Shanghai Tourism Festival in September: International Elements with Chinese Sentiments 九月上海旅游节：国际元素＋中国情结
Shanghai Tourism Festival has become a public gala that has absorbed many more international elements and still maintains traditional Chinese sentiments. In the three weeks, the Float Parade, the International Music and Fireworks Festival, Rose Wedding Ceremony, National Animal Sports Meet, Yuyuan Chinese Festival and other activities, altogether over 30 programs from home and abroad, were hilariously performed. There is a growing interest among local people and tourists in enjoying this feast of entertainment.
Float Parade: colorful life of Shanghai
The float from Nagasaki, Japan, carried a 17th-century Dutch windmill in addition to the open-air hot spring of Unzen and the ancient Japanese castle amidst sakura. The float of the Chinese Tan's Mandarin Restaurant carried the brilliant model of an official's house in the Qing Dynasty, and on the float some Sichuan Opera actors were performing the stunts of face changing and fire spitting. Immediately behind the Tan's float was a square team of 40 martial actors from Beijing Opera Theater, performing the wonderful Chinese gongfu (martial art), a spectacular sight in the Float Parade of 2004. Besides, there were floats from Rose Parade of Pasadena and Mardi Gras season, two well-known festivals in the United States; Brazilian Carnival, Italian Venice Carnival, South African Carnival, Japanese Ai Sha Festival, Korean Jeju Orchestra Festival, Singaporean Make-up Art Parade, Malaysian Colorful Water-sprinkling Festival, Philippine Mass Kara Festival, and Thailand Water-sprinkling Festival. And, of course, there were also floats and square team performances from Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Shanxi, and even Xizang, demonstrating a variety of unique styles and colorful national features.
On the evening of the unveiling parade of Shanghai Tourism Festival, the 2-kilometer section from the Time Square of Xizang Road to the intersection of Shaanxi Road and Huaihai Road was open to the public. The commercial shops and restaurants stayed in business until 11 to 12 o'clock at midnight. At that time, dozens of floats and scores of performing square teams were moving forward and offering performances. The whole Huaihai Road became an open-air show.
Moreover, what impressed people most was not that the float parade was staged only once at the opening ceremony, but that it would be staged more than ten times, going to different districts and counties in Shanghai, even across the Changjiang River to Chongming Island. It would last almost half a month.
Music and Fireworks Festival: ballet of light and orchestra of fire
On the 8-meter-high stage, fires burst out like volcano eruption. Over 20 performers are running out from the woods. Carrying fireworks setting apparatuses on their backs and walking on 2-meter-tall stilts, they were dancing in the night air. This was one of the views of the Fireworks Festival held beside the Yangtian Lake of the Century Park, Pudong, in 2004. Shanghai International Music and Fireworks Festival has already been on for five years. As one of the programs in Shanghai Tourism Festival, it is also the most popular and expensive show in terms of admission tickets. In year 2004 the festival held six large-scale performances. They are Argentine's Enthusiasm and Temptation of a Tango Country, Switzerland's Pure and Rosy Dream in the Starry Sky above the Alps, Britain's British Sentiments out of the Clashes between Eastern and Western Art Concepts, and three special Chinese performances. In the Chinese performances, the sky is set into the patterns of Chinese knots and mountain-and-water paintings, which are characteristic of traditional Chinese features and cultural flavors. During the last five years of the Fireworks Festival, renowned specialists of fireworks in the world from France, Portugual, Japan, Australia, Italy, Spain, Holland, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Britain, Switzerland, Argentine, etc. have been invited here.
Chinese sentiments: beautiful tradition
Yuyuan Chinese Festival reminds people of Chinese traditions. The sponsors deliberately invited the well-known craftspeople of the workshops from the place of origin, such as the Xuan paper workshop from Jin County, Xuan Town; the blue-and-white cloth workshop from Nantong, Jiangsu; the brocade workshop from Nanjing; the rice wine workshop from ancient Qibao Town, Shanghai, etc., offering the tourists live performances and producing a mysterious attraction. Besides, this festival also demonstrates local and folk arts and unique skills such as Shanghai paper cutting, peasant drawing from Jinshan, opera facial make-up, gourd carving, stone carving and shadow sculpture, Gu's embroidery, shadow play, gong-and-drum storytelling, Chongming opera, etc.
Chongming County sponsored a tourist program with a peasant theme: Try out peasant work, eat peasant food, inhabit peasant houses, and enjoy a peasant life. The tourists can pedal the waterwheel, weave cloth, do a cricket fight, catch fishes, angle crabs, etc.
Foreign tourists could visit the lanes of Shanghai. They could be guests to local families, learning how to make and enjoy the local snacks and being a native of Shanghai just for one day.
In addition, there are Osmanthus Festival, Zhujiajiao Folk Art Tour, Red Chamber Art Festival in Grand View Garden, etc. in Shanghai; therefore, the tourists can enjoy local traditions to their heart's content.
Huangpu River: colorful boat cruise
Dozens of colorful cruise boats are gathered and numbered, ready to set out for the parade on the Huangpu River. Each of the boats, elaborately decorated, has been prepared to fire colorful and beautiful fireworks. The boat fleet, fireworks, and lights on both banks of the river merge into gorgeously wonderful scenery. The tourists on the boats can enjoy the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Huangpu River, while watching the art performances and tasting the delicacies on the cruise.
Beer Festival on Pedestrian Street: as if sitting on a European street
During the Tourism Festival, the German Beer Festival on the pedestrian street of Nanjing Road is the most prestigious element that has imbued charming casualness into the famous commercial street. In the intense German atmosphere, the tourists are drinking Weihenstephan, the oldest beer in the world, eating the German delicacies, and enjoying the exotic melodies performed by the Munich orchestra. The festival atmosphere of Bavaria is gradually getting into the hearts of the tourists. As a matter of fact, what the German Beer Festival brings is not only the German beer but also a unique casual feel of a European street.
