Greetings from the Consul General
Ro!!!
A new Norwegian word has entered the Chinese vocabulary!
Over the past few weeks, it has been unusually fun to be Norwegian in China. Everyone seems to know not only Erling Haaland, but also the Viking Ro! This is, of course, thanks to the remarkable achievements of the Norwegian National Football Team, but also to the unforgettable impression made by the enthusiastic Norwegian supporters.
Let us hope that this surge of enthusiasm for Norway endures, sparking curiosity and interest in all that our country has to offer.
As you will see in this newsletter, the first half of the year has been a busy and productive one. We were especially honored to receive a visit from the Minister of Culture Lubna Jaffery. The months ahead also promise a wide range of exciting activities and events for everyone with an interest in Norway.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter, and I wish you all a wonderful summer!
Tobias F. Svenningsen, Consul General
Upcoming events:
China International Import Expo
Norway will once again have a strong presence at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2026, taking place in Shanghai on 5–10 November. Organized by Innovation Norway and Team Norway in China, the Norwegian National Pavilion will showcase innovative Norwegian companies and solutions across a range of sectors, while highlighting Norway as a trusted partner for sustainable business and innovation. The pavilion offers a unique platform for networking, visibility, and business opportunities in one of the world’s most important markets.
30 Years of the Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai
This September, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a special exhibition at the Bund Center. The exhibition will trace more than a century of Norwegian history in Shanghai, while highlighting key milestones from the past three decades. Through photographs, stories, and historical snapshots, visitors can explore the enduring ties between Norway and China and the people who have helped shape them. We hope to welcome Norwegians and friends of Norway for this special celebration.
TITINA Film Screening
This summer, the Consulate is delighted to join forces with the Consulates General of Germany, Finland, the Netherland, and Denmark in Shanghai to present a vibrant Summer Fantasia: European Youth Film Showcase. Over the holiday season, young audiences and families will be invited to explore inspiring European films filled with imagination, courage, friendship, and discovery.
For Norway, we are proud to present TITINA, a Norwegian animated adventure film based on the true story of the first airship expedition to the North Pole. The film combines humor and warmth with real historical events, while also exploring the complex relationship between ambition, friendship, and rivalry. It is both a family-friendly story and a thoughtful reflection on human ego and exploration.
Language: Norwegian & English
Subtitle: Chinese
Time: 12. August 2026, Wednesday, 14:00 – 15:30
Venue: Department of Culture and Education of the German Consulate General Shanghai
Address: 101 Cross Tower, 318 Fuzhou Rd, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Free entry, no prior registration required. Please refrain from eating, drinking colored or sugary beverages, and taking photos, videos, or audio recordings during the event.
Concerts – Victory: Thomas Bergersen Epic Live
Thomas Bergersen, co-founder of the renowned epic production company Two Steps From Hell, will bring his symphonic concert to China for the first time this August. The tour will stop in Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai, with the Shanghai concert scheduled for Aug 22 and 23.
A Norwegian composer and multi-instrumentalist, Bergersen is among the world's most streamed classical crossover artists. His music has been featured in trailers and promotional campaigns, including those for major franchises such as Harry Potter, Avatar, The Avengers, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek, and The Chronicles of Narnia.
The Shanghai concerts will feature both Bergersen's solo works and signature pieces, combining an orchestra, a choir, and electronic soundscapes with lighting and visual effects.
Time: Aug 22, 19:30
Venue: Shanghai Indoor Stadium, No.1111 North Caoxi Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai
Time: Aug 23, 19:30
Venue: The New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center, No.777 West Gaoqing Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai
Tickets are available on Damai.
Yndling Joins China Dreampop & Shoegaze Music Festival
Yndling is the dream pop project of Norwegian artist Silje Espevik. With influences from modern to classic dream pop acts such as Beach House, Men I Trust, Mazzy Star and Cocteau Twins to name a few, this project offers a dreamy sound surrounding intimate and personal lyricism.
In September, Yndling will join the 8th China Dreampop & Shoegaze Music Festival, touring in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen during 24 – 27 September. The festival is initiated by the Chinese music label LuuvLabel, joined by artists from Norway, Thailand, and China.
More information about the concerts will be shared later via LuuvLabel’s official WeChat account.
Kings of Convenience Back to China
Kings of Convenience is a Norwegian indie folk duo from Bergen, formed by Eirik Glambek Bøe and Erlend Øye. Renowned for their delicate acoustic guitar arrangements, intimate harmonies, and understated songwriting, the duo has become one of the defining acts of Scandinavian indie music. Their timeless catalog includes beloved songs such as Misread, I'd Rather Dance With You, Mrs. Cold, and Boat Behind.
Following the overwhelming response to their first-ever China tour in 2024, Kings of Convenience will return to China this November for a three-city tour, performing in Shenzhen (Nov. 22), Shanghai (Nov. 24), and Beijing (Nov. 26). This time, the duo has chosen intimate live house venues to offer fans an even closer and more immersive concert experience.
