Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai

Just as many of New York City’s most iconic landmarks rose in breathtakingly brief succession a century ago,  Shanghai has been growing faster than anywhere else in the World since the early 1990s, ever – at one point, a quarter of the world’s cranes were in use here. By contrast to the restrictions and limitations of European and American cities, Shanghai, with its seemingly boundless possibilities and the upcoming 2010 World Expo, has become something of a construction free-for-all, a playground for some of the most celebrated names in architecture. The result has been some of the world’s most ambitious building projects – from China’s next tallest building to brand-new futuristic cities.

• Jin Mao Tower: the world’s finest skyscraper since the Chrysler Building

Architecturally a blend of the monumental Art Deco of the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings and the balanced composition of the traditional Chinese architecture of tiered pagoda, the Jin Mao Tower renews the long-standing Shanghai tradition of blending Western and Chinese styles, resulting in a dynamic hybrid that beautifully compliments the Bund’s colonial-era façades across the Huangpu River.  Like the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, the building’s proportions revolve around the number 8, associated with prosperity in Chinese culture. The 88 floors are divided into 16 segments, each of which is 1/8th shorter than the 16-story base. The tower is built around an octagon-shaped concrete shear wall core surrounded by 8 exterior composite supercolumns and 8 exterior steel columns. Three sets of 8 two-story high outrigger trusses connect the columns to the core at six of the floors to provide additional support. The enormous barrel-vaulted atrium, lined with staircases arrayed in a spiral, is the city’s most spectacular interior.

Jin Mao Tower (Jinmao Dasha, Chinese: 金茂大厦)
Location: 88 Century Boulevard, Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, Pudong, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市浦东新区世纪大道88号
Constructed: 1994 – 1998
Height: 420 m (1,390 ft)
Floors: 88
Use: Office, Hotel (Grand Hyatt), observation (88th floor), retail
Architect: Adrian Smith of  Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

• Tomorrow Square

One of the city’s characteristic landmarks, thanks to the pincers on the roof.  The silvery futuristic skyscraper,  designed by the Atlanta-based architect, John Portman, is shaped like two squares on top of each other, with the upper on rotated at 45 degrees.

Tomorrow Square (Mingtian Guangchang, Chinese: 明天广场)
Location: 399 Nanjing Xilu, Western Side of People’s Square (Renmin Gongyuan), Huangpu District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市黄浦区南京西路399 号
Constructed: 1997-2003
Height: 286 m (938 ft)
Floors: 60
Use: Office, Hotel (JW Marriott), restaurant,apartments
Architect: John Portman & Associates

• Shanghai World Financial Center: China’s Tallest Building
  

The Shanghai World Financial Center isn’t just well known—it’s been making headlines for more than a decade. Its original 1993 design was halted after foundations were completed, just before the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. And the building also suffered a fire in August 2007, although damage was minimal. Named as the Best Tall Building in the World 2008 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the 492m-high Shanghai World Financial Center was designed by US super skyscraper specialist Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.  The building’s most distinctive architectural feature is the aperture at the building’s top, which has a trapezoidal shape resembling a bottle opener. It was originally a circular shape (“moon gate”, a traditional element in Chinese gardens) but was changed after locals protested that the circular hole resembled the rising sun on the Japanese flag. The stunning all-glass 100th-floor observatory at the height of 470 m (1,542 ft.) is the world’s tallest observation deck.

World's highest observation deck inside the Shanghai World Financial Centre

Shanghai World Financial Center (Abbr.SWFC, Shanghai Huanqiu Jinrong Zhongxin, Chinese: 上海环球金融中心)
Location: 100 Century Boulevard, (Shiji Dadao), Pudong District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市浦东新区世纪大道100号
Constructed: 1997-2008
Height: 492 m (1,614 ft)
Floors: 101
Structure: Steel-framed and steel reinforced concrete
Cost: RMB 8.17 billion ( US $1.2 billion)
Use: Office, Hotel (Park Hyatt), museum, observation (94th, 97th and 100th floor), retail
Architect: William Pedersen of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Structural engineer: Leslie E. Robertson Associates RLLP (LERA)
Developer: Minoru Mori , Mori Building Co.
Website: www.swfc-observatory.com

• Shanghai Tower: China’s Next Tallest Building
  

Reaching for the sky, the spectacular design for the Shanghai Tower is a twisting, winding marvel of modern architecture. At 632 meters (2,073 ft), Shanghai Tower is said to rise 140 meters higher than neighboring Shanghai World Financial Center –currently the world’s highest observatory – securing its title as the tallest building in China. Shanghai Tower emphasizes sustainable design and innovative high-performance features. Organized in nine cylindrical sections, the segments are placed atop of one another, the tower has a double-skin facade that encloses the stacked buildings, while a triangular exterior layer creates the second skin, which rotates as it rises. The spaces between the two facades create nine atrium sky gardens. Shanghai Center Tower, slated to be completed in 2014, will be the second tallest building in the world surpassed only by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 828 meters (2,717 feet).

Shanghai Tower (Shanghai Zhongxin Dasha, Chinese: 上海中心大厦)
Location: Yincheng Zhonglu, Pudong District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市浦东新区银城中路
Groundbreaking Date: November 29, 2008
Estimated Completion Date: 2014
Height: 632 m (2,073 ft)
Floors: 128
Cost: RMB 15 billion ( US $2.2 billion)
Use: Office, Hotel, observation, retail
Architect: Gensler, assistance from the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tongji University
Structural engineer: Consentini Associates, Thornton Tomasetti

• Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre

The Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre is a magnificent, glass-faced, flower-shaped building that houses a concert hall, entrance hall, opera theatre, exhibition space and performance hall – they form the five petals of a butterfly orchid. It was designed by French architect Paul Andreu, who was  responsible for the National Center for the Performing Arts (aka “The Egg”, 2007) in Beijing. To strengthen the effect of something delicate and unearthly, lights on the roof change color with the cadences of the music being played inside.

Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre (Shanghai Dongfang Yishu Zhongxin, Chinese: 上海东方艺术中心)
Location: 425 Dingxiang Lu,Century Park, near Yingchun Lu, Metro Line 2 Science and Technology Museum Station, Pudong District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市浦东新区丁香路425号
Constructed: 2000-2004
Auditorium capacities:
Philarmonic Orchestra Hall: 1,979 seats
Lyric Theatre: 1,054 seats
Chamber Music Hall: 330 seats
Phone: 020-6854-1234
Architect: Paul Andreu Architecte associated with ADPi and ECADI
Website: www.shoac.com.cn

• Jiushi Corporation Headquarters

The glass facade of Norman Foster’s forty-story tower, in the South Bund area, curves elegantly to make the most of fantastic views across the Huangpu River. It is also one the most eco-friendly buildings in Shanghai.

Jiushi Corporation Headquarters (Jiu Shi Tower, Jiushi Dasha, Chinese: 久事大厦)
Location: 28 Zhongshan Nanlu, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市黄浦区中山南路28号
Constructed: 1995-2001
Height: 168 m (551 ft)
Floors: 40
Use: Office
Architect: Foster and Partners

• Oriental Pearl Tower: The Earliest Symbol of New China
  

Love it or hate it, the 468m-tall poured-concrete shocker of a tripod tower has become a symbol of Pudong and of Shanghai’s renaissance. Erected in 1995 and hailed as the tallest TV tower in Asia, the Oriental Pearl Tower features 11 differing sized spheres joined by three columns. The design is said to be based on a Tang dynasty poem that describes the tinkling of pearls on a jade plate: The silver and dark-red spheres represent the pearls, while the Huangpu River symbolized the jade plate. Still more fancifully, the architects liken the city’s Yangpu and Nanpu Bridges to “Chinese dragons frolicking with the pearls of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.”  The tower is dazzling when illuminated at night and you can always join the queue for the stunning panoramas of Shanghai.

Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu Dianshita, Chinese: 东方明珠电视塔)
Location: 2 Lujiazui Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市浦东新区陆家嘴路2号
Constructed: 1991-1995
Height: 468 m (1,535 ft)
Floors: 14
Construction Type: Concrete
Use: Communication, hotel, observation, restaurant
Architect: Jia Huan Cheng of Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd.

• Shanghai Grand Theatre: Shanghai’s Lincoln Center

The Shanghai Grand Theatre, designed by French architect Jean-Marie Charpentier who achieved worldwide fame with the construction of the Bastille Opera House in Paris, incorporates the sweeping eaves of Chinese tradition with a futuristic use of plastic and glass, looks like a crystal palace when lit at night as the white arc-shaped roof joins coherently with the light-sensitive glass curtain wall. Located in the northwest corner of People’s Square, it boasts three separate theaters: a 1,800-seat main theater for ballet, opera, and symphony; a 600-seat medium theater for chamber music; and a 200-seat small theater for drama and fashion shows.

Shanghai Grand Theatre (Shanghai Da Juyuan, Chinese: 上海大剧院)
Location: 300 Renmin Da Dao, People’s Square , Huangpu District, Shanghai
Chinese Address:上海市黄浦区人民大道300号
Completion Date: 1998
Transportation: Metro Line 1, 2 & 8 People’s Square Station
Architect: Jean-Marie Charpentier of Arte Charpentier et Associés
Website: www.shgtheatre.com

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Tomson Riviera:Maybe the Most Expensive Apartment Complex in China

Tomson Riviera, China's most exclusive residence, consists of four golden-hued towers in the heart of Pudong's Lijuazui CBD in Shanghai

Tomson Riviera, a luxury riverfront complex in the heart of Pudong’s Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, consists of four golden-hued towers overlooking colonial buildings on the Bund across the Huangpu River and breathtaking views of the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jinmao Tower and the Shanghai World Finance Centre.