Jin Mao Tower: ballet in the sky
The low-altitude parachute jumping performance, termed as ballet in the sky, from the 88-story Jin Mao Tower, one of the highest skyscrapers in the world, is one program in the classical repertory of the Tourism Festival. In 2004, over 30 parachutists from more than 10 countries participated, including several seeded parachutists that rank among the top in the world. They did quite a few hair-raising stunts in the sky, showing their superb skills.
Rose wedding ceremony: the blessed newlyweds
A team of rickshaws carried 72 pairs of newlyweds onto a happy road from Xintiandi stone-gate houses to the Time Square on Huaihai Road. The newlyweds in wedding dress were walking hand in hand on the red carpet from the pedestrian street of Yandang Road to Hong Kong New World Tower on Huaihai Road, going through several "diamond" arches. Rose petals and colorful paper shreds were falling like raindrops on the white wedding gowns and black suits. On Riverside Avenue, Pudong, the newly wed would light the candle in the bottle, and threw the floating bottles with their love promises to the Huangpu River. When the night fell, on the heart shaped table by the side of a river in the Green Valley Villa in Nanxiang, all the rose candles were lit, flickering and twinkling, and all the newlyweds were intoxicated in their sweet rose dreams.
Such is a description of a typical rose wedding ceremony. The rose wedding ceremony is another classical program that local people and tourists talk a lot about in Shanghai Tourism Festival. Dozens of newlyweds get married on that day and enjoy the blessings by people all over Shanghai.
Wild Animal Park: the unveiling of national animal sports meet
Everything is done according to the regular procedure of the opening ceremony of a sports meet. However, it was a large colorfully feathered parrot that lit the fire, the bears and the elephants that played the band, and the animals that marched into the venue. Then there was a large art performance, in which a group of animals participated and did various stunts.
In the sports meet held in Shanghai Wild Animal Park, 200 animals of 20 species from the zoos of over 20 cities and provinces participated in the competition. They competed in 20 events of 4 categories.
Shanghai Tourism Festival starts on the third Saturday of September, lasts three weeks, and ends in the first or second ten days of October. During this period, there happens to be the National Day and the Mid-autumn Festival, one of the three major folk festivals in China.
Shanghai International Film Festival in June: Category-A Film Festival in China 六月上海国际电影节：中国的A类电影节
Shanghai International Film Festival, which started in 1993, was accredited by the International Federation ofFilm Producers Association (FIAPF) in the following year and rated as Category-A, i.e. a movie festival for non-competitive movies. The eight highest prizes of the Golden Goblet were selected every year by the international judges from different parts of the world. Oshima, Oliver Stone, Alan Parker, Assayas, IM Kwon-taek, etc. have worked as the judges of this festival at one time or another. With the intention to encourage new talents in Asia and to build a platform for the Asian films to be introduced to the world, the festival established a Asian New Talent Prize during the Golden Goblet International Film Forum and put aside funds as awards for new talents of Asian films.
Shanghai International Film Festival was sponsored by the State Administration Radio, Film and Television and Shanghai Municipal Government, and organized by Shanghai Media Group (SMG). The decision to hold China's First International Film Festival in Shanghai had a profound implication. As the birthplace of Chinese films, for quite a long time, Shanghai has been a speciel form in place of Chinese film. Shanghai culture initiated the first prosperity for the national film industry and contributed the richest films in China.
In accordance with the charter of FIAPF, Shanghai International Film Festival every year consists of four major activities: the Golden Goblet competition, an International Panorama, the international film trading market, and the Asian New Talent Appraisal of the Golden Goblet International Film Forum.
Shanghai TV Festival in June: Attracting More and More Attention
Generally speaking, a TV festival is less well known than a film festival. However, Shanghai TV Festival, set up in 1986, is an early international TV festival in China. And it has now become a comprehensive international TV festival that is the largest in scale and most influential in Asia.
Shanghai TV Festival was sponsored by the State Administration Radio, Film and Television and Shanghai Municipal Government, and organized by Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcast, Film and TV. It was run once every two years in first nine sessions. Starting from 2004, however, it would begin in the first ten days of June every year, lasting five days, that is to say, held simultaneously at the time when Shanghai International Film Festival is held.
Actually, the documentary films in Shanghai TV Festival are all very good, in terms of both the number of participants and the quality of the documentary films.
Shanghai International Art Festival in October: Exhibition of World Classics, Festival for All 十月上海国际艺术节：国际经典的汇展
shanghai International Art Festival is a yearly event starting from 1999. It is referred to as a feast of art and culture. This festival, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the Chinese Government and organized by Shanghai Municipal Government, is the only national comprehensive international art festival and has, indeed, received growing attention in China and even in the world. It consists mainly of stage performances, exhibitions and expositions, serial activities, international performance trade fair, largescale folk gala activities, etc. During the one-month festival, art feasts are being held every day.
Representatives of stage performances
As the opening performance in 2002, the classical opera, La bohème, was put forward by famous Chinese singer LiaoChangyong, in collaboration with Italian artists.
The modern ballet Salome, a play adapted from a Biblical story by Oscar Wilde, British aestheticist writer, was performed by Sydney Dancing Troupe, Australia.
The ballet The Fountain of Tears performed by Central Ballet Troupe was directed by Stevenson, renowned American choreographer.
The Sichuan Opera Good Woman or Bad Woman was written by Wei Minglun, an extraordinary play wright.
The Puju Opera from Shanxi The Woman on the Kang was adapted from Jia Pingao's novel.
The Taiwan dance The Bamboo Dream was choreographed by Lin Huaimin, an illustrious dancer.
The multi-media modern ballet A Changing City with the theme of exploring the city in a dream was choreographed and performed by Charleroi Royal Dancing Troupe. The extraordinary combination of the dancers, transparent elements and light enabled even the space to be dancing.
