New exhibition center for Changning

Construction of a new exhibition center in Changning District in Shanghai's city center is to commence by the end of the year, Labor Daily reported today.

The new center will cover an area of between 50,000 square meters to 100,000 square meters in the Hongqiao area in the west of the district, according to initial plans.

The exhibition industry will be one of the district's key industries requiring further development in the next five years, district officials said.

Changning District is ahead of other districts in its quality of exhibition facilities. Its total exhibition area is 40 percent of the city's total.

The number of exhibitions in Changning was expected to reach half of the city's total after the opening of the new exhibition center, officials said.