As Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area celebrates its seventh anniversary, the strategic frontier of institutional innovation is capping another year of remarkable growth and transformation.

A total of 196 landmark institutional innovation cases have emerged in such fields as cross-border data flow, offshore finance, new-type international trade, and high-level shipping sectors. Of them, 91 were national firsts — reinforcing Lin-gang's role as a testing ground for China's reform and opening-up.

The local GDP reached 136.6 billion yuan ($20.32 billion) in 2025, more than tripling since the area was first established, while the output value of industrial enterprises above designated size surpassed 450 billion yuan.

The leading industries — integrated circuits, civil aviation, and intelligent vehicles — all showed great momentum, with respective increases of 17.9 percent, 45.3 percent, and 31.7 percent in output value during the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, the local high-end equipment sector has stepped up the development of energy storage and new-energy equipment, with energy storage output increasing 2.5-fold in the first six months of this year.

A lakeside fireworks show in Lin-gang. [Photo/Wenhui Daily]

Growth in Lin-gang is not just measured in numbers, but also felt in the quality of life. From expanding sports facilities and green spaces to diverse activities such as lakeside concerts, open-air movies, and fireworks shows, the coastal new area is increasingly winning people over with its distinctive character. 

In 2025, 51,200 talented individuals were attracted here, up 18.8 percent year-on-year.