The modern ballet The Firebird was performed by Cape Town City Ballet Troupe from South Africa, revealing the superb skills of the African and American artists and displaying the exotic scenery.
There was a mask dancing evening party from Xizang, China.
The ballet A Remote City adapted from Shen Congwen's novel of west Hunan Province was performed. The Small Flowing River, a Yunnan lantern dancing play, which is also named as the oriental serenade, was performed.
Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, the first-class orchestra from Germany, played the works by Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, as well as Butterflies and Flowers, the works by Chen Qigang, a Chinese composer living in France.
Beijing Jinju Opera Theater performed the play Primer Minster Hunchback Liu.
Zhang Fengyi, Chinese movie star, performed the leading role in the modern play The Morning Here Is Quiet, the unveiling play for the newly constructed China National Modern Drama Theater.
The pantomime artists of China, Germany, the United States, Russia, France, etc., for example, the world famous German pantomime artist York Lemke, performed dumb shows, and the Masca Troupe from Romania performed a large puppet show and displayed the East European folk culture.
Chinese and French artists presented the ballet Sylvia together.
The newly composed Beijing Opera The Glorious ZhenGuan Period was performed.The French multi-media comedian musical The Roaming Knight was performed.
Exhibitions and expositions
Shanghai Fine Arts Biennale, Shanghai Arts Exposition, and China Exposition of Choice Works by Chinese Masters of Handicrafts and Fine Arts were held, forming a world of beauty made up of eastern paintings and wash drawing, western oil paintings and sculptures, ancient treasures, and modern formative technology.
On display in Shanghai Arts Exposition, are some 10,000 exhibits of drawing, sculpture, handicraft works, and decorative artworks, including Rodin's Balzac, Dubuffet's Gratitude Stone, Aman's The Pillar of Cellos, Renoir's Venus, and Botero's bronze sculpture The Horse and the Female Horse Rider, etc. The large bone carving The Imperial Palace in China Exposition of Choice Works by Chinese Masters of Handicrafts and Fine Arts becomes the center of attention. And the Exhibition of the Most Beautiful Books Designed in the World, the Exhibition of the Choice Duplicates of Chinese Calligraphic Works and Paintings, and the Memorial Exhibition of Hu Wensui's Calligraphic Works, which fully conveys the essence of Chinese calligraphy, are respectively unique in style.
Large-scale folk gala activities
One thousand people participated in the large-scale concert, singing The Yellow River with the accompaniment of one hundred pianos. Eight four-meter-tall Australian puppets walked on the Pedestrian Street of Nanjing Road.
During the 6th Shanghai International Art Festival, professional troupes from home and abroad participated in the Everyday Performance, including Munich Chamber String Orchestra, Zaberfeld German Anny Band, Swiss "Rose Killer" Drum-and-bugle Band, Canadian BLOU Band, Gypsy Orchestra of Hungarian National Defense Army Troupe, Icelandic Jazz Band, Chaozhou Music Troupe of Haojiang of Shantou, Zhenjiang Art Theater of Jiangsu Province, Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe, Shanghai Huju Opera Theater, Shanghai Puppet Troupe, etc., fully demonstrating the square culture. And many more amateur performing teams and art lovers took advantage of this opportunity to show off their talents in the aspects of musical instrument playing, opera singing, vocal music, dancing, puppet show, acrobatics, wushu, modern vocal music combination, etc.
International performance trade fair
Quite a few influential representatives of world famous art festivals and renowned performing agencies were invited to participate in the trade fair. For instance, the two authoritative organizations of the world, the International Association of the Performing Arts and the International Association of Art Agents, and the most famous performance companies, Columbia Artists Management Inc. and IMG Association of Art Agents, were invited to give seminars on issues concerning the art and performing market as well as the culture industry.
The 7th China Shanghai International Art Festival was held from October 18 to November 18, 2005. During the festival three performances were staged every day.
Shanghai International Clothing Festival in April: Glamour in the Fashion City 四月上海国际服装文化节： 时尚之都的一个精彩体现
Shanghai has a long history of fashion. It is still remem bered that fashionable women in Shanghai used to be pioneers of fashion in China. John Galliano, a Gibraltarian-British fashion designer, took the fashions in Shanghai from the 1930s and 40s as his inspirations in the first year of his Dior. And his works enjoyed an immediate success. And consequently, Shanghai as a Fashion Capital has been widely recognized.
The people of Shanghai would never give up their pursuit of fashion, and would always consider making up foremost in life. Shanghai International Clothing Festival, an officially organized large-scale activity, serves as a wonderful example. Up to 2005, Shanghai International Clothing Festival had been held for the 11th time. The fashion press conference had been held in the Shanghai-style fashion places, such as the cruise boat on the Hungpu River, the New Hongqiao Central Park, No. 8 Bridge, Shanghai Fashion Garden, Chunming Art Garden, etc.
Shanghai International Clothing Festival consists mainly of International Clothing Trade Exposition, which includes yams and threads, fabrics, auxiliary accessories, clothing machinery and clothes; the Press Conference for the Works by Chinese and Foreign Fashion Designers; the International Academic Forum on Clothing; the International Fashion Models Competition; the Chinese Cup International Clothing Designing Competition; etc.