Residents are greeted by sweeping views of the Huang Pu River and the colonial buildings on the Bund

Views of the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jinmao Tower and the Shanghai World Finance Centre are breathtaking

The apartment complex’s entrance has original artworks by Salvador Dalí and well-known Chinese artists. The apartments, a few of which have been decorated by Armani and Fendi, as well as Versace, lease for $7,000 to $17,000 a month — to high-level executives from companies like General Motors.

Tomson’s prices are soaring.  A 6,458-square-foot (600-square-meters) apartment was sold recently for about $14.1 million (96.09 million yuan) or $2,189 a square foot (160,848 yuan), a new record for priciest home sold in China. The average luxury apartment in Manhattan sold for just under $1,900 a square foot in the fourth quarter of 2009. Indeed, for the price of a Tomson apartment in Shanghai, a buyer could easily purchase a 6,000-square-foot home in Los Angeles built by Frank Lloyd Wright and now for sale ($10.5 million), or a 52-acre site with a 22-room residence in New Canaan, Conn. ($24 million).

The spacious duplex comes with crocodile-skin bedposts, hand-carved bronze doors inlaid with Swarovski crystals — and a $45 million price tag.

The spacious duplex comes with crocodile-skin bedposts, hand-carved bronze doors inlaid with Swarovski crystals — and a $45 million price tag.   Big, pricey and luxurious… It is still on the market, see it yourself.

The luxury apartment complex features designs by Versace and bronze doors inlaid with Swarovski crystals.

1st floor – living room

2d floor

3rd floor – dining room

4th floor – cloakroom

5th floor – bedroom

6th floor – bathroom

7th floor – Shanghai World Financial Center and Jinmao Tower can be seen from the balcony

8th floor

Market Defies Fear of Real Estate Bubble in China

Luxury riverfront apartments are selling fast in the financial district of Shanghai

The spacious duplex comes with crocodile-skin bedposts, hand-carved bronze doors inlaid with Swarovski crystals — and a $45 million price tag.

It is still on the market, but Charles Tong, the developer of Tomson Riviera, a luxury riverfront complex in the heart of the financial district here, says he is having no trouble finding takers for similarly priced units.

Charles Tong, the developer of Tomson Riviera.

“We’re selling three to four apartments every month,” said Mr. Tong, seated in a white Versace easy chair. “Now, people here want something more luxurious; they’d like a new lifestyle.”

Everyone agrees China is in the middle of a spectacular real estate boom. The question is whether it is in the middle of a rapidly growing real estate bubble.

When other recent booms collapsed — in the United States, for instance — they depressed entire economies. In China’s case, a bursting bubble could affect much of the world. China is the fastest-growing large economy and, so far, a main engine pulling the world out of recession.

Beijing is clearly concerned. Authorities have recently moved to rein in the easy credit that has helped finance China’s hyperdevelopment, including making it more difficult for home buyers to take out a second mortgage.

Last year, a record $560 billion of residential property was sold in China, an increase of 80 percent from the year before, according to government statistics that are widely considered reliable. And with prices soaring, developers are scrambling to build more mansions, villas and high-rise apartments with names like Rich Gate, Park Avenue and Palais de Fortune.

Signs of exuberance are everywhere. An investor in Shanghai recently bought 54 apartments in a single day; a villa sold for $30 million last year; and in December a consortium of developers paid more than $3.5 billion for a huge tract of land in Guangzhou, one of the highest prices paid for any property, anywhere. In the city of Tianjin, in north China, developers have created a $3 billion “floating city,” a series of islands built on a natural reservoir, featuring villas, shopping malls, a water amusement park and what they say will be the world’s largest indoor ski resort.

“This is wild,” said Andy Xie, a former Morgan Stanley economist who is now an independent analyst. “By all the traditional measures, like rental yield, this is a bubble.”

Speculators are snapping up properties on the expectation that prices will continue to rise, as prices have nearly every year for more than a decade. And powerful developers are working with local governments to transform old cities into urban dreamscapes.

But Shanghai, China’s wealthiest and most dazzling city, is the epicenter of the boom. Prices here have risen more than 150 percent since 2003, pushing the price of a typical 1,100-square-foot apartment up to $200,000, according to real estate experts. (Shanghai residents typically earn less than $5,000 a year.)

A buying frenzy has gripped the city, leading to billion-dollar land auctions and long waiting lists.

“The speed you buy a house here is faster than you buy vegetables,” said Andy Xiang, an advertising executive who recently put down a large cash down payment to get the right to pay $1.3 million for an apartment in the city’s exclusive Xintiandi area.

Tomson Riviera, China's most exclusive residence

Few residences, though, are as upscale as Tomson Riviera, which consists of four golden-hued towers overlooking the Huangpu River, with a central garden mapped out in the shape of a dragon. The apartment complex’s entrance has original artworks by Salvador Dalí and well-known Chinese artists. The apartments, a few of which have been decorated by Armani and Fendi, as well as Versace, lease for $7,000 to $17,000 a month — to high-level executives from companies like General Motors.

Tomson Riviera, a luxury apartment complex that features designs by Versace and bronze doors inlaid with Swarovski crystals.

Those who buy an apartment here tend to be extremely wealthy, like Liu Yiqian, an eccentric Shanghai entrepreneur whom Forbes magazine says is worth about $540 million.

Mr. Liu, 47, got his start driving a taxicab in Shanghai but eventually made a fortune investing in the stock market. In an interview this week, he acknowledged owning hundreds of apartments in Shanghai (he said he could not remember exactly how many), including a 6,000-square-foot apartment in Tomson Riviera, which he bought in 2008 for about $11.5 million.

“I invest in properties,” Mr. Liu said, noting that he also collects art, antiques and jade. “I think in Shanghai in five to seven years the real estate prices will be even higher.”

As they try to modulate the market, local and central governments here are walking a thin line. Land sales were a major source of government revenue, raising about $234 billion last year, an amount equal to over a third of the cost of China’s half-trillion-dollar stimulus program.

Whether the country is in the middle of a bubble has become the subject of a debate. Some economists, like Nicholas R. Lardy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, say the housing boom is being propelled by a huge urbanization push that is creating premium-priced houses.

Other analysts say prices are being propped up by greedy developers and government policies that are making housing increasingly unaffordable for the masses migrating to big cities.

Despite the fear of a bubble here, Mr. Tong said his prices were just right, particularly because of so much hidden wealth in China. The publicly listed company is controlled by his family.

“I have a friend,” he said. “She makes maternity clothes. Her company has 20 percent of the world’s market share, and they’re not even a listed company.”

Still, Tomson’s prices are soaring. The most recent apartment sold for about $2,300 a square foot. The average luxury apartment in Manhattan sold for just under $1,900 a square foot in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to Prudential Douglas Elliman real estate.

Indeed, for the price of a Tomson apartment in Shanghai, a buyer could easily purchase a 6,000-square-foot home in Los Angeles built by Frank Lloyd Wright and now for sale ($10.5 million), or a 52-acre site with a 22-room residence in New Canaan, Conn. ($24 million).

But a sales agent at Tomson Riviera says this is the future financial capital of the world, not the dying one.

“Look at this bronze door,” said Wang Yaodong. “That costs $50,000! Look at these Gaggenau appliances. They were made in Germany.” The glasses were imported from Belgium, the Jacuzzi from Italy. And don’t worry about losing your key, he said, “This lock can read the palm of your hand.”

Ten Unique and Unforgettable Shanghai Experiences

Everybody knows about the amazing sights and sounds one can encounter on a trip to Shanghai. But beyond the obvious attractions in Shanghai, there are plenty of other reasons why a visit to the Paris of the East should be on top of any traveler’s agenda. Here are the Top Ten less obvious charms of the Paris of the East.

The most glamorous way to get into town from Pudong is on the world's only commercial Maglev train in Seven Minutes.

• Maglev Train

It seems a little extravagant, but why not. This high tech fast train, which relies on magnetic levitation and is one of the first in the world, takes you on the 30km journey from downtown Shanghai to the Pudong Internationl airport in seven minutes. Yup, some would say it is almost too fast. But there is great fun to be had in watching the speedometer, which is handily and proudly installed at the front and back of each carriage. Within two minutes it was cruising at over 350/km/h and briefly ticked over 400km/h before having to slow down for that pesky thing called a station. It costs 50 yuan ($7) though discounted to 40 yuan ($6.00) if you are hold a same day boarding pass.

• Feel like a millionaire

Sitting on the 42nd floor of the Shanghai Hilton (250 Huashan Road, 021-6248-0000, www.hilton.com), enjoying a stunning view of the city some sumptuous snacks and brilliant Blues band it was easy to feel like you had made it. Think Gordon Gecko in ‘Wall Street’ or Ferris Bueller on his Day Off. It was all a temporary illusion but the impeccable service and non-exorbitant prices made it possible. Paying $6.00 for a Heineken at a dingy London pub? Annoying. Handing over 40 yuan ($6.00) for that same green bottle at the Shanghai Hilton? Priceless.

• Cheapest thrill rides in the world

Forget about Disneyland, Dream world, or even Rainbows End, if you fancy an instant adrenalin shot simply grab a taxi in Shanghai. Watch as your driver weaves in and out of densely packed lanes. Thrill as he cuts across six lanes, in the space of 30 meters, to make a particular exit. Marvel as he avoids scrapes and swipes by literally millimeters. Be amazed as just when you think there is no more room on the road, there is suddenly space. It is always very safe, and the only thing in danger is the driver’s insurance policy, but for much less than the price of a coffee in New York you get one hell of a jolt to the senses. Plus of course, delivery to your exact destination and in double quick time.

