AI Plaza, the first major commercial project on the West Bund in Shanghai, opened to the public on Thursday.

The project is said to be China's first shopping mall surrounded by a large swathe of art galleries and museums.

It will mainly serve employees of high-tech companies, residents and visitors to the popular Huangpu River waterfront, making up for the long-term shortage of commercial facilities on the West Bund.

Covering 75,000 square meters, the eight-story plaza stands amid more than 20 art galleries, exhibition halls, theaters and libraries on the waterfront, which aims to become "Asia's largest art zone."

The project involves art and the latest smart applications developed by leading artificial intelligence companies based in the neighboring Shanghai AI Tower, a key site for the city's ambition to become a world "AI Highland."

The riverside area of Xuhui District, featuring an 11.4-kilometer shoreline along the Huangpu River, reflects the city's early industrial heritage, once encompassing a coal wharf, a cement factory, several giant fuel tanks and an aircraft hangar.

They have been converted into popular cultural venues such as the Long Museum, the West Bund Art Center and Tank Shanghai art park. Nearly 100 cultural events and exhibitions are organized there every year.