What is it like to have a commentary booth set up inside a shopping mall? This May Day holiday, Shanghai’s commercial districts provided the answer.
On May 2 and May 5, the “Second Live Venue” for the World Table Tennis Championships made splashy appearances at Bailian World Expo Source and the No. 1 Department Store. Table tennis legends Deng Yaping, Chen Qi, Liu Guozheng, and Zhou Guanda took over the malls to provide real-time commentary on the London World Team Table Tennis Championships, delivering a high-level viewing and interactive experience for the audience.
**Getting Up Close and Personal with an Olympic Champion**
How close can you get to an Olympic champion? For 59-year-old Chen Yao, the answer was zero.
At the 2026 Shanghai Table Tennis Carnival’s “Early Summer Night Glow” event, Chen Yao finally met his idol, Deng Yaping. A team captain from Jiangqiao Town in Jiading District, Chen Yao lost his left forearm in a workplace injury 27 years ago, splitting his life in two. In early 1999, bedridden at 32, he thought only one thing: with one hand missing, what could he ever do? He locked himself away for four years, afraid to face the world. The only exception was watching sports channels on TV. His wife, Guan Ruying, noticed this but instead of pushing him, she set up a makeshift table tennis table using a drink bottle, a broom, and a desk, playing with him from scratch. That’s how Deng Yaping became his spiritual anchor.
Chen Yao confessed, “I liked watching Deng Yaping play even before my injury, but I truly understood her tenacity and spirit only after the accident. Her strength kept pushing me forward.”
From then on, he picked up a paddle. It took two months just to stand still in front of a mirror. He tied sandbags to his left shoulder to find balance, fell and bruised his back countless times, and experimented with rubbers until he devised his own unique combination of pimple rubber techniques. Through sheer determination, he carved a path with one arm, winning multiple city-level wheelchair table tennis championships. After emerging from the shadows, he even became a disability support worker, helping others trapped in darkness to pick up a paddle. “Table tennis saved me once, and now I want to use it to save more people,” he said.
With preparations in place, Chen Yao was given the chance to meet Deng Yaping at the Shanghai Table Tennis Carnival. As he walked from the audience toward her, he suddenly turned his back, overwhelmed with emotion. Deng Yaping encouraged him, saying, “Accidents and setbacks are not scary—what matters is how you view them and how you find yourself. Sports bring happiness and confidence. Your life will be even more brilliant because of your persistence!”
This encounter became the most touching moment of the Second Live Venue, adding warmth to the mall’s sports vibe.
**Creative Collisions: Calabash Brothers and Giant Tifo Boost Business**
If the May 5 “Early Summer Night Glow” event focused on emotional warmth, then the May 2 “All-City Carnival Night” lit up with creativity.
When the classic Chinese cartoon IP “Calabash Brothers” from Shanghai Animation Film Studio appeared on stage, blending with the DJ’s dynamic beats, it created a wonderful fusion of Shanghai-style culture and trendy sports. Even more exciting were the surprise appearances of table tennis stars Liu Guozheng, Chen Qi, Zhou Yu, and Cheng Jingqi, who interacted closely with fans. During breaks in the pivotal matches of the women’s and men’s team events, special prop-juggling challenges and one-on-one fan competitions took place, allowing every visitor to grab a paddle and join the fun.
The most viral moment came at the end, when a giant tifo reading “Help the National Team, Fight Together, Go to London, Smash It!” unfolded from the main stage and passed through the hands of the audience. On the day of the national team’s first match at the World Championships, Shanghai’s Second Live Venue sent out a powerful message of support.
Beyond the audiovisual feast, World Expo Source offered generous holiday deals. To capture the dining and shopping enthusiasm brought by nighttime viewing, the mall partnered with Dianping and Douyin to launch multiple coupon campaigns. Meanwhile, Bailian Group ran a “Ten Years Together, Gold Surprises for You” member event from May 1 to 5, with daily draws for 5-gram gold bars and zodiac gold beads, adding a golden touch to the May Day holiday.
While athletes sweated inside the stadium, the shopping district buzzed with energy outside. Through the “Second Live Venue” activities and merchant promotions, the blend of viewing, experience, and commercial consumption achieved deep integration. This not only provided a leisure and social space for fans and consumers but also extended their stay in the mall, turning event traffic into holiday spending power.