• Healthy times

Whether it is a weekend Yoga retreat , a three-step course in teeth whitening, or an incredible spa treatment, there can be a healthy bonus to your visit to the Paris of the East at not particularly Western prices.

Vue Bar - This sophisticated and intimate lounge in Hyatt on the Bund has amazing views of both the Bund and Pudong

• Loving the nightlife

Shanghai was one of the places to party way back in the 1930′s and it seemed to have regained its reputation. There is all number of clubs and bars, catering to foreigners, locals, or a mix. Names like ‘Not Me’, ‘Face’, ‘Judy’s Too’, ‘Glamour Bar’, ‘Vue Bar’, ‘Sin Lounge, Time Passage and Tango Bang hint at just what is available. There were plenty of places offering 100 Yuan all you can drink and some that even dished out free alcohol for the ladies.

• Weird and wonderful tourists

There is something about Shanghai that attracts the weird and the wonderful in terms of travelers. Two young ladies, of Australian and American descent respectively, seemed to be struggling in the immense metropolis. “It is so nice here not being able to eat” one remarked, presumably alluding to the fact that the food was so different and therefore intolerable. “Yeah, the slightly hefty friend concurred, “not having to eat is great. At home you have to eat five meals a day”. Later the subject switched to guidebooks, as our would be MENSA candidates discussed the merits of various ones. “You know, I would never buy a Lonely Planet again after all the shit I have been through with them” was the personal highlight for this writer.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport

• Get me out of here

Leaving Shanghai is particularly easy. Not that you will necessarily want to, but if visiting other parts of China is on your agenda then leaving is easy. Booking domestic flights is extremely simple and hassle free through a variety of websites or a plethora of travel agents, while air travel is cheap, plentiful and efficient. And you can even buy air insurance at the airport.

Ode to Xiao Long Bao(small steamed meat bun), Shanghai's Signature Dish

• Dine like a swine

Other parts of China will tend to poke fun at the Shanghai school of cuisine and it is valid that it tends to be a melting pot for all different types of style of Chinese food. But you would have to go a long way to find better dumplings than can be encountered on Yunnan Rd, a central city area that is called ‘food street’ by locals. These were sensational. When I eventually got to the front of what had been a 50 person queue – yes forget what you hear, the Chinese will assemble in orderly lines for important things like Sunday dumplings – they were sensational and more than more the wait. Slighty crispy on the outside, a combination of pork and vegetables on the inside and dripping with flavor.

A man riding his motorbike in pyjamas in Shanghai

• Snazzy Pyjamas

Shanghai is not so much the city that never sleeps as a place that never takes off its pyjamas. Imagine Saturday lunchtime with the usual bustle of activity – workers, shoppers, wanderers and a man riding his motorbike in pyjamas. And this was not your classic ‘getting caught at the letterbox in the dressing gown scenario’ – this was downtown Shanghai. It wasn’t a one off – the next day we saw another dude, perhaps in his forties, strolling the sidewalk in the latest bed wear fashion. The icing on the cake was standing beside a woman on a four lane highway, who was hailing a taxi in the clothing she had slept in.

Apparently over time the citizens of Shanghai have been used to living in very communal situations with a lot of people at close quarters. Then having been accustomed to seeing each other in their nightwear, the suburb then just becomes an extension of these accommodation arrangements. It is slightly different though, one would have thought, when your neighborhood is downtown Shanghai.

• Finding Zen

It was quite rare to see public display of anger in this city of 20 million people. Drivers duck in and out of lanes with barely a honk, never a v sign and all the usual transactions of daily life pass by with a distinct lack of visible aggravation. While it is difficult to debate the merits of this cultural necessity, it is interesting that you find it very hard to explode into anger yourself when no one else around you is, bringing a whole genuine calmness to the experience.

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Exploring the Water Villages – Excursions from Shanghai

Many of the Water Villages near Shanghai are picturesque canal towns with original Ming and Qing-era whitewashed buildings, cobbled lanes, humpbacked bridges and interlocking canals.

Shanghai’s World Expo 2010 is expected to be a tourist bonanza, drawing 70 million visitors between May and October. Shanghai being the polluted, hectic, crowded urban jungle it is, it would be a rare visitor who never felt the urge at some point to escape to fresh air, trees and a bit of peace of quiet. The easiest and most interesting places to get to for a day, a weekend or longer are scattered across the Yangzi River Delta.  The nearby cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou are two of the most pleasant in China, and their landscaped gardens and parks will certainly restore your stretched nerves. Both are ideal for a two- or three-day break.

The region west of Shanghai around Tai Hu (Lake Tai) includes some of China’s loveliest countryside. Here you’ll discover centuries-old water villages. Bowed bridges span narrow canals, as traditional oared boats paddle by, creating an almost perfect picture of a way of life long past. A trip to one of these villages will probably be a highlight of your trip to Eastern China.

Be careful which village you choose, though. The tourist dollars that flow in may have saved these villages from the wrecking ball, but they have also changed their character to differing degrees. Those closest to the larger cities can be the most swamped by tour groups. Trekking to an out-of-the-way destination can pay off by letting you find a village that you will have all to yourself.

• Qibao

This quaint little thousand year old town of Qibao is only about about 18 kilometers from the Shanghai city center and is accessible by subway.

For visitors eager to glimpse a Yangzi River delta water village but who are unable to spare an entire day, the ancient water town of Qibao, located in Minhang District a scant 18km (11.5 miles) southwest of downtown Shanghai, makes for an acceptable if not terribly exciting alternative.

Like many water towns in the area, Qibao was built in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), but only came into its own in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.  Opened as a tourist attraction in 2002, the “old town” (many of the structures are newly built to look old) spans about 2 square kilometers and has the usual narrow alleyways, arched bridges, and canals. Unfortunately, it’s also surrounded by a new town and many ugly modern concrete structures.

Both a blessing and a curse, Qibao’s proximity to downtown Shanghai means that it can be easily reached, but it is also overrun with tourists, making a relaxed leisurely visit (the ideal way to see a water town) all but impossible. From downtown Shanghai, you can take Tourist Bus A (¥2/25¢, 1 hr.) from the Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center at the Shanghai Stadium to Qibao.

Alternatively, take Metro Line 1 to Xinzhuang Station and walk 200 meters to the intersection of Humin Lu and Qixin Lu; take Bus 91 in the Beixinjing direction and get off at Qibao Zhen station. A taxi from downtown Shanghai will cost around ¥70/$9. There is no longer an admission fee to the old town, only separate admissions fees (¥5-¥10/60¢-$1.25) at select sights.

• Zhouzhuang

Many of Zhouzhuang's charming restaurants evoke the past with traditional music (Suzhou Pingtan: storytelling and singing in local dialect) and decor.

The most famous of the water villages is undoubtedly Zhouzhuang. Its fame is partly due to its proximity, just 45 minutes from Suzhou and an hour away from Shanghai. As a result, more than 2.5 million visitors head to the water village of Zhouzhuang each year to catch a glimpse of old China. Its charm is reduced by the sheer number of tourists who elbow their way through the streets. Next to the “ancient memorial archway,” which isn’t ancient at all, is a ticket window. The steep entrance fee of Y100 gets you into the water village-turned-gift shop.

Songshu Guiyu (Mandarin Fish): Cuisine near Shanghai is often sweet to taste and beautifully presented.

Crowds aside, Zhouzhuang is fun for families. Several residences, some 500 years old, let you see what life was like in the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are several storefronts where you can see brick making, bamboo carving, and basket weaving—traditional crafts that up until recently were in widespread use throughout the countryside. The food is typical country fare, making it a nice break from the fancier cuisine of Suzhou and Shanghai. The most famous dish, a fatty cut of pork leg, is a bit oily for most Western palates. But there are also pickled vegetables and wild greens to sample. For crafts, skip the snuff bottles and teapots, which are of low quality. Opt for something you probably won’t find elsewhere: homemade rice wine, rough-hewn ox-horn combs, and bamboo rice baskets.

Buses to Zhouzhuang leave from Suzhou’s North Bus station every half hour between 7 AM and 5 PM. The 1½-hour trip is ¥15 to ¥25.  From Shanghai, There are Zhou Zhuang buses leaving Shanghai Indoor Stadium Sightseeing Bus Terminal every morning.

• Tongli

One of the main attraction of Tongli is Tuisi Yuan,  a gorgeous garden built by a retired official in 1886 as a place to retreat and mediate.

The pick of the water villages is Tongli,30 minutes from Zhouzhuang and 1½ hours from Suzhou. There’s a more reasonable entrance fee of ¥60. A number of locals still live and work here, making this village seem more authentic than Zhouzhuang. The streets are cobbled, and the complete absence of cars make Tongli feel like it’s from a different era. You can still find yourself wandering on quaint side streets or creeping down impossibly narrow alleyways that open onto canals and bridges. Tongli is the largest of the water villages, imminently photographable, and a pleasure to explore.

Near the entrance gate are several private homes offering beds, and throughout the village are tea shops and small tables set out in front of the canals. Hiring a boat (¥60 for up to 6 people) to float down the canals gives you a different perspective on the town.

You have the chance to watch a cormorant fishing show in Tongli

A favorite spot in Tongli is Tuisi Garden, a slightly smaller version of the private courtyard parks found in Suzhou. Tongli is also home to the Ancient Chinese Sexual Culture Museum (0512/6332-2973, www.chainsexmuseum.com (Chinese only)), housed in a former girl’s school. The controversial exhibition of ancient erotic toys and art is the project of a retired university professor.

