People working in the Lujiazui financial area of Pudong New District in the city of Shanghai got to step outside the world of finance recently, when Shang Changrong, a famous Peking Opera performer, came to talk about Peking Opera and perform, on Sept 25.

Shang attracted a lot of fans, so local officials are saying that Peking Opera lessons will be a monthly event in the future so that business professionals can get an opportunity to enjoy opera's charm up close.

This was part of the larger "Cultural Lujiazui" activity that local leaders proposed in September 2014 to make Lujiazui something more than a financial center over the next three years and turn it into a cultural landmark as well through diverse cultural activities.

Now, after a year of development, the "Cultural Lujiazui" program has seen some progress as Lujiazui works with professional art organizations, such as Shanghai's Light Music Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Jingju Theater Company and Philharmonic Orchestra to attract more viewers.