Dancers and a Duffy Express float from the Shanghai Disney Resort participate in the opening parade of the tourism festival.[Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

"Since Songjiang district has launched many landmarks in recent years, we wanted to integrate and promote as many of our resources as possible," explains Zhou Yan, deputy director of the Sheshan National Tourist and Holiday Resort's management committee.

"We have the highest mountain in Shanghai, the world's deepest subterranean five-star hotel, the relics of Jiangnan culture, an astronomical and seismological observatory, a botanical garden and many ecotourism resorts. We wanted to display them all to show that Sheshan is the backyard of Shanghai."