Buses to Tongli leave from the square in front of Suzhou Train Station every 20 to 30 minutes between 7 AM and 5 PM. The journey is Y6 to Y10. From Shanghai, there are Tongli buses (2 hr., ¥120/$15 round-trip, includes ¥80/$6.25 entrance fee) that leave the Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center (Gate 25 of the Shanghai Stadium/Shanghai Tiyuguan) daily at 9, 9:55 and 10:25am. Departure times may change so call ahead (tel. 021/6426-5555) to confirm. From Tongli, buses return to Shanghai at 4:45, 5:30, and 6pm.)

• Luzhi

Narrow waterways and traditional arched bridges add to Luzhi's appeal

Even farther off the beaten path is Luzhi,about a half hour from Suzhou and Zhouzhuang. It has been described as a “museum of bridges.” There are over 40 here, in all different shapes and sizes. Many of the older women in the village preserve traditional customs, wearing traditional headdresses and skirts. Luzhi is also notable for the spectacular Baosheng Temple (Luzhi. 0512/6501-0067), a yellow-walled compound that is famous for its breathtaking collection of Buddhist arhats. Arranged on a wall of stone, these clay sculptures are the work of Yang Huizhi, a famous Tang Dynasty sculptor. They depict Buddhist disciples who have gained enlightenment; these works, made over 1,000 years ago, impart the character and artistry of their creator. The temple also features a well-preserved bell from the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Luzhi-bound buses leave from the square in front of Suzhou Train Station every 30 minutes between 6:30 AM and 6:30 PM. The 40-minute drive is Y10. From Shanghai, you can take Shanghai Sightseeing Bus at Shanghai Indoor Stadium Bus Terminal on Saturday and Sunday.

The sleepy water town offers a great escape from the razzle-dazzle of the city.

Related Articles about Shanghai:

Exploring Water Towns of Jiangnan

Top Ten Shanghai Attractions

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

Best of Shanghai in a nutshell – Top Ten Shanghai Attractions

Shanghai Pudong Skyline at Sunset

The most westernized city in the world’s fastest growing country, Shanghai (literally “above the sea”) is an exhilarating, ever-morphing metropolis that isn’t just living China’s dream, but is setting the pace for the rest of the world. In just a little more than a decade, Shanghai has transformed itself into the model for 21st century China. As Shanghai is gearing up for its role as China’s showcase for the May 1-Oct. 31 World Expo, whose theme is “Better City, Better Life,” by remaking itself into the country’s most chic and modern city, expect to see constant changes as record numbers of foreigners and Chinese flock here to stake out their share of the ever-expanding pie.

Shanghai is much more Hong Kong than Beijing; there are no grand monuments and imperial palaces here. Instead, European-style cityscapes and tempting, tree-lined neighborhoods rub shoulders with the sci-fi skyline of Pudong. Shanghai was where China first met the West and it’s still a frontier town, obsessed with the latest fads, fashions and technology. This blend of old and new offers tourists a wide variety of experiences that are sure to be memorable.

Here are Shanghai’s top 10 must-see sights and attractions.

• The Bund

(Wai Tan, Chinese: 外滩)

The Bund - Shanghai's famous waterfront boulevard

A spectacular, dazzling waterfront esplanade with a wide range of colonial architecture. Particularly striking at night, when brilliantly illuminated. One of the most famous streets in China, and an absolute necessity to visit. Over the past few years, the buildings have started to be inhabited by shopping arcades and restaurants. The most impressive are 3 on the Bund and Bund 18, which have some of Shanghai’s most glamorous restaurants (M on the Bund, Laris, Jean-Georges and Whampoa Club) and bars as well as high-end glitzy international boutiques. The bund is also where you’ll get that postcard view of the futuristic skyline in Pudong.

Transportation: Subway Line 2 at East Nanjing Road, about a five minute walk to The Bund. Bus Line 145, 311, 316, 320 and 71 also have stops near The Bund.
For taxi drivers:  请带我去外滩 (Qing dai wo qu wai tan) Please take me to The Bund.

• Oriental Pearl TV Tower

(Dong Fang Ming Zhu Dian Shi Ta, Chinese: 东方明珠电视塔)

As the first architectural wonder of New China, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, built in 1994, was a foremost symbol of the country’s potential as it began to flirt with free enterprise ideals. The 468-meter (1,536 feet) tower, located in Pudong Lujiazui area along the Huangpu River, is the 4^th tallest TV and radio tower in the world after  the Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower in Guangzhou, China and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada and the Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia.  The undeniable tower soars above the Pudong skyline and features fifteen observation levels, a small hotel, shops, a museum and a restaurant that of course, revolves. Over 3 million people visit the Oriental Pearl every year. The 263-meter (863 feet) high observatory level is one of the best places to get a bird’s-eye view of the city.

Address: 1 Century Avenue (Shiji Dadao), Pudong District, Shanghai
Transportation: Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Lujiazui Stop. It is right outside of the station. Buses 81, 82, 85, 870 also take you to the nearby area.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去东方明珠电视塔 浦东新区世纪大道1号 (Qing dai wo qu dong fang ming zhu dian shi ta, pu dong xin qu shi ji da dao yi hao)
Please take me to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, 1 Century Avenue (Shiji Dadao)
Opening hours: Daily 8:00-21:00
Admission Fee: 263 m sphere: CNY70 per person; 90 m sphere + 263 m sphere + Shanghai History Exhibition: CNY85 per person; 90 m sphere + 263 m sphere + 350 m sphere: CNY100 per person

• Jin Mao Tower

(Jinmao Dasha, Chinese: 金茂大厦)

Gazing down on the atrium of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jin Mao Tower

Now the second tallest building in Shanghai, the Jin Mao Tower stands at 88 floors. Its remarkable architecture is recognizable on a clear day from all over the city. There’s an observation deck on the 88th floor (access 50rmb, US$6) where you have spectacular views of the neighboring skyscrapers and the sprawling city. Enjoy similar views with a cocktail in hand at the Cloud 9 bar on the 87th floor of the Grand Hyatt hotel. Note, access to the observation deck and Cloud 9 are separate. Follow signs at ground level to the observation deck, follow Grand Hyatt signs to get to the hotel elevators and Cloud 9.

Address: 2 Century Avenue (Shiji Dadao), (3 blocks southeast of Oriental Pearl TV Tower), Pudong District, Shanghai
Transportation: Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Lujiazui Stop. It is right outside of the station. Buses 81, 82, 85, 870 also take you to the nearby area.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去东方明珠电视塔 浦东新区世纪大道1号 (Qing dai wo qu dong fang ming zhu dian shi ta, pu dong xin qu shi ji da dao yi hao)  Please take me to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, 1 Century Avenue (Shiji Dadao)
Opening hours: Daily 8:30am-9:30pm (last ticket sold 9pm)
Prices: Admission ¥70 ($10/£5); ¥60 ($8.55/£4.30) seniors over 70

• Shanghai World Financial Center

(Shanghai Huanqiu Jinrong Zhongxin, Chinese: 上海环球金融中心)

China's tallest buildings: Shanghai World Financial Center (left ) and Jin Mao Tower (right)

Resembling a giant bottle opener in shape, the new skyscraper king of the sky in China and indeed, save for Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world, is a beast at 492.0 meters (1,614.2 ft) with 101 floors. Open since 2008 next to Jin Mao Tower, the design of Shanghai World Financial Center has already become a premier icon of the city. This tapering glass tower with a trapezoidal aperture at the peak, featureing the world’s highest public observation deck at 474.2 m (1,556 ft) and world’s highest hotel, Park Hyatt Shanghai, will likely make this skyscraper the new “must visit” spot in town.

Address: 100 Shiji Dadao, Pudong District, Shanghai
Transportation: Subway Line 2 at Lujiazui
Phone: 021-5878-0101
Website: www.swfc-observatory.com
Prices: 94th floor only ¥100 ($14/£7); 94th to 97th floors ¥110 ($16/£8); 94th to 100th floors ¥150 ($21/£11)

• Former French Concession

(Fa Zu jie, Chinese: 法租界)

The French imported plane trees in the early 1900s still line both sides of every street in the Former French Concession

Shanghai’s most charming district, was administered by the French from the mid 1800’s to the mid 1900’s. The streets are tree-lined, with few high rises, and colonial villas dot the landscape; it has become an elite district of the city. Try wandering around the FFC on foot. Scenic bits include such small streets as Yuqing Lu and Kangping Lu. For a nice walk, try Fuxing Xi Lu, near Yongfu Lu or Wukang Lu. Dongping Lu has many good small restaurants such as Simply Thai and Azul.
Transportation: Take Metro Line 1. There are three metro stops you can get off to visit different parts of the former French Concession—South Shanxi Road, Hengshan Road and Changshu Road.
For taxi drivers:
请带我去淮海路陕西南路 (Please take me to the cross junction of Huaihai Lu and South Shanxi Lu)
请带我去衡山路高安路 (Please take me to the cross junction of Hengshan Lu and Gao An Lu)
请带我去复兴路乌鲁木齐路 (Please take me to the cross junction of Fuxing Lu and Wulumuqi Lu)

• Yu Gardens

(Yu Yuan, Chinese: 豫园)

Yu Garden offers an atmosphere of peace and beauty amid the clamor of the city

In the center of Old Town, just southwest of the Bund, the Garden of Peace and Comfort offers an escape from the fast pace of the surrounding city. The 16th century Yuyuan Garden, one of the best-preserved gardens in China, represents the height of Suzhou-style garden art which makes use of craftily structured pavilions, corridors, and bridges together with exquisitely set rocks, ponds, and floras to create charming and pleasant views. Of the many temples and halls, the Grand Rockery is the most popular. Two thousand tons of rare yellow stones are combined with rice glue to form a massive sculpture that stands 46 feet high. Wander through the lanes and alleys and find everything you might want to take home as souvenirs from silk pajamas to chopsticks. A trip to a genuine teahouse is cultural experience one must try in China. For Shanghai, Huxingting Teahouse is the place and still floats on a lake in the Old Town as it has since 1784.
Insider tips: While you are at Yuyuan Garden, try some delicious Shanghai local snacks such as steamed buns (xiao long man tou or xiao long bao ).