The Chinese Cup International Clothing Designing Competition is one of the core programs of Shanghai International Clothing Festival. There are four international professional competitions, men's clothing, women's clothing, children's clothing, and underwear and beachwear, and two international forums on underwear and beachwear, and children's clothing, and several other competitions such as kid model competition and photography competition. The designing competition on children's clothing, underwear and beachwear, and men's clothing is the only internationally professional competition held in China. The top clothing designers, like Zhao Yufeng, Qi Gang, Wu Xuekai, Zhang Jicheng, Tang Wei, Zhang Lingli, Ji Wenbo, Zeng Fengfei, etc. have all, at one time or another, participated in the Chinese Cup Competition. Therefore, the Chinese Cup has been widely referred to as the Cradle for Clothing Designers. Moreover, quite a few Chinese and foreign famous fashion designers, authoritative specialists, scholars, editors-in-charge of mass media have worked as the judges for the competition, including the chairman of French Female Clothing Association, the chairman of French Male Clothing Association, the Secretary-general of UNESCO, the editor-in-charge of Figaro Madame, a French magazine, the president of Fashion Institute of Technology, the president of Manchester University of Britain, the editors-in-charge of China Clothing Newspaper, China Textile Newspaper, Clothing Times, etc., and Madam Xu Xiuqing, Secretary-general of Shanghai Clothing Industry Association, and Madam Li Xin, the former Assistant Chairwoman of China Clothing Designers Association, etc. as well.
Another important program of Shanghai International Clothing Festival is Shanghai International Fashion Models Competition. Many super models were discovered here and are now very active on the T-stages at home and abroad. To some people, this competition has become an important threshold through which they might have a chance to join the circle of models in China and even in the world.
Shanghai International Clothing Festival has been getting more and more dazzling. In the festival of 2005, besides the routine programs, there were quite a number of wild activities. For example, the Fashion Life Exhibition, with the theme of "Britain Loves Fashion", exhibited Barbie Dolls, in live size, to introduce the fashion articles in about 10 areas of suits, women's clothing, housing, jewelry, etc. in present-day Britain. Besides, there are the Exhibition of Clothing-and-accessory Drawing and Advertising, the unveiling ceremony of Clothing and Accessory Museum, and the Exhibition of Collections, etc.
Since 2003, the Clothing Culture Festival has been held twice every year: in April, it is still called International Clothing Culture Festival, but in October, it is also called Shanghai Fashion Week. October 2003 witnessed the first Shanghai Fashion Week.
Shanghai Fashion Week is mainly composed of expositions, press conference for international brands, and press conference for brands by Chinese designers. For instance, in the 2003 press conference for international brands, Italian Salvatore Ferragamo, French Lanvin, Italian Paul & Shark, American Vivienne Tam, German Aigner, and British Vivienne Westwood were present. They had just attended the press conference at Paris Fashion Week, and now they were in Shanghai, bringing with them the up-to-date top fashions. In addition, there were some extra activities, including China International Vocational Costume Development Forum, Chinese International Vocational Costume Designing Competition, Exhibition of Classical Jewelry, and Shanghai Fashion Shopping Festival, in which almost all the major department stores in Shanghai participated, etc.
Nanhui Peach Blossom Festival in March: Lovely Peach Blossoms and the Happy Crowd 三月南汇桃花节：人面桃花相映红
In every March, the peach blossoms in Nanhui, Shanghai, vie with each other, all in a hurry to burst into full blooms. The annual Peach Blossom Festival is to be held here. As the first large-scale festival in a new year, it celebrates the arrival of spring.
Of the 25 towns within the circumference of over 600 km2, every town has peach gardens. And almost every town has several villages that have hundreds and thousands of peach trees. Around Qingming, such thoroughfares as Hunan, Zhounan, Nanlu, Nanliu and the Outer Ring Road are lined with peach blossoms. Stretching for over one hundred li, from Pudong to the Fruit Garden at Luchao Port, the peach blossoms, either in pink or in scarlet, layer upon layer, look like clouds or masses of smoke. The vast masses of redness in the distance, appear to be clusters of clouds. No matter whether you pass by in a flying vehicle or take a stroll among the trees, you would feel as if you were in a paradise.
Peach Garden Square in the north of Huinan Town
Village houses with white walls and black tiled roofs are appearing among the peach trees. Along the paths in the woods, the happy crowds of people are sending the bride to the bridegroom's home. All the folk art performances, such as dancing dragons and lions, peach blossom basket dancing, stringed musical instruments playing, story-telling with the accompaniment of drums and gongs, boat dancing, walking the donkey and the sale of salted tea, etc., are interesting and amusing. People could catch the fish with either nets or fishing rod by the Peach Blossom River. They could also row boats on the river, tread water wheels, plow the fields, cook in the traditional village kitchen, spin yams or weave cloth. They can certainly enjoy a large variety of delicacies rich in countryside flavors.
Folk land of peace in the north of the town
Along the long corridor leading to the Granny's are all kinds of exotic flowers and fruits. The 30,000-m2 lakes are a nice place for people to enjoy a boat cruise. The Folk Land of Peace offers a grand exhibition of handicraft works. In addition, the villagers have built restaurants and teahouses in the vacant space of the village. The village dinner is the traditional wedding feast in Nanhui, Pudong, which consists of eight courses with the local dishes of chicken, pork, ham, salted pork, omelets, duck, fish, shrimps, local pies, soup, and salty-and-sour rice. The chicken dishes here are said to be of the best quality, and the vegetables are fresh. All those that have enjoyed such a dinner would like the rice that is cooked with salted pork, fat, and newly harvested rice and tastes aromatic,delicious, and soft.
Lingang land of peace at Luchao Port
During your visit to the New Lingang Town, you could roam in the ten-thousand-mu peach gardens and walk along the thousand-mu woods, enjoy the rural meals amidst a strong countryside atmosphere, listen to the playing of the stringed musical instruments and watch the bullfights.
Seaside leisure land of peace
The scenic spots in the Seaside Leisure Land of Peace include Lianhua Lake, Dog-head Village, paths in the water-and-lake village, Sea-watching Pavilion, Wild Duck Oasis, etc.
River-and-water land of peace in Xinchang Ancient Town
Xinchang Town is the last cultural heritage in Pudong. The completeness and authenticity of this ancient town is unique either from the historical and cultural point of view or from the angle of tourism. Taking a stroll in the ancient town, you will see the narrow river that flows through the town, the exquisitely-carved stone arch bridges, the residential houses on both sides of the river, the high stone banks, and the U-shape stepping stones of the households along the river.
