Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. [Photo/WeChat ID: hongqiaoshangwuqu]
Shanghai's Hongqiao transport hub handled 422 million passenger trips in 2025 and another 324 million in the first three quarters of 2026, averaging more than 1.18 million a day. The Hongqiao International Central Business District aims to turn this traffic into lasting business opportunities under its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).
Connecting air, high-speed rail, metro and road transport, Hongqiao serves as a gateway to the Yangtze River Delta region. The Airport Link Line has cut travel time between Shanghai's Hongqiao and Pudong airports to 40 minutes, while high-speed rail puts many regional cities within a two-hour journey.
Beyond transport, the district is working to maximize the economic benefits of major events. The National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), located next to the hub, hosts the annual China International Import Expo, while a year-round exhibition and trading platform in Hongqiao turns the expo's annual influx of visitors into sustained commercial activity.
The district's economic performance reflects this momentum. In the first eight months of 2026, imports and exports reached 80.28 billion yuan ($12.03 billion), up 26.2 percent year-on-year. Newly utilized foreign direct investment totaled $605 million, surging 160.5 percent year-on-year.
With further transport links and service upgrades planned, Hongqiao is seeking to build on its connectivity to strengthen its role as a regional business gateway linking Shanghai, the Yangtze River Delta and global markets.