Concert in Shanghai –
Time: 24 November 2026, 20:30
Venue: STAR@LIVE, No.179 Yichang Road, Putuo District, Shanghai
Tickets will become available from 12am, 22 July, on Damai.
Highlights from previous events:
Sámi and Inner Mongolian musical exchange
On 27 January, Norwegian Sámi-pop band KEiiNO met Inner Mongolian band Totem and representatives from the cultural organisation GalNova at the Consul General’s residence. The evening brought Sámi joik and Mongolian throat singing together in a lively musical exchange and joint jam session.
Norway–China Green Transition and Maritime Forum
On 24 April, the Norway–China Green Transition and Maritime Forum was held as an official parallel session of Shanghai Climate Week’s Climate Lighthouse Awards. Norwegian, Chinese and international speakers explored the maritime green transition, from electric ferries, alternative fuels and carbon capture to digital solutions, port innovation and land-based salmon farming.
Nordic Aqua, Borregaard and Wrleading were also recognised as winners of the Climate Lighthouse Advanced Cases.
Nordic cooperation in Shanghai
Nordic Day was celebrated on 23 March at the Finnish Consulate General’s new offices, featuring the Traces of North exhibition on the global influence of Nordic ideas and perspectives. The programme also included an exchange with pupils from a local primary school, who were curious to learn more about school life in Norway.
On 27 April, all four Nordic Consuls General gathered for the first time in the same panel. The discussion explored how trust and Nordic cooperation can support sustainability, innovation and economic growth, while addressing shared challenges such as ageing populations and demographic decline.
The cooperation continued on two wheels on 24 May, when the Nordic consulates and Pudong Foreign Affairs Office organised a 24-kilometre climate cycling event to promote greener urban transport. Despite the rain, the group reached Lujiazui in (wet) high spirits, with our GC Svenningsen first among the Nordic consulates across the finish line.
Future Library takes root in Shanghai
On 28 April, a Norway maple was planted at Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden as part of the Future Library, the century-long Norwegian art project collecting one unpublished manuscript each year until 2114. The ceremony brought together Chinese writer Chen Danyan, Future Library founder Anne Beate Hovind and local government representatives, while also marking the Consulate General’s 30th anniversary in Shanghai!
Norway’s National Day Reception
On 12 May, more than 350 friends of Norway from government, business and culture gathered in the heart of Shanghai to celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day. This was a particularly special celebration, as 2026 also marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai.
To mark the occasion, Consul General Tobias Svenningsen took it upon himself to teach a group of young Chinese hip-hop dancers the traditional Norwegian Halling dance, which was a big success! Norwegian singer Hedda Mae also joined the celebrations and delivered a fantastic performance.
Minister Lubna Jaffery visits Shanghai
Norwegian Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery visited Shanghai on 30–31 May. With only 24 hours at her disposal, the programme was packed! She received a guided tour of the newly built Shanghai Grand Opera House, designed by Norwegian architectural studio Snøhetta, and met ceramic artists Wisam Alsamad and Piotr Nowak, who presented works created during their residency in Jingdezhen.
At the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Jon Fosse’s Morgon og kveld took centre stage as Minister Jaffery and Professor Zou Lulu read excerpts in Norwegian and Chinese. The visit also included the unveiling of the logo for the Fosse Studies Centre. She concluded the programme with a lecture on participation, prosperity and gender equality for students and alumni of the BI–Fudan MBA programme.
Norwegian Business in China 2026 – Report Launch
On 4 June, the Norwegian Business in China 2026 report was launched at the Consul General’s residence. Jointly published by the Consulate General and the Norwegian Business Association China, and supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Beijing, Innovation Norway and the Norwegian Seafood Council, the report draws on responses from 103 Norwegian companies and provides insight into the opportunities, challenges and outlook for Norwegian businesses in China.
World Oceans Day
On 7 June, 34 pupils from Zhengda Foreign Language School joined a Climate Fresk workshop at the Consul General’s residence on climate change, ocean sustainability and marine biodiversity. Through colourful posters, they explored how human activity, ecosystems and the ocean are connected, with one group even naming their creation Speed Bump, a reminder to slow environmental destruction and rethink our relationship with nature.
Norwegian ceramics in Jingdezhen
At the end of June, Norwegian artists took part in the 52nd Congress of the International Academy of Ceramics and the 2026 Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale. The official satellite exhibition RESONANCE, open from 29 June to 31 July, presented works by sixteen Norwegian ceramic artists alongside young Chinese and international practitioners, highlighting contemporary approaches to clay, materiality and ceramic practice.
Trude Vestby Nordmark and Jørgen Haarstad were selected for the Biennale, held under the theme The Future of Ceramics. Haarstad received the Kaoling Prize for his work and presented the live performance Hold the Line, while Nordmark exhibited the sculpture Blood Ties. The Biennale featured 66 award-winning works and brought together artists, designers, students and educators from across the world.
The staff at the Consulate General in Shanghai wish you all a happy summer!
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