Address: 218 Anren Street
How to get to Yuyuan Gardens: From The Bund: Walk south along The Bund then turn right at Jinling Dong Lu. The Old City is the area to the south.
Bus Line 11, 24, 26, 64, 581, 715, 736, 801, 920, 926, 930, 945 have stops in Yuyuan area.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去豫园 安仁街218号 (Qing dai wo qu yu yuan, an ren jie er bai shi ba hao) Please take me to Yuyuan Garden, 218 Anren Street)
Opening hours: Daily 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Admission Fee: CNY30 per person

• Nanjing Road

(Nan Jing Lu, Chinese: 南京路)

People come from all over China to shop on what is China's premier shopping street - Nanjing Lu

A visit to Nanjing Lu, the “Number One Shopping Street in China” is practically required, if only for a chance to marvel (or shudder) at the sheer numbers of people, people, people everywhere! Nanjing Road consists of two sections: East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road. The term “Nanjing Lu” in many cases refers only to the eastern section from The Bund to the People’s Square. The pedestrian-only East Nanjing Road boosts trendy designer boutiques alongside a cluster of Shanghai’s oldest department stores and traditional eateries, some of which have a century-long history. With hundreds of shops and restaurants there is something for everyone.
Transportation: Subway  Line 2  at East Nanjing Lu Stop.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去南京东路步行街 (Qing dai wo qu nan jing dong lu bu xing jie)  Please take me to Nanjing Lu Pedestrian Street.

• Xintiandi

(New Heaven and Earth， Chinese: 新天地)

Xin Tian Di is a restaurant, bar, club development that utilizes Shanghai's traditional shikumen architecture

A must-see on any tourist’s itinerary. This outdoor section of “shikumen”  (1920’s – 1930’s Shanghai style stone gate houses) was completely rebuilt in 2000 -1 and is a great example of the success of the urban renewal effort.. Xin Tian Di is divided into the North and South Blocks. The South Block is the more modern of the two and is home to one of China’s first major shopping centers as well as boutiques, restaurants and nightclubs. Shikumen architecture lines the streets in the North Block providing a contrast to the modernity of the South Block. Xintiandi is often packed with tourists and is home to some of Shanghai’s best restaurants. We like: Ye Shanghai, Crystal Jade, Kabb, Va Bene, Simply Thai and T8.

Address: Lane 181, Tai Cang Lu
How to get to the Jade Buddha Temple: Take Metro Line 1 and get off at South Huang Pi Lu. It is 5-minutes walk to the south along Ma Dang Lu.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去新天地 太仓路181弄 (Qing dai wo qu xin tian di, tai chang lu yi bai ba shi yi long) Please take me to Xintiandi, Lane 181, Tai Cang Lu

• Shanghai Museum

(Shanghai Bo Wu Guan, Chinese:上海博物馆)

Shanghai Museum, China's best museum, houses an incomparable collection of art and artifacts

Considered by many to be the finest, most modern, and most memorable museum in China, the Shanghai Museum in the heart of People’s Square has 11 galleries and over 120,000 historic artifacts including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, and fantastic bronzes. The museum’s architectural design is that of a round top with a square base which symbolizes the ancient Chinese philosophy that the earth is square-shaped and the sky overhead is round. The Stone Sculpture Gallery and the Bronze gallery are the most popular with collections dating back to the 18th century B.C. There are also special exhibitions on occasion that can be quite fascinating. Make it a top priority, and allow a few hours more than you planned on.

Address: 201 Renmin Avenue
How to get to Shanghai Museum: Take either Metro Line 1 or 2, get off at the People’s Square stop, and take Exit 1.
For taxi drivers: 请带我去上海博物馆 人民路201号  (Qing dai wo qu shanghai bo wu guan, ren min lu 201 hao)    Please take me to Shanghai Museum, 201 Renmin Avenue
Opening hours: Daily 9 am – 5 pm
Admission Fee: For regular exhibitions, 5000 free admission per day
For special exhibitions, CNY20 per person
Website: www.shanghaimuseum.net

• Dongtai Lu Antiques Market

(Dongtai Lu Guwan Shichang, Chinese: 东台路古玩市场)

Mao badges at Dongtai Lu Antique Market in Shanghai

This largest of Shanghai’s antiques markets, not far from Xin Tian Di, is Shanghai’s answer to Beijing’s Panjiayuan Antique Market.  While tiny in comparison to Panjiayuan, Dong Tai Road is lined with stalls and shops selling all that is junk and treasure in chinoiserie. You can find all kinds of items including antiques, curios, porcelain, furniture, jewelry, old wooden rice buckets, brightly painted opera masks, wood carvings, birds, flowers, goldfish, and nostalgic bric-a-brac from colonial and revolutionary days (especially Mao memorabilia). It’s worth a wander just to see what’s on offer but don’t forget your bargaining skills.

Address: Junction of Dongtai Lu & Liuhe Lu, 1 block west of Xizang Nan Lu, Luwan District, Shanghai
Transportation: Metro at Huangpi Road South
Hours: Daily 9am -5pm

Related Article:

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

From delicious local dumplings to international fine-dining fare, the restaurant scene in Shanghai has never been better as the largest city in China gears up for the World Expo 2010 starting May 1.

Fast-paced and forward-looking, Shanghai is China’s most energetic city, and nowhere is its dynamism and spirit of adventure more apparent than in its restaurant scene. In the last decade, dining in Shanghai has changed out of all recognition. True, you can still buy bowls of noodles on street corners – thankfully – but in restaurants, trendy youngsters are likely to be munching on French fries while Shanghai’s nouveau riche splurge on fine-dining restaurants serving dishes from around the world, and fashionistas knock back lurid cocktails to a backdrop of neon-lit views. Big, brash and better than ever, dining in Shanghai is now the equal of that in any modern western metropolis.

By all means, start at street level: cheap and informal eats are everywhere. At stalls and corner restaurants across the city, you need only spend a few dollars to get popular snacks such as pork dumplings, egg pancakes, lamb skewers – grilled to order by Muslim immigrants from northwest China – and leek pies. You can get memorably good bowls of noodles and delicacies such as frogs’ legs in ginger or slices of roast duck on rice. But nothing beats xiao longbao, a Shanghai dumpling filled with a delicious broth that explodes into your mouth (or, if you aren’t careful, over your clothes) as you bite into it.

Elegant dumplings from Ai Mei Chinese Restaurant at Le Royal Méridien

Local snacks are wonderful, but you’ll have to head to a restaurant to try Shanghai cuisine at its best. Little-known in Australia, Shanghai food is really a branch of eastern-style cuisine, and features braised and stewed dishes rather than stir-fries as well as cold ‘drunken’ dishes marinated in wine, of which drunken chicken is the best known. The emphasis is on the freshness of the main ingredients rather than on heavy sauces and marinades. Freshwater fish is prominent, though expensive, and the much-loved local delicacy is hairy crab – known locally as duza ha, or in Mandarin, dazha xie, meaning crabs from the “big dam”. Duza ha is usually steamed and dipped in soy sauce and black rice vinegar with ginger. The Shanghainese like to wash down their meal with a sweetish, yellow rice wine known as huangjiu.

It isn’t hard to find superlative restaurants in Shanghai: the Chinese bring relatives and business partners to the city’s restaurants to impress them with lavish feasts. Many restaurants cover several floors, each floor offering menus at different price points. Foreigners are invariably directed to more expensive floors in the belief that they’re used to luxury, but there’s nothing to stop you joining locals on the cheaper (usually lower) floors, where you can expect a raucous din of happy diners.

If you’re after the best local flavors, head to Shanghai Uncle in the basement of the Bund Centre. Shanghai Uncle goes for modern versions of old Shanghai classics and inspired east-west fusion dishes, and is certainly some of the best Chinese food you’ll eat in town. Try the superlative crispy pork, traditional smoked fish and handmade noodles and, if you can afford the astronomical prices, a fresh lobster dish.

Executive chef Jeremy Leung from the Whampoa Club

For excellent Chinese comfort food in less formal surrounds, look no further than the queues outside Crystal Jade Restaurant in Xintiandi. Locals flock here for steamed dumplings, roast pork buns and spicy Sichuan noodles. The restaurant is reckoned to serve the best xiao longbao in Shanghai – in other words, in the known universe.

Villa du Lac, housed in an old colonial building, is also one of the city’s top restaurants for Shanghainese cuisine, as well as palace cuisine from the nearby city of Yangzhou, its light, clean flavours once reserved for royalty and court officials. Signature dishes include hand-cut tofu and drunken chicken; European-influenced desserts include egg tarts served with Longjing tea and snow-skin peach dumplings in champagne. The chef here, Justin Quek, hails from Singapore, and has an international reputation.

Many a world-class chef has been lured by Shanghai’s bright lights, and the Shanghainese love of trends and fashions. It all started along The Bund, where Art Deco and Neoclassical facades recall Shanghai’s heyday as a great trading port and international settlement in the early 20th century. The municipal government launched an enlightened program of restoration in the 1990s that has seen The Bund return to its former grandeur and bustle.

