences and internationally renowned scholars will serve as keynote speakers during the conference. The Ibsen Theater Culture Festival will also be held during the conference to showcase Ibsen’s plays and Norwegian culture. This is mainly an academic event with the aim of showcasing the latest trends in Ibsen research and enhancing future research cooperation.
Previous highlights
Welcoming our new trainees
In January we welcomed our two new spring trainees, Ingvild and Nikolas, to the Consulate. Nikolas has a bachelor’s in international relations and is currently doing his master’s degree in philosophy at Fudan University in Shanghai, while Ingvild recently graduated with a bachelor in development studies from Oslo. At the consulate, Nikolas is working with business and academia, while Ingvild is working on culture and communication. We happily welcome the passion and energy they bring to the team, and look forward continuing working together during the spring season.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide visit to Shanghai
On February 5 and 6, Espen Barth Eide, visited Beijing and Shanghai. During his stay in Shanghai, the Foreign Minister was given a tour at the construction site of the Shanghai Grand Opera House designed by Snøhetta and met with the Norwegian business community, in which Norwegian companies had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with the Minister. Later in the evening, Eide was our guest of honour at a reception at the renowned Peace Hotel. The day ended with Eide meeting a group of Norwegian students for a walk on the Bund, where the students got a chance to share their experiences on living and studying in China, and ask Eide about his experiences as the foreign minister.
Kings of Convenience concert
In October, Kings of Convenience went on their first China tour. The Indie pop duo from Bergen consisting of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bø, use acoustic guitars and naturally carved sounds, and are known for their harmony-rich songs, delicate tunes, calming voices, and intricately subtle guitar melodies.
The band started their China tour with a concert in Shanghai on the 9th of March, followed by concerts in Guangzhou and Beijing. The audience got to enjoy a wonderful performance, and several local hardcore fans were overjoyed to see their favorite band in person. It's great to have Norwegian artists returning to China!
Visit by Ålesund Highschool students to Shanghai
In mid-March, a group of students and teachers from Ålesund high school visited Shanghai and made a stop at the Consulate. The students were given a short introduction to Team Norway’s work in China, and we enjoyed hearing about their trip, especially about their great experiences meeting with Chinese students at their sister school in Nanjing.
Nordic Day event in Shanghai
This year’s Nordic day was celebrated on the 23rd of March. To mark the occasion in Shanghai, the Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish Consulates organized an ocean cleaning event that involved both the Nordics and the Chinese public. Collaborating with the NGO Rendu Ocean, the half-day event allowed the participants to spend time in the Binjiang Forst Park in the north of Shanghai, where we collaborated on picking up waste along the seashore. It was great to spend the day close to nature, while also making a contribution to an important cause.