The Fruit Garden Village of Xinchang Town is the earliest location where peach trees were planted in Nanhui. And it is the scenic spot during the Peach Blossom Festival that is closest to the city proper of Shanghai, only 32 km from the People's Square and very close to Hunan Highway. On the way to the village, you will enjoy the scenery of long stretches of peach trees and the newly built multi-story houses. With a network of waterways, this village is referred to as River-and-water Land of Peace. The Dazhi River flows through Xinchang Town. Getting off the car at the parking lot next to the highway, you could walk along the newly built cement road leading to the village. The road is lined on both sides with peach trees and immersed in a sea of colorful peach blossoms. You will be totally intoxicated. Taking a look into the distance, you will see stretches after stretches of and layers upon layers of peach blossoms, pink, crimson, and scarlet, making a contrast against the background of the green wheat leaves, yellow rape flowers, purple broad bean flowers, and milky white pear flowers. In the village, you could hire a boat to enjoy a cruise. With the boat floating slowly among the brilliant peach blossoms on both banks, you would feel poetically romantic. What is amazing is that the villagers living in the houses along the river are selling the twigs of the peach trees at a fairly low price, 2 yuan for one twig and 3 yuan for two twigs. The farmers are only selling the unnecessary twigs pruned from the trees to make some extra money.
Accessible to the visitors by
Tourist Bus Line 2: from Shanghai Indoor Stadium via Xinchang to Huinan Town
The floating aroma of sweet osmanthus is a unique flavor in the Changjiang Delta around the mid-autumn period every year. During this period, the Osmanthus Park in Shanghai will hold the Mid-autumn Garden Party in the style of the Tang Dynasty. At the party, vendors wearing the traditional Tang-Dynasty clothing are moving on the street. The tourists could also enter the garden wearing the Tang garments or their own favorite Chinese clothing. They could participate in the competition of the Star of Tang Garments. In the TangDynasty Square, many people are playing traditional games that they have never played before. People could see the rarely encountered costumes and props. As all of them play to their heart's content, it is an out-and-out carnival of the Tang Dynasty version. The tourists could also pay a visit to a workshop, in which 20 handicrafts artists are offering the on-the-spot demonstration of their respectively exclusive skills, and the variety of mid-autumn handicraft works almost always arouse strong repercussions among the tourists. Besides, there are the traditional programs that fully embody the essence of Chinese national culture, such as tea ceremony, flower arrangement, traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting, operas, riddles, etc. Last but not least, these handicraft works are also for sale.
Besides the Osmanthus Park in Shanghai, many other places such as Manlong Guiyu in Hangzhou, Hutang in Shaoxing, and Shimen in Tongxiang of Zhejiang Province, the Botanical Garden and the Grand View Garden of Shanghai, and the Linggu Osmanthus Garden in Nanjing, the Osmanthus Park in Suzhou, and Slender Western Lake in Yangzhou of Jiangsu Province all have an abundance of osmanthus blossoms emitting very strone aroma. Consequently, there are many kinds of osmanthus products, like osmanthus syrups, osmanthus wines, osmanthus cakes, osmanthus teas, osmanthus ducks, sweet osmanthus porridge, etc. In addition, there are poems, paintings, songs and dances with osmanthus as the theme. And in China people cherish the osmanthus custom.
Around this time of the year, no matter whether you decide to stay in Shanghai or go to the places in Jiangsu or Zhejiang, where osmanthus flowers are blossoming, it is anyway a good choice.
Shanghai Orange Festival in Late Autumn: Ripe Oranges 深秋上海柑橘节:橘子红了
Changxing Island and Hengsha Island, a short distance from Wusong at the mouth of the Changjiang River, are probably the best places in Shanghai in terms of the natural environment. Located between Chongming Island and Pudong, they are part of Chongming County now. With woods in the back and river in the front, the two islands, which are famous for fresh air and verdant trees, are an ideal place for holidaying. When the oranges turn red in the late autumn every year, the theme activity Fragrant Oranges and Beautiful Sea Islands is to be held here, integrating fields, beaches, and river. It is actually a gala feast that combines sightseeing, leisure sports, farming, and special delicacies.
The Changxing Island is only half-an-hour voyage from the city proper of Shanghai. It has long enjoyed the nice names of Hometown of Oranges, Clean Island, and Longevity Island. With approximately 20,000 mu of orange orchards, it is the largest orange production base in Shanghai. In the late autumn every year, yellowish golden oranges are hanging abundantly on the tree branches and the whole island is permeated with a happy festival atmosphere. The tourists could do sightseeing along the cultural gallery of oranges and saunter in the orange orchard, picking and tasting the fruit. Furthermore, they could also ride horses in the Mongolian Village, fishing at the fishpond, and catch crabs by the riverside. Besides, there is also an annual Shanghai Fishing Competition, and 60 fishing experts would participate in it. To crown them all, a Gourmet Festival is held to cater to the tourists with many local delicacies.
The Hengsha Island is a good place where people could enjoy coolness, leisure, and holiday in the summer. Once on the island, you will see stretches of bamboos and orange orchards, full of a live countryside atmosphere. The islanders live a self-sufficient life, seemingly to be self-contented. In addition to the traditional programs such as island touring, beach volleyball, on-the-water golf, racing boat surfing, campfire on the beach, etc., Karting races and small-scale horse races are held during the Tourism Festival. Meanwhile, the island sponsors the Fragrant Lotus Gourmet Festival, offering a variety of foods made from lotus.
Accessible to visitors by
Tourist Bus Line 5,
Bus 51, Bus 116, Bus 522, Bus 728, Bus 848, or Bus 849 to get transferred at Wusong Dock to the ferry boats bound for the Changxing Island and/or Hengsha Island
Shanghai International Circuit 上海Fl赛车场
More than twenty F1 racecars lined up in two arrays on the starting grid. They roared to start in front of the rostrum. After a steep upward, they dashed to the first turn at an altitude of 16 meters above sea level, competing to be the first one to get into the turn. This is what happened stimulatingly in Shanghai International Circuit in September 2004, and it has become an annual event since then. A big "上", the first character in the name of Shanghai, meaning "above" or "ascend", has caught the eyes of the racecar fans all over the world.