Poppyseed galettes from M on the Bund

M on the Bund was the first international restaurant to open here, in 1999 and, for some time, was the place to be seen in Shanghai. Its star has faded somewhat as newer competitors steal the limelight, but the Art-Deco elegance and wonderful views from the seventh floor are hard to beat, and the food can still reach superlative heights. Signature dishes are the slow-baked leg of lamb and pavlova – no surprise, really, as chef-owner Michelle Garnaut hails from Melbourne.

Next door, Three on the Bund is a seven-storey pleasure palace housing art galleries, luxury boutiques, a jazz club, a day spa and several restaurants of top international quality. These include French fare at Jean Georges, bistro fare at New Heights, and classic-meets-contemporary Shanghai cuisine at the Whampoa Club – try the tasting menu, and talk to the tea sommelier about choosing a matching tea. Another Australian chef, David Laris, is at the helm at Laris, with its emphasis on New World seafood dishes.

Foie gras terrine with hibiscus gelee from Laris

Given the high prices at Three on the Bund, you might expect serving sizes to be a bit more generous and service more suave. Nevertheless, dining at one of these trendy restaurants on The Bund is a quintessential Shanghai experience. If you really want to splash out, you can reserve the cupola on top of the building as a private dining room, and order from any of the restaurants on the floors below.

House smoked salmon from M on the Bund

Xintiandi is another trendy locale and the evening destination of choice for hip locals and expats alike. This upmarket area of little alleys and courtyards is an appealing blend of modernistic and faux old Chinese architecture, crammed with eateries and bars of all sorts, from hugely busy, German-style Biergartens to Tuscan pizzerias and chic post-modern venues serving the likes of green-pea cappuccino.

At Lan Na Thai, in a lovely old colonial mansion known as Face Building, delightful deep-fried soft-shell crab and divine papaya salads are served up to a mostly foreign clientele; on another floor, svelte guests recline on ‘opium beds’ in an Asian-style cocktail lounge. At Di Shui Dong, try the outstanding spicy regional Hunan cuisine: everything from chicken chilli hotpot to cumin pork spare-ribs is wonderful, even if it needs to be washed down with copious amounts of cold beer.

The wide, tree-lined avenue known as Hengshan Road, just a totter west, is another trendy spot lined with 1920s mansions, now converted into teahouses and restaurants. It’s also home to one of the city’s favoured music venues, O’Malleys. With an outdoor courtyard and cosy, Irish-pub style, O’Malleys serves up a good beer and Irish, British and American favourites – just the place to head for if you have a hankering for bangers and mash.

A delicate prawn dish from Jean Georges

In the old days, this area was part of the French Concession. There’s still a nod to the glamor of these times at 1931 Bar & Restaurant, where waitresses are dressed in traditional qipao, or high-collared, tight-fitting silk dresses with side slits. This is the place for a drink and nibbles – fried dumplings, duck pancakes and noodles. Also worth a visit is the Art Salon, where Montmarte meets Shanghai: the walls are covered with local artworks; rickety tables and traditional Chinese-style chairs crowd every inch of floorspace. Sit elbow-to-elbow for some terrific homemade specialties – and feel free to purchase any of the artwork or furniture that catches your eye.

During the days of the settlements, the Chinese lived crammed into the old city; now, Shanghai’s historic heart has been redeveloped into an unabashed tourist theme town, jammed with souvenir shops and antiques markets. At its centre lies the fabulous Yu Garden and iconic Bridge of Nine Turnings, a zigzag bridge over a carp pool always packed with photo-snapping visitors. Stop by the venerable Huxinting Teahouse in the middle of the pond for a pastry or quail’s eggs with excellent green tea as you watch the passing hubbub.

You’ll also find fine fare at the Shanghai Classic Restaurant, which serves such local dishes as eight-treasure duck, stuffed with sticky rice, and deep-fried shrimps. The restaurant claims to have been around since 1875, though in its current guise, it is located on the second-floor atrium of a modern mid-range hotel.

Inside Laris at Three on the Bund

Occasionally, someone in this relentlessly advancing city actually looks to the past. If you’re after a coffee, avoid the ubiquitous Starbucks and head instead to Old China Hand Reading Room, with its Qing Dynasty furniture, old books, manual typewriters and beautiful photography, or to Old Film Café, where you can watch 1920s movies from China and Russia as you down your brew. Just the caffeine shot you’ll need before launching yourself into the frenzy of Shanghai once more.

A beautifully presented dish from The Whampoa Club

Where to eat

• 1931 Bar and Restaurant, Maoming Nan Lu 112 (Luwan District), phone +86 21 6472 5264.
• Art Salon, Nanchang Lu 164 (Luwan District), phone +86 21 5306 5462.
• Crystal Jade Restaurant (Feicuì Jiujia), 2nd floor, 12A & B, Nanli 6-7 (Luwan District), phone +86 21 6385 8752.
• Di Shui Dong, Maoming Nan Lu 56 (Luwan District), phone +86 21 6253 2689.
• Huxinting Teahouse (Huxinting Chashi), Yuyuan Lu 257 (Nanshi District), phone +86 21 6373 6950.
• Lan Na Thai, Ruijin Er Lu 118 (Luwan District), phone +86 21 6466 4328.
• M on the Bund, Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 5 (Huangpu District) +86 21 6350 9988 or visit www.m-restaurantgroup.com
• Old China Hand Reading Room (Hanyuan Shuwu), Shaoxing Lu 27 (Xuhui District), phone +86 21 6473 2526.
• Old Film Café, Duolun Lu 123 (Hongkou District), phone +86 21 5696 4763.
• O’Malley’s, Taojiang Lu 42 (Xuhui District), phone +86 21 6437 0667.
• Shanghai Classic Restaurant (Shanghai Lao Fandian ), Fuyou Lu 242 (Nanshi District), phone +86 21 6355 2275.
• Shanghai Uncle (Haishang Ashu), Yan’an Dong Lu 200-222 (Huangpu District), phone +86 21 6339 1977.
• Three on the Bund, Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu 3 (Huangpu District), phone +86 21 6323 3355 or visit www.threeonthebund.com
• Villa du Lac (Hu Ting), 383 Huangpi Nan Lu (Luwan District), phone +86 21 6387 6387 or visit www.justinquek.com

Where to stay

• Le Royal Méridien Shanghai, phone +86 21 3318 9999 or visit www.lemeridien.com
• Pudi Boutique Hotel, contact Small Luxury Hotels of the World on 1800 251 958 or visit www.slh.com
• St Regis Shanghai, phone +86 21 5050 4567 or visit www.stregis.com
• Westin Bund Centre, phone +86 21 6335 1888 or visit www.westin.com

Related Article:

Best of Shanghai in a nutshell – Top Ten Shanghai Attractions

Shanghai in final sprint for World Expo – A Preview of Pavilions

More than 50 incumbent heads of state or government have expressed intention of visiting Shanghai to see the World Expo that is scheduled for May 1 to Oct. 31, organizers told Xinhua Thursday, which witnessed the 100-day countdown for the six-month-long mega event.

Five trial operation activities will be held at the end of April to check up exhibition pavilions, security and volunteer arrangements, visitor services and logistics for the Expo, sources with the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination said.

The whole city would be motivated for the last trial, and 500,000 people will take part in the drill, the sources added.

Most of the new transportation construction for the Expo, including a central ring road and new subway lines, have already been completed and put into use. Ferry and streetcar lines that cross the Huangpu River will be complete within three months.

More than 90 bus routes and five subway lines run through the Expo area, and 42 buses will run within 2.4 km of the area. The public transportation system would be able to meet visitor demand, though traffic jams are still possible during rush hours.

EXPO AS ECONOMIC PROPELLER

To date, 192 countries and 50 international organizations have confirmed their participation in the global feast that usually showcases latest advances of architecture and engineering worldwide.

Despite the global economic downturn, no would-be participants have decided to withdraw from the Expo.

Leo Delcroix, commissioner general of Belgian section at the Expo, said that at a time when the western developed economies remained in recession, a savvy policymaker should grasp the opportunity to be offered by the Expo to make preparations for a new-round growth.

Delcroix said that the world economy needed to take a year and a half to recover, during which the Expo would be held. It would be a good chance to showcase to the rest of the world, he added.

Many future participants used to face with such challenges as crisis effect, currency depreciation and budget slash during their preparation for the Expo. But they hold on. The construction of the U.S. pavilion, which had met difficulties in fundraising, is an example.

The United States signed participation contract as late as last July. Construction of the U.S. pavilion began on July 17, and the topping-off finished in October. On Nov. 16, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a visit to the Expo site and appealed for sponsorship for the pavilion, since U.S. laws prohibit the government from allocating money directly for the Expo activity.

According to Nicholas Winslow, president of the U.S. pavilion, 85 percent of the 61-million-U.S. dollar participation cost has been raised, and the construction work will be completed in early March.

“The pavilion will not be a trade show. It will be an opportunity for America to showcase itself to the world,” Winslow said.

The Saudi Arabian pavilion, which costs more than 1 billion yuan (146.6 million U.S. dollars), will be completed in mid February. Designed jointly by Saudi Arabian and Chinese architects, the pavilion symbolizes “the marine Silk Road” from China to the Western world, and will witness the largest human and financial resources the Arabic nation will ever put into the Expo activity.

Russia used to participate in world expo by renting an exhibition venue. But this time, it spent more than 1.5 billion rubles (52.8 million U.S. dollars) to build its own pavilion.

According to The French Exhibition Bureau, France’s Pavilion will show various French art styles — from modern art works like “Homage to Mornet” by French Chinese painter Zao Wou-Ki to classic works by artists from 19th-century France, such as Jean-Francois Millet and Vincent Van Gogh.

