As digital cultural and creative industries become deeply integrated into the urban fabric, and as gaming IPs move from screens to the streets, Shanghai’s Xuhui District is leveraging Neo World to create a nationally leading model for the integration of culture, commerce, and tourism across dimensions. During the 2026 May Day holiday, Neo World 2.0 will undergo a comprehensive upgrade—marking the official launch of Shanghai’s first dimension-friendly district.Partnering with IPs such as "Honor of Kings" and "Star Valley," it will kick off a year-round cross-dimensional celebration, infusing urban renewal with youthful energy.
Major Update for Yuanjie 2.0: New City-Level Dimensions Map Fully Unlocked
After a year of refinement and development, Neo World 2.0 has undergone a comprehensive upgrade in scale, settings, and user experience, evolving from a single commercial district into a city-wide landmark spanning the entire region.
The district will expand northward and westward, connecting Guilin Road and the Caoxi Development Zone subway station, and linking new landmarks such as Jumeng Tiandi, Guilin Park, Shang’aotang Waterfront, and Yishan Road AI Gaming Avenue.Alongside the map expansion, a new wayfinding system, IP-themed buildings, themed stations, quote-inscribed pavers, and custom seating will be gradually rolled out across the entire area. Neo World creates a highly immersive, Instagrammable, and shareable atmosphere for anime and manga enthusiasts, building an offline paradise where “every step reveals a new scene and every corner is picture-perfect.”
Leveraging its strengths as a gaming industry hub, Xuhui has transformed Caohejing into a testing ground for gaming IPs and has witnessed the growth of numerous game development teams. Here, virtual culture is deeply integrated with the urban landscape, and anime-inspired settings have evolved from “limited-time pop-ups” to “permanent fixtures.” The core breakthrough of Metaverse 2.0 lies in transforming temporary events into city-wide anime infrastructure, allowing anime culture to truly take root in everyday life.
Shanghai’s First Otaku-Friendly Neighborhood: Nurturing a Passion for the Otaku Culture Through a Long-Term Perspective
The most landmark achievement of this event is the official debut of Shanghai’s first permanently operating anime-friendly district, which completely breaks through the industry’s limitations of “limited-time exhibitions and one-time experiences.” The district has established a comprehensive support system across five key dimensions, allowing every enthusiast to explore freely and express themselves with confidence—
Dimension Convention: Guided by the principles of "self-governance, co-creation, and openness," we promote civil interaction and friendly exchange, ensuring that passion and refinement go hand in hand.
Ambience Creation: IP-themed visual displays throughout the venue, branding of key areas, and themed background music—creating a fully immersive experience that engages all the senses, from sight to sound.
Professional Services: We offer a dedicated makeup and styling room, prop lockers, and attentive service from our cosplay-friendly staff.
Exclusive Perks: "Dimension-Friendly" certified merchants display the Dimension-Friendly logo; cosplayers can enjoy exclusive discounts and special perks when they visit these stores.
Exclusive Perks: Dedicated parking spaces for modified cars, street photography sessions during events, and the launch of the "Metaverse Public Channel" fan-created interactive installation.
Here, anime and manga fans can let loose and be themselves—no need to hold back or hide. We’re all about giving everyone the freedom to dress as they please, have fun, and gather with friends.
Two Top Stars Lead the May Day Celebration, Highlighting the Core Attractions of the Spring Festival
Kicking off the year-round seasonal events at Yuanjie, "Yuanjie: A Blossoming Spring" launches with two of the most popular IPs, *Honor of Kings* and *Star Cuckoo Valley*, to create the most popular cross-dimensional hotspot for the May Day holiday.
The national phenomenon "Honor of Kings" is launching a city-wide collaboration, with a themed "pain car" on Shanghai Metro Line 12 set to debut soon. Heroes such as Doria, Zhuge Liang, Kai, Daji, and Sun Shangxiang will be featured in separate sections, accompanied by Shanghai dialect-themed copy, creating an immersive mobile "dimension" check-in spot for players.
Youjiang Road Fun Street·Five Days of Unique Themes at the "Yuanjie" Party—Throughout the entire May Day holiday, the "Honor of Kings" section will feature a different themed event every day: May 1 Campus Day Party to relive your youth; May 2 Farming Joke Day with fun pranks; May 3 Movie Festival + National Tournament kicking off simultaneously; May 4 Music and Dance Day Party to get the crowd fired up; and May 5 Esports Day featuring a KPL star player meet-and-greet and a fan match.
The event also featured the Gudong Exchange, a gaming social zone, a demo area for *Honor of Kings: World*, and a Tencent recruitment zone, catering to all needs—from socializing and gaming to hands-on experiences and job hunting. Thanks to its highly authentic settings, interactive activities, and exclusive perks, this corner of the district has quickly become a new cultural and tourism landmark that anime and gaming enthusiasts are flocking to visit.
miHoYo’s brand-new life simulation game, *Starry Valley*, has also launched its first offline experience exhibition, offering players a unique sense of “warm companionship.” From May 1 to 3, a 6-meter-tall giant Oumuamua inflatable figure will take center stage at the Xinyao Halo·Live mall’s sky bridge, while four themed “Meta-World Boxes” will faithfully recreate the game’s cozy home interiors on a 1:1 scale, bringing the “little home on the planet” to life.
Oumuamua plush dolls will also be making a limited-time appearance in the atrium of the mall’s East Wing, where they’ll interact with players through hugs. Exclusive postcards and “Seed Cards” will be distributed in limited quantities, and the event’s themed installations will remain on display throughout May, continuing to spread a sense of comfort and joy.
Voice Acting Competitions + Shopping District Perks: Fun for All Ages
In addition to the two flagship IP events, a series of supporting activities will also kick off simultaneously, catering to anime and manga enthusiasts of all ages. Starting May 29, the Yangtze River Delta Finals of the 22nd Voice Acting Competition will launch with a bang. Renowned university instructors and voice actors, including Wang Su, Zheng Xi, and Ma Zhengyang, will be on-site. The event will feature both professional competitions and open workshops, contributing to the broader popularization of voice acting culture.Xuhui District has also prepared “Metaverse Fun Passes” for visitors, collaborating with multiple merchants to offer exclusive perks such as dining discounts, buy-one-get-one-free deals on trendy toys, free drinks, card-drawing promotions, free bead art crafts, and check-in gifts. Mihoyo × Trend Toy Planet also debuted brand-new Genshin Impact merchandise to satisfy players’ collecting needs.
Connecting Dimensions of Beauty, Building a New Future for Our City Together
In this "Metaverse Spring Blossoms" series of events, from the soothing installations of *Star Cuckoo Valley* to the hero-themed scenes of *Honor of Kings*, from character parades to themed stages, and from subway "decorated trains" to themed makeup rooms in shopping malls, anime and manga culture is no longer confined to the virtual online world but has entered urban public spaces such as subway entrances, shopping malls, and city streets.From the spatial renewal of Metaverse 2.0 to the implementation of the "Dimension-Friendly District" concept, and on to offline celebrations featuring top-tier IPs, Shanghai’s Xuhui District is using digital cultural creativity as a bridge to bring virtual culture into urban public spaces, transforming it into a new economic model that is experiential, consumable, and shareable.
Moving forward, Neo World will continue to center on IP as its core, experience as its soul, and consumption as its driving force, creating a new landmark for Shanghai’s anime and gaming culture and a new model for urban renewal, ensuring that this culture continues to enrich urban life.
原创文章，作者：游茶妹儿，禁止转载：https://youxichaguan.com/en/archives/194354