The layout of Chinese character "上"
The track layout was inspired from the Chinese character "上". The design of Shanghai International Circuit is a heritage and development of traditional Chinese culture and history. The expression through forms, colors and materials results in a perfect combination of creative deduction and traditional continuation. The buildings such as the main grandstand, repair area, control tower, administrative tower, restaurant in the air, and press center all display the profundity and grandeur of traditional Chinese culture. The two red columns of the main grandstand and the two towers are derived from the implication of the Chinese character "门", meaning door. At the gate, there are also two stone guarding lions. The design of light-piercing holes in the ceiling of the grandstand is based on the concept of Chinese lanterns, which are mainly in red and yellow, symbolizing luck and power. Another representative architecture is the living quarter for the race teams. The designing is stemmed from Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai. The living quarter is on a quiet and cozy island. The drivers and workers can take a rest and refresh themselves here.
The circuit length is 5,451.14 m, with 7 left turns and 7 right turns. The cars race at an average speed of 205 km per hour. The longest straight section of the lap is 1,175 m. The width of the lap is between 13 and 15 m, usually 14 m, but at the curve the track is widened up to almost 20 m. The whole lap consists of bends, straight laps, and several up-and-down slopes. The longest straight lap allows the maximum speed to reach 327 km per hour; however, at the narrow curves the speed must be reduced down to 87 km per hour. The ingenious designing of the lap places high demands of the drivers. This makes Shanghai International Circuit reputed for being breath-taking and stimulating at home and abroad, thus rendering it into a homestead where those intending to become racecar drivers realize their dreams. The lap in the artistic form of "上" implies the sense of "aiming high" on the race course.
The Chinese character"上"
Shanghai International Circuit, located in Anting Malu Town of Jiading District, is not merely an independent racecourse. It consists of the circuit, business exhibition area, cultural and recreational area, and several reserved areas for future development, covering a total area of 5.3 Km2, about the size of the Huangpu District. Out of the 5.3 Km2 area, the circuit takes up 2.5 m2. The remaining 2.8 Km2 is reserved for the construction of the commercial exhibition area that includes an exhibition hall of race cars and a large-scale shopping center, as well as the cultural and recreational area that includes gym, cinema, dancing hall, bar, deluxe restaurant and hotel. Shanghai International Circuit is, in a real sense, a venue of the world Formula One.
Jiading District, Shanghai, could open up a new program of tourism, i.e. F1 racecars tourism. As Jiading boasts historical cultural towns as Jiading and Nanxiang, spectators that have enjoyed the wonderful car racing can go for a one-day sightseeing. Of so many scenic spots in Jiading, the first one that deserves your visit is, of course, the classic Guyi Garden, which was built in the Ming Dynasty. The Ancient Zhouqiao Street, which is said to be the root of Jiading and is located in the center of Jiading Town, is rich in culture and pretty in natural scenery. Tourists can definitely enjoy themselves to their heart's content.
Shanghai Golf: a Few Strokes under Par 上海高尔夫：低于标准杆几杆
In the golf history of the world, the First International Championship Tournament was held in Shanghai at the end of 2005, which brought Eldrick "Tiger" Woods to China. And the champions of the four major tournaments also participated in the competition. This competition sounds like a Master Cup at the end of a tennis year. Together with the four champions of the four major tournaments, Eldrick "Tiger" Woods came to China to formally participate in the competition. Once more, Shanghai took the lead in the new fashion of golf in China.
In the process of golf development in China, Shanghai timely took advantage of BMW Asian Golf Open Tournament and Volvo China Golf Open Tournament. At present, these two competitions have already become part of the European Tournament.
BMW Asian Golf Open Tournament
In 2004 BMW Asian Golf Open Tournament, Greg Norman, famous Australian golfer, was deprived of his participation in the competition because of his violation of the rules, which inflicted a strong impact of golf culture on the Chinese golf fans. In 2005 BMW Asian Golf Open Tournament, Ernie Els, South African golf player, easily secured the championship, which aroused the excitement and wonder of golf among the Chinese fans.
In 2005, Ernie Els took back home after his two-week stay in China not only the trophy of the BMW Asian Golf Open Tournament but also the strong enthusiasm expressed by the Chinese audiences, which greatly moved him. "What has impressed me most during my trip to China this time is the people here. Their enthusiasm made me greatly excited. In any country, it is pretty difficult to see so many people at 7 in the morning. However, so many people have come to watch us compete. In comparison with Beijing, Shanghai is relatively more commercial and more financial. Actually, wherever I go, what moves me most is the kindness the people here show and the excitement they express because of our arrival."
Volvo China Golf Open Tournament
"If there should be a fifth slam, then it would be China Tournament," proudly said Song Kuangman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shanghai Silport Golf Club. As Volvo China Golf Open Tournament ranks the top golf tournament for the longest time in China, they have every reason to make such anticipation. Volvo China Golf Open Tournament was listed as part of European Tournament for the first time in 2004 and became a united tournament of Asian Tournament and European Tournament, which was telecast to many more places in the world. This obviously expanded the international impact of this tournament.
Besides, the reason why the domestic fans pay more attention to this tournament is that Zhang Lianwei, the No. 1 golf player at home, succeeded in seizing the championship of the tournament. Although the championship he got in the 2003 China Golf Open Tournament is his fifth one, it is of greater significance to Zhang Lianwei. He said, "It is Volvo China Golf Open Tournament that accompanied me to march into the world. In the past 9 years, to win the championship in China Golf Open Tournament has always been my dream. It was by no means something easy for me to win this championship under such heavy pressure. Now I have finally succeeded. I feel very happy."