Shanghai Expo unleashes architects’ playful side

At a riverfront construction site in Shanghai, architect Andreas Bruendler scratched his head under his hard hat as he tried to explain his concept for Switzerland’s pavilion at the 2010 World Expo.

A chairlift that will carry visitors spiralling up a shaft and then over a rooftop meadow before returning inside? Easy one. Exterior tiles encasing solar cells in a soybean resin? A bit more challenging — never been done before.

Since the days of London’s Crystal Palace at the first World’s Fair in 1851 and Paris’ Eiffel Tower in 1889, Expos have showcased the latest advances in architecture and engineering. Shanghai’s 2010 Expo aims to awe as well.

Many of the nearly 200 countries participating in the six-month event, which begins on May 1, have poured more money into pavilions than usual in a bid to do national branding and woo consumers in the Asian giant, officials say.

In theory, the buildings will only stand for the duration of the Expo, which is expected to draw 70 million visitors, most of them Chinese.

But Bruendler says that temporariness is liberating.

“You can explore new concepts. You’re closer to a free idea,” he said.

“With a ‘real’ construction, it has to hold for 20, 40, 60, 100 years. The limited period for which the pavilion stands here gives you a chance to think about the future developments in architecture.”

After international competitions and months of construction, the steel, glass and wood exteriors of the national pavilions are finally taking shape.

Katerina Dionysopoulou, the project architect for Britain’s pavilion, said she and her colleagues at Heatherwick Studio were inspired by a photo from an old Expo showing people “trying to figure out what to do.”

The spiky British pavilion is built around the concept of the Royal Botanical Garden’s Millennium Seed Bank in London, which seeks to preserve plant life threatened with extinction.

The whimsical result — with influences ranging from Victorian gardens to science fiction films — is captivating.

“We realized we had to do something that was so different that people would just literally go towards it,” Dionysopoulou said.

“We took all the seeds and decided to encapsulate them just like the DNA in the amber in ‘Jurassic Park’,” she explained.

“We are putting them inside 7.5-metre acrylic rods. The daylight will make them shine and a small LED that is embedded in them will make them glow in the night.”

A total of 60,000 rods will protrude from a timber box, she said.

“They will catch the breeze of the river and, hopefully, just quiver,” she said.

For Italy’s pavilion, architect Giampaolo Imbrighi imagined how falling pick-up sticks — a game Italians call “Shanghai” — could trace the outlines of narrow lanes reminiscent of both Chinese and Italian cities.

Large plates are lined up and represent the multiple layers of the Italian pavilion by Bicuadro architects

A new material called transparent cement will make up 40 percent of the pavilion’s surface area so that its appearance changes throughout the day.

“The different degrees of transparency make it possible to see light from the interior on the outside — and vice versa,” Imbrighi said.

Finnish architect Teemu Kurkela’s pavilion also experiments with a new material. A genuine white marble exterior was beyond the budget for his “Kirnu” design, which resembles a giant pestle. So his team improvised.

“The surface of the pavilion is made of industrial waste,” Kurkela said.

“We are using this paper that has been made waterproof by plastic. This is a new product developed for the pavilion.”

As part of efforts to develop greener and more energy efficient buildings, many of the pavilions will harness natural light and be cooled naturally.

Some, like the Finnish pavilion, are designed to be dismantled after Expo and transported elsewhere to be rebuilt and re-used.Time and budget constraints can force Expo pavilion designers to be even more creative, Kurkela said.

“Or maybe we’re just crazy,” he said.

Bruendler eventually finds the word he was grasping for to explain the intelligent soybean resin tiles.

“It’s a battery,” he said, explaining that a visitor who uses a flash to take a photograph of the pavilion could trigger a chain reaction of light running around the building.

“The cells collect energy during the day and once their tank is full, they flash. They flash by themselves but they also have a receiver. So you could provoke the flashing of the whole facade,” he said.

Austrian pavillion for shanghai expo by SPAN and zeytinoglu architects the gradient coloration of the porcelain facade covers the entire building

Shanghai Expo to show baby pandas at city’s zoos

Ten baby pandas in Shanghai for Expo

Ten giant panda cubs will be on display at the Shanghai World Expo next year at the city’s zoos, giving tens of millions of Chinese and foreign visitors a glimpse at the highly endangered species.

The cubs, four male and six female, will arrive in Shanghai in January with a chartered plane escorted by two breeders from their home in Wolong and spend six months at the Shanghai Zoo and six months at Wild Zoo of Shanghai. The pandas would not appear at the actual Expo site due to a lack of space.

All 10 have been born since July 2008 in the Wolong breeding centres in southwestern Sichuan province, which was struck by a 8.0-magnitude earthquake in May 2008 that left nearly 87,000 people dead or missing.

Some of the cubs’ mothers were survivors of the quake in mountainous Sichuan, where China’s panda population is concentrated, said Li Desheng, an official from the China Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre.

The cubs will have their favorite food – bamboo – brought from Shanghai and neighbouring provinces during their stay in the city.

The Expo, due to begin May 1 and run for six months, is expected to draw 70 million visitors.

The Shanghai Zoo, which already has three older giant pandas, has refurbished its panda house to accommodate the new arrivals, part of a bumper crop of pandas born last year despite damage to the panda reserve and breeding center from the earthquake.

Pandas are threatened by loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction rate. Females in the wild normally have a cub once every two or three years. The fertility rate of captive giant pandas is even lower.

Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in China’s southwestern Sichuan province. An additional 120 pandas are in Chinese breeding facilities and zoos, and about 20 live in zoos outside China.

10只“世博”熊猫下月抵沪 将在申城两大动物园各展出半年

10只大熊猫将作客2010年上海世博会一年

昨日，在环球金融中心举行的“2010年大熊猫世博行”新闻发布会上，展示了10只世博熊猫的照片。这10只熊猫分别叫平平、安安、韵韵、佑佑、汉媛、壮妹、奥运、闽闽、阿灵、武阳，将于下月从四川乘包机来到上海。明年上半年，它们将在浦西的上海动物园展出；明年下半年，它们将搬家到浦东的上海野生动物园与市民见面。

均为震后出生 将在两家动物园各展半年

“平平”和“安安”：

在汶川大地震后产下的首对双胞胎，它们的妈妈在地震时躲在垮塌的山崖下，经过解救跋涉到了雅安，在去年7月6日产下这对双胞胎。

“平平”和“安安”性格互补，是完美组合。“平平”性格文静、喜欢爬树，“安安”性格活泼，经常趁饲养员不注意时从幼儿园跑出来。

“韵韵”：

小眼睛大鼻子，性格温顺开朗。它的妈妈英英是“英雄母亲”，先后产下了8胎13只熊猫，都成活了。

“佑佑”和“汉媛”：

也是一对双胞胎。“佑佑”因为脸两边的毛比较长，被戏称为“张飞”脸，是有名的“散打冠军”。“汉媛”则是一个非常爱美的乖乖女，非常喜欢照镜子，经常端着奶盆看半天，原来是在把奶盆当镜子用。

“壮妹”：

是虎头虎脑的“假小子”，吃东西特别快，看到旁边的小伙伴没吃完就抢，常被饲养员训斥。

“武阳”：

最喜欢玩皮球，一次为了把皮球从地洞里掏出来，头都被卡住了，最后还是饲养员花了近20分钟时间才把它“解救”出来。

“奥运”：

出生在奥运期间的幸运宝宝，是“白面书生”，性格有点孤僻，喜欢自娱自乐。

“闽闽”：

是10只熊猫体重中最轻的一只，生下来含奶嘴都含不住，饲养员用奶管插到它的胃里，一天一天度过危险期才逐步长大的。所以她喜欢撒娇，经常抱着饲养员的腿不放。

“阿灵”：

很爱在树上睡觉，有时候到了吃饭的时候也不愿下来，一定要饲养员把饭盆放在树下它才下来吃。

【熊猫档案】

平平

性别：雌性 出生日期：2008年7月6日 初生体重为：170g 目前体重：37kg 性格：斯文腼腆，喜欢爬树 特征：尖嘴、圆脸 母亲：蝈蝈
解说：平平比较文静的，喜欢爬树，是树上的黑白精灵。

壮妹

性别：雌性 出生日期：2008年7月26日 出生体重：104.5g 目前体重：41.6kg 性格：性情急躁 特征：虎头虎脑的假小子 母亲：白雪
解说：壮妹具有超强的攀爬能力，曾经3次跑到野外，后来自己回来了。壮妹吃东西特别快，看到旁边的小伙伴没吃完就抢。

安安

性别：雄性 出生日期：2008年7月6日 出生体重：145.5g 目前体重：38kg 性格：好动、调皮 特征：圆脸、花嘴巴 母亲：蝈蝈

解说：与平平是双胞胎，性格正相反，好动，喜欢打闹，有时会趁饲养员不注意偷偷跑出过“幼儿园”。

武阳

性别：雄性 出生日期：2008年8月6日 出生体重：206.7g 目前体重：40kg 性格：温顺、乖巧 特征：圆脸、小眼睛 母亲：草草

解说：身材又圆又胖，长着一对咪咪眼。武阳最喜欢玩皮球，经常对着皮球满院子跑。

韵韵

性别：雌性 出生日期：2008年7月13日 出生体重：173.5g 目前体重：43kg 性格:温顺、开朗 特征：小眼睛、鼻子短而大 母亲：英英
解说：韵韵的妈妈英英今年19岁了，先后产下了8胎13只大熊猫，都成活了，被亲切地称为“英雄母亲”。

