That's Shanghai

That's Shanghai is an English-language city magazine and listings publication focused on life in Shanghai, China. It belongs to the broader That's magazine family, a network of English-language publications covering major Chinese cities and regions. The wider brand was started by Mark Kitto in 1998 and developed as part of Shanghai-based publishing group Urbanatomy Media. By May 2020, the publisher was identified as JY International Cultural Communications. The Shanghai edition is structured as a monthly guide to the city. Its editorial and service coverage centers on entertainment, dining, nightlife, culture, arts, music, fashion, current events and other activities relevant to residents and visitors. In practical terms, the magazine combines editorial features with listings-oriented information, making it both a city guide and an advertising-supported local media product. This positioning places it within the English-language expatriate and internationally oriented media segment in China, while its subject matter also serves Chinese readers interested in Shanghai's cultural and leisure scene. As of May 2020, the print edition reportedly had a staff of 30 and a circulation of 62,500. Approximately 40 percent of its readership was expatriate, indicating that the publication's audience was broader than the foreign-resident market alone. The magazine's reach and content model reflect the role of English-language city media in China's major metropolitan centers: it provides practical information about restaurants, events and nightlife while also documenting aspects of urban culture for an internationally connected audience. That's Shanghai operates within a larger group of city and regional titles. Related publications include That's Beijing, That's PRD, That's Shenzhen and That's Guangzhou. The regional southern titles later evolved in naming and scope: the publication formerly known as That's PRD adopted the name That's GBA in January 2020 to reflect coverage of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This network structure allows the That's brand to maintain a recognizable editorial identity while tailoring listings and features to individual markets. The available reference material does not establish a current publisher website, ownership structure after the reported 2020 publisher information, or a detailed account of the magazine's post-2020 operations. Accordingly, current circulation, staff size, management, print frequency beyond the documented monthly schedule, and digital strategy remain unspecified here.

That's Shanghai is part of the That's family of English-language listings magazines published in China. The broader brand was launched by Mark Kitto in 1998 and was developed around the needs of internationally oriented readers in China's principal metropolitan areas. Rather than operating as a single national general-interest magazine, the brand used geographically focused editions, allowing each publication to provide city-specific information about events, restaurants, nightlife, culture and other aspects of urban life. The Shanghai title became the brand's dedicated publication for one of China's largest and most internationally connected cities. It was positioned as a monthly English-language listings and entertainment magazine. Its editorial remit included local current events, culture, art, music, fashion, nightlife and dining. This combination of reported features and service-oriented listings gave the magazine a dual role: it covered Shanghai as a cultural and social environment while also helping readers decide where to eat, what to see and which events to attend. The publication was associated with Urbanatomy Media, a Shanghai-based publishing group that owned the That's magazines. Reference material states that, by May 2020, the publisher was JY International Cultural Communications. The available sources do not provide a complete chronology of corporate transfers or explain the precise relationship between Urbanatomy Media and JY International Cultural Communications, so the ownership history should not be treated as fully documented. By May 2020, That's Shanghai was described as a monthly print magazine with 30 staff members and circulation of 62,500. Around 40 percent of its readership was expatriate. These figures indicate a publication aimed at an international audience but not restricted to foreign residents. Its English-language format and Shanghai-centered content also made it relevant to local readers, businesses, travelers and other audiences engaging with the city's hospitality, cultural and entertainment sectors. That's Shanghai formed part of a broader network that included That's Beijing, That's PRD, That's Shenzhen and That's Guangzhou. The network's regional approach enabled the publisher to replicate a recognizable city-guide format across different markets while adapting editorial coverage to local conditions. In southern China, the publication known as That's PRD had originally been created under the name Clueless in Guangzhou and later used the That's PRD name for 13 years. In January 2020, it was renamed That's GBA, reflecting the increasing prominence of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and a broader geographic editorial focus. The cited reference material does not establish the current circulation, staff, publisher, management, website or operating status of the Shanghai edition after May 2020. It also does not provide a documented founding date specific to the Shanghai edition separate from the 1998 launch of the wider That's brand. The 1998 date is therefore recorded as the brand's founding year rather than an independently verified first-publication date for the Shanghai title.

• 2020

  That's PRD became That's GBA

  [1]That'sen.wikipedia.org

  The southern regional title changed its name to That's GBA to reflect Greater Bay Area coverage.

• 2020

  Reported circulation and staffing profile

  [1]That'sen.wikipedia.org

  That's Shanghai was reported as a monthly print magazine with 30 staff and circulation of 62,500; expatriates represented about 40 percent of readership.

• 1998

  Launch of the That's magazine brand

  [1]That'sen.wikipedia.org

  Mark Kitto started the English-language That's magazine brand in China.

An English-language urban lifestyle and listings publication for Shanghai, combining local cultural coverage with practical information about dining, nightlife, entertainment, arts, music, fashion and events.

• Monthly city magazine

  That's Shanghai

  The flagship Shanghai edition is a monthly English-language listings and entertainment magazine. It covers dining, nightlife, arts, music, fashion, culture, current events and local entertainment, combining editorial features with practical information for readers navigating Shanghai's urban social and cultural life.

• Monthly city magazine

  That's Beijing

  The Beijing edition is a monthly English-language magazine distributed throughout Beijing. Its stated editorial areas include news, current events, culture, art, music, fashion, nightlife and dining.

• Regional magazine · 2020

  That's GBA

  That's GBA is the regional southern China title covering Guangzhou and Shenzhen in the Greater Bay Area. It adopted the That's GBA name in January 2020 after operating under the That's PRD name for 13 years; the earlier publication history also traces back to a title called Clueless in Guangzhou.

• City magazine

  That's Shenzhen

  That's Shenzhen is one of the city-focused English-language publications associated with the That's magazine network. The available reference material identifies the title but does not provide a separate account of its editorial format, circulation or operating history.

• City magazine

  That's Guangzhou

  That's Guangzhou is one of the English-language city publications in the That's network. The available reference material confirms the title's association with the brand but does not provide separate details about its product scope or circulation.

• 2020

  Renaming of That's PRD as That's GBAStrategy

  Background

  The southern regional publication had operated under the That's PRD name for 13 years, while its coverage increasingly related to the wider Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

  Action taken

  In January 2020, the publication adopted the That's GBA name and repositioned its geographic identity around the Greater Bay Area.

  Aftermath

  The change aligned the title with the region's evolving political, economic and social terminology. The available material does not quantify any resulting change in circulation, readership or revenue.

  Source

1. 1That'sen.wikipedia.org
2. 2That's Shanghaiwikidata.org
3. 3That's Shanghaizh.wikipedia.org