Your host · Edward Wu
Shanghai is home.
Let me show you.
I’m Edward Wu, a Chinese American guide, artist and designer, born in New York and raised in Shanghai. I bring a local’s familiarity, a political-economy perspective and a lasting interest in how things are made.
A little more about me
Your visit
A walk that feels like a conversation.
You might want to understand Shanghai’s changing skyline, eat a breakfast you would never have found alone, or discover a Chinese designer whose work you want to take home. My role is to help you find your own connection to the city.
I’ll bring the language, local knowledge and a considered point of view. You bring your appetite, your eye and your questions.
01 / Roots
A life between cultures.
My parents are from Shanghai. I grew up here and have lived in the city for ten years. I speak native English and fluent Mandarin and Shanghainese. Shanghai is family conversations, familiar flavors and streets I’ve watched change.
Growing up between China and the United States also taught me that a place can look very different depending on where you stand. On our walk, there is room for those differences, for your questions and for a balanced conversation about the city as it is lived.
02 / Design
From the big picture to the smallest detail.
At the University of Pennsylvania, I studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics, concentrating on Chinese political economy, and earned a master’s in Integrated Product Design. I’m interested in the forces that shape a city and the small decisions that shape everyday life within it.
I love design and architecture: the proportions of an entrance, the hand of a fabric, the thought behind an ordinary object. That is how I like to explore Shanghai, moving between its economic development and something we can actually see, touch or taste.
03 / Performance
An artist. A performer. A good listener.
Performance is another part of my life. I trained at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA), completing an MA in Classical Acting for the Professional Theatre. My stage work includes Kim’s Convenience and Ride the Cyclone, and I also work in television and film.
Acting asks you to notice people, listen closely and find the human story. Those habits come with me into the city. I enjoy giving context, bringing a place to life and following a conversation wherever your curiosity takes it.
The formal part
Academic background & languages
PPE concentration: Chinese political economy. My interests connect social and economic development, product design, architecture and performance.
- BA, Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- University of Pennsylvania
- Master's, Integrated Product Design
- University of Pennsylvania
- MA, Classical Acting for the Professional Theatre
- London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) · 2022–2023
- English · Mandarin · Shanghainese
- Native English; fluent Mandarin and Shanghainese
Where shall we begin?
A building. A table. Something beautifully made.
Let's find a way into Shanghai that means something to you.