奥运

性别：雄性 出生日期：2008年8月8日 出生体重：154.2g 目前体重：36kg 性格：乖巧懂事 特征：个小、毛白 母亲：妃妃

解说：出生于北京奥运会开幕式当天，称它是为奥运而生的。奥运长的比较秀气，它喜欢自娱自乐，不爱跟别的熊猫玩。

佑佑

性别：雄性 出生日期：2008年7月21日 出生体重：129g 目前体重：36.6g 性格：活泼好动 特征：尖嘴、圆脸、大眼睛 母亲：龙欣
解说：佑佑长着一张“张飞脸”，有比较强的占有欲，喜欢打闹。平时熊猫散打过程中，它是散打冠军。

闽闽

性别：雌性 出生日期：2008年9月3日 出生体重：102.8g 目前体重：35kg 性格：思维敏捷、喜欢撒娇 特征：尖嘴、脸比较圆
母亲：竹韵
解说：闽闽生下来含奶嘴都含不住，让工作人员操了不少心。从小跟人接触多，养成了喜欢抱饲养员腿撒娇的习惯。

汉媛

性别：雌性 出生日期：2008年7月21日 出生体重：111.4g 目前体重：40kg 性格：斯文、随意而安 特征：圆脸、大鼻子 母亲：龙欣
解说：它是乖乖女，我们也叫它非常爱美丽的熊猫，它喜欢照镜子，经常在水池边玩耍的时候看着自己的倒影就陶醉了。

阿灵

性别：雌性 出生日期：2008年9月14日 出生体重：191.2g 目前体重：34kg 性格：成熟稳重、爱思考 特征：上嘴唇长于下嘴唇
母亲：晔晔
解说：喜欢呆在树睡觉，很多人以为熊猫睡觉在树下，其实熊猫在树上睡觉是很常见的，因为这是自我保护的一种行为。

聚焦

暂不考虑移师世博展区

上海市林业局副局长蔡友铭透露，关于外界关心的10只大熊猫运输方案，届时将采用包机的形式从双流机场运到上海的虹桥机场，但具体运输的时间要根据当时的气候条件，最后确定。

“运输过程当中为了确保大熊猫宝宝的安全，四川卧龙方面派出两名专业技术人员随机进行陪护。由于10只熊猫宝宝还比较幼小，在这个过程中备足了随身需要的饲料，包括奶粉等。”蔡友铭表示，在整个过程当中有保育人员进行看护，到了上海虹桥机场之后，则会在第一时间进入上海动物园。由于进入动物园之后还需按照动物隔离观察的要求，也为了使大熊猫能够适应新的环境，会有一段时间的观察，具体展出时间还不能敲定。

据了解，整个大熊猫上海世博行的活动，上半年在上海动物园，下半年在野生动物园，没有额外的门票，来园就可以看到大熊猫。

对于大家关心的大熊猫是否可以放到世博场馆内的问题，有关负责人表示，由于世博园区展区范围相对狭小，目前不考虑移师世博展区。

Disney exec: China big enough for 2 theme parks

Beijing has approved the creation of a Disneyland-style park in Shanghai; its first in mainland China and its fourth outside the United States after Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Bill Ernest, president of The Walt Disney Co.’s parks in Asia, noted that in the U.S., where the population is about a quarter of the size of China’s, there are already two major resorts — in Orlando, Fla., and in Anaheim, Calif.

Main Gate of Hong Kong Disneyland

Analysts suggest the Hong Kong location will still be more convenient for families in southern China, while the new site is perfectly placed for the fast-expanding middle class in Shanghai and other wealthy cities nearby.

China’s planning agency approved plans for a Disney theme park in Shanghai last month, part of a government push to develop China’s biggest city into a global services center and tourist destination.

The Shanghai park has been estimated to cost $3.5 billion, though Ernest said it was too early in negotiations with the government to give any details about the resort’s price tag, attractions or capital structure. Analysts say it is likely to be years before the attraction – which may open in 2014 – is able to turn a profit for Disney, which has a multibillion dollor annual turnover.

But the company’s parks also help to promote the overall brand. It already has branded language schools in Shanghai and its products are on sale in around 6,000 outlets across China.

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in Disneyland in Hong Kong.

It opened in 2005 to great fanfare only to suffer disappointing attendance its first two years. However, visitor numbers in its third year grew by 8 percent, the Hong Kong government says.

Likely anticipating a Shanghai park, Hong Kong secured as part of the expansion two new areas, featuring “frontier town” and “rain forest” themes that will be unique among Disneylands worldwide when they open. The third area, based on the hit Disney-Pixar “Toy Story” films, will be exclusive in Asia.

The park is a joint venture between Hong Kong’s government, which is separate from mainland China’s, and the American entertainment giant, based in Burbank, Calif.

解读迪士尼上海吸金之旅：游客人均花费约600元

上海对赌迪士尼？

　　迪士尼来了。

　　预计于2014年落成的上海迪士尼主题乐园，成为近期上海经济最新的兴奋点和争议中心。这项预计总投资将超过500亿元的巨无霸是上海迄今最大的政府投资项目。

　　在一片亢奋之中，却有另一种声音，一方面香港迪士尼4年来的经营困境仍然纠结着特区政府，另一方面在刚公布的消息中，上海与迪士尼的合作同香港与其“合作模式几乎相同”，令人对上海市政府的盈利未来颇为担忧。

　　同时，来到中国的迪士尼还不得不面对一个现实，事隔20年，当年曾看迪士尼长大的孩子，还有多少人会为最初的童年记忆埋单？

迪士尼的上海冲击波

　　虽然作为“参照”的海外三座迪士尼主题公园，除东京迪士尼外，另外两座一度门庭冷落，但这依旧不妨碍米老鼠在中国引发的连锁热情。在短期内米老鼠势必将成为上海经济的有效杠杆

　　迪士尼来了。“靴子”终于落下。

　　11月4日上午8点30分，上海市人民政府新闻办公室授权宣布：上海迪士尼项目申请报告已获国家有关部门核准。

　　孩子们眼中充满童话色彩的迪士尼世界，还会是成人眼里如“芝麻开门”般创造财富神话的“摇钱树”吗？尽管还未最后尘埃落定，中美双方还在就合作的具体内容和细节进行深入磋商，但围绕迪士尼能否盈利的话题，却早已争论四起。

　 　作为“参照”的海外三座迪士尼主题公园，除东京迪士尼外，另外两座一度门庭冷落。1992年开张的法国巴黎迪士尼，开业一年，亏损就达到了9亿美元，“ 迪士尼总部高管每天甚至不敢查看来自巴黎的传真件，因为上面的亏损数字让心脏无法承受。”美国普利策奖得主詹姆斯•斯图尔特在《迪士尼战争》一书中描述。

　　香港迪士尼境况也不容乐观。根据香港财经事务及库务局的一份名为《香港迪士尼乐园的融资及财政效益》的文件，2005年建成的香港迪士尼，至今仍未开始盈利。

　 　“大家忽略了关键的一点，迪士尼是一个‘巨无霸’式的产业链，主题公园不过是其赚钱的手段之一。”上海大学影视技术学院教授赵抗卫博士告诉《中国新闻周 刊》。从2002年迪士尼上海项目谈判重启开始，赵抗卫曾参与了包括迪士尼在内的一些国际品牌主题公园引进的洽谈，他坦言已经关注了主题公园产业十几年。

　　从迪士尼全球经营模式来看，迪士尼“吸金”主要依靠四大部分：电影制片、主题公园和度假地、迪士尼玩偶商品(含迪士尼授权业务、直销市场、图书出版、游戏、零售等)、媒体网络。这四大板块相互关联，构筑起迪士尼强大的“吸金”帝国。　

250亿，羊毛出在羊身上

　　一份关于上海迪士尼项目的可行性报告显示，预计于2014年落成的上海迪士尼主题乐园，首期投资就高达244.8亿元人民币。

　　近250亿元的巨额投入如何收回成本并盈利，成为各界关注的焦点。

　　“这可能指的是作为合资的主题公园公司投入的费用，这笔投资并不仅仅是建主题公园的园区，还包括园区内的各种基本建设费用、土地费用、环保费用、部分区域交通设施费用、动迁费用等。”赵抗卫告诉《中国新闻周刊》。

　 　在香港迪士尼项目中，迪士尼方面会派驻高层管理团队，提供品牌使用权，同时抽取7%的品牌费；中方则提供所有中层管理人员和普通员工，合资的主题公园并 向美方支付项目版权费、制作费等。如果预期的合作模式与香港迪士尼项目相同，那就意味着在迪士尼主题公园尚未“吸金”之前，250亿元的投入已经有一部分 通过这样的方式“返还”给了迪士尼公司。

　　据此前媒体报道，迪士尼项目股权中，中方股权占57%，迪士尼股权占43%。上海市政府指定 国有大型企业代表中方，与迪士尼共同组建合资公司，由该合资公司投资100亿元人民币，其中中方出资57亿，迪士尼出资43亿。剩下的150亿元为债券， 其中政府拥有120亿元债权，银行等商业机构拥有30亿元债权。

　　国有企业陆家嘴集团被认为是合资公司中方代表中的大股东，尽管尚未得到官方确认，但一位参与谈判的核心人士向《中国新闻周刊》透露，此前进行的迪士尼项目谈判，陆家嘴集团曾作为中方出资人代表之一参与其中。

　　“要建主题公园，就要先以批租或租赁的方式取得土地，而土地是国有资产。”赵抗卫分析说，“合资公司的中方本身就是国有企业，实际上是羊毛出在羊身上，通过土地的批租或租赁，把一部分投资款又还给了中方公司。”

　　“中美投资双方250亿的投入，实际上很大一部分还是以土地、版权、项目设计制作和利息等资金成本等方式回报给彼此，园区建设的费用占的比例不会很高。”赵抗卫说。

迪士