Shanghai Silport Golf Club
Address: Dianshanhu Town, Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province
Shanghai Silport Golf Club is a professional competition golf course, covering an area of 1.07 million m2 and having 36 holes. Boddy J.Martin, a world famous golf course designing master, who was especially invited for the designing of Shanghai Silport golf course, succeeded in transforming the originally flat land into a beautifully contoured golf course with a lot of changes by combining the charming scenery and making use of the natural lakes and rivers.
Grand Shanghai International Golf & Holiday Resort
Address: Post Box 18, Kunshan City, Jiangsu ProvincePost code: 215347
Grand Shanghai International Golf & Holiday Resort, located in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province with an area of 400 hectares, borders Shanghai on the east and Singaporean Industry Park of Suzhou on the west. The holiday resort is adjacent to the Yangchen Lake, which is reputed for its beautiful scenery and as the hometown of the world famous fresh-water crabs. The construction of the golf course spared neither labor nor money. A quarter million tons of sand were laid beneath the 0.7-million-m2 lawns; therefore, the courses are quite soft. The chamber house is very luxurious, having a total floor space of 6,240 m2. With Chinese and Japanese restaurants, a golf instrument shop, and VIP rooms, Grand Shanghai International Golf & Holiday Resort is definitely a nice place for respected members to enjoy leisure, recreation, and social activities.
Shanghai Sun Island Golf Club was jointly planned and designed by Nelson, Wright, and Haworth, famous American figures in international golf courses.
Tomson Golf Club
Address: No. 1, Longdong Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
Tomson Golf Club is the only golf course for world championships. As it was designed by a Japanese, it combines the designing style of British natural tradition, American luxurious magnificence, and Japanese meticulous elegance. With a total area of 140 hectares, the golf course has 18 holes and 72 sticks, with a total length of 7,200 yards. The undulating course, entirely unlike the plain courses, leaves the golf lovers an unforgettable impression.
Shanghai Tianma Country Club is often referred to as a land of peace in the bustling city for its all-year-round verdant lawns and postcard-like course. Its 27-hole standard golf course was designed by Peter Rogers, a world famous Australian master.
Shanghai Yintao Golf Club, located near the ancient Xujing Town in the west of Hongqiao, Shanghai, lies on State Highway 318, which is termed as Golf Road in the commercial society. The club is between Xujiahui Commercial Circle, Hongqiao Economic and Technical Development Zone, and Gubei Deluxe New Area and the famous Dianshan Lake, a national scenic area. It is only 10 minutes' ride to get to Hongqiao International Airport, and even only 30 minutes' ride to reach Lujiazui Financial Center in Pudong.
Shanghai Country Club
Address: Zhujiajiao, Qingpu District, Shanghai
The golf course of Shanghai Country Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones Ⅱ, who rendered the original flat paddy fields into a highly challenging and amusing golf course. The total length of the course is 7025 yards.
Shanghai Hongqiao Golf Club
Address: No. 567, Hongxu Road, Shanghai
Hongqiao Golf Club is the only night golf course in the city proper of Shanghai, and the only green golf course in the city.
Oriental Paris Golf Country Club covers an area of some 400 mu, and is located in Nanxiang Town, Jiading District. It boasts the only golf course that is lit at night in the city proper of Shanghai. It was designed and supervised by Bobby J. Martin, a well-known supervisor in the construction of golf courses.
Qizhong Golf Club
Address: No. 3888, North Kunyang Road, Minhang District, Shanghai
Qizhong Golf Club is located in the highly industrially developed Minhang District. It takes about 25 minutes to drive from Sheraton Hotel in Xujiahui or about 20 minutes to drive from Hongqiao International Airport to get to Qizhong Golf Course. The golf course covers an area of 1633 mu. Designed by TRC Company of the United States, it is a 27-hole golf club.
Shanghai Kaleidoscopic Conventions and Exhibitions 上海会展十样锦
Experts have predicted that by 2010 there will have been, averagely speaking, more than one international exhibition and over two international conventions in Shanghai every day. That is to say, Shanghai will have become a metropolis of international conventions and exhibitions as well as tourism in the AsianPacific region, with a capacity to receive overseas tourists of 5.5 million person-times.
A mayor of an American city made a humorous definition of convention-and-exhibition tourism: If Ⅰ held an international convention in my city, we would find as if an airplane were flying and scattering US bucks on our heads. Then, how would a tourist feel about the charms of convention-and-exhibition tourism? Shanghai has quite a number of exhibition halls of the international standards. Therefore, let's take a look at the kaleidoscope of the conventions and exhibitions in Shanghai.
Shanghaimart
Shanghaimart, enjoying an advantageous geographical location in the golden area in Shanghai Hongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone, borders Yan'an Elevated Bridge on the south, Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel and Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao Hotel on the north, only about 10 minutes' car ride from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. With a floor space of 280,000 m2 and a total investment of US $300 million, it was jointly invested and constructed by several overseas Chinese. Among the ten key projects by Shanghai Municipal Government, it is the only one that received foreign investment. It began to be constructed in 1994 and was officially open to the public in 1999.
Shanghaimart is an international professional exhibition and trade market, an all-year-round exhibition and trade market, the first one in China and the largest in Asia as well as the largest short-term exhibition hall, Shanghaimart Exhibition Hall, in Shanghai. In the 30-story office building of Shanghaimart Mansion converge traders and distributors from the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Austria, Spain, Iran, and Chile as well as quite a number of domestic industries, which are related to clothing fabrics, gifts, household ornaments, building materials and furniture, etc. The routine exhibitions every year include International Automobile Exhibitions, East China Fair, China Retails Exhibition, and International Jewelry Exhibition.
Shanghai International Exhibition Center is the first Sinoforeign exhibition hall that was jointly invested and constructed by the United Development Co. Ltd. of Hongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone, Shanghai Branch of China International Trade Promotion Commission, British P&O, and the Netherlands B.V. Its construction was completed in 1992, and it covers a floor space of 12 000 m2 on two floors. The 8.1-meter height of the first floor satisfies the exhibitors' needs to make and display their high exhibits. There are also set up restaurants and bars on the first floor. Up to now it has sponsored or organized China International Flower, Gardening, and Garden Machinery Exhibition, Shanghai International Professional Lighting and Acoustic Equipment Exhibition, Shanghai International Husbandry Cultivation Equipment and Technology Exhibition, Asian Personal Nursing Articles Exhibition, International Exhibitions and Conventions, etc.
Address: No. 88, Loushanguan Road
Shanghai Everbright Convention and Exhibition Center
Shanghai Everbright Convention and Exhibition Center is a large comprehensive complex that was invested, developed and constructed by China Everbright Group. It integrates exhibition, demonstration, convention, hotel, apartment,
business, food and beverage, bodybuilding, recreation, and leisure. The center consists of three groups of six 30-story high-rises, boasting the exhibition halls and spaces largest in area and most advanced in facilities in Shanghai. Located between the modern commercial and recreational center of Xujiahui and Caohejing Hi-tech Park, the center possesses 800 deluxe 4-star hotel rooms of all kinds and offices installed with the Internet and information facilities.
Address: No. 66, Caobao Road
Shanghai New International Exposition Center (SNIEC)
Shanghai New International Exposition Center (SNIEC) was jointly invested and constructed by Shanghai Pudong Land Development Co., German Hannover Fairs China, Ltd., German Messe Dusseldorf China Ltd., and Munich International Trade Fairs Pte. Ltd. At the beginning, the whole building, which was designed by Murphy/Jahn Designing Agency, possessed 7 exhibition halls without columns with a total floor space of 80 500 m2 in addition to outdoor exhibition floor space of 45000 m2. And now the indoor floor space has reached 103500 m2 and the outdoor floor space is 100000 m2. The whole construction of SNIEC will have been completed in 2010, when the indoor floor space will reach 200000 m2 and the outdoor floor space will be 1030 000 m2. The service areas are set at both ends of the lobby. Between the service areas in the arched corridor and the exhibition hall are set up shops. As there is no column in the exhibition hall, it can be flexibly partitioned. SNIEC has also set up business center, post office, bank, customs house, transportation, express mail, and advertisement services. It is accessible by means of Metro Line 2, Bridge Line 5, Bridge Line 6, Dongchuan Line, Shenqing Line and other bus lines.
Address: No. 2345, Longyang Road
Shanghai International Convention Center
Shanghai International Convention Center, located in Lujiazui Financial and Trade Center, is adjacent to the Oriental Pearl TV and Radio Tower and faces the Gallery of World Architectures at the Bund on the other side of the Huangpu River. The center began its business in August 1999. It has a total floor space of 110 000 m2, and it has been rated as one of the ten classicbuildings in the 50 years since the founding of PRC. The Oriental Riverside Hotel has 260 luxurious guest rooms, uniquely styled restaurants, and a variety of recreational and bodybuilding facilities. Shanghai Hall on the 7th floor with a capacity of 3000 people is the largest multifunctional hall without any columns in Shanghai at present. And the other 25 meetings room of different sizes can meet with the needs of all kinds of meetings. Within an easy reach of Metro Line 2, the center is convenient in transportation.Shanghai International Convention Center has, so far, successfully convened 1999 Fortune Global Forum, the Delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to China, 2001 APEC Summit Conference and serial meetings, the 35th Annual Conference of the Asian Development Bank, APEC TELMIN5, and other important national and international conferences, and fulfilled the government leaders' receptions of foreign celebrities.
Address: No. 2727, Riverside Avenue
Shanghai Exhibition Center
Shanghai Exhibition Center is located in the thriving area of the city center. In comparison with the other international exhibition halls, this building is somewhat older, and is of very strong Russian style. It was once appraised as one of the Ten Best Architectures in Shanghai. It was built in 1954. Covering an area of 93 000 m2, it comprises 42 multi-functional exhibition halls, more than 100 administrative rooms, a theater, a banquet hall, restaurants, cafes, etc. as well as indoor warehouses of approximately 5000 m2. Within the compound, a round road and six squares, which make up the special feature of the center, enhance the landscaping and tourist index. For the past 50 years, the center has organized and sponsored a great many national and international exhibitions, sales, trading negotiations, as well as scientific, technical, cultural exchange activities.
Address: No. 1000, Middle Yan'an Road
Shanghai Oriental Exhibition Hall
Shanghai Oriental Exhibition Hall is located between the two landmark sports architectures: Shanghai Stadium and Shanghai Indoor Stadium. As it is within the commercial circle of Xujiahui and next to the tourist bus center, it is very convenient in transportation. Shanghai Oriental Sports and Culture Center invested almost RMB 10 million yuan in transforming the original large professional training hall into the present Shanghai Oriental Exhibition Hall. The transformation was completed in 2002. With a total floor space of 4515 m2, the exhibition hall can be flexibly partitioned to suit the needs for running a variety of exhibitions and conferences. Meanwhile, Shanghai Oriental Sports and Culture Center also possesses other indoor exhibition spaces of some 30000 m2 and outdoor exhibition spaces of some 35000 m2. And in the center there are three hotels, two-star, three-star, and four-star, respectively serving the exhibition halls. Shanghai Oriental Exhibition Hall has successfully sponsored the 2nd International Football Exposition, Shanghai Exhibition of Achievements in the Two-civilization Construction, Press Conference of New Volkswagen Cars, Press Conference of New GM Cars, Personnel Recruitment Meetings, Exhibition of Paintings, Exhibition of Overseas Education, Educational Counseling Meeting, Exhibition of Consumer Articles, Designing and Decoration Exhibition, and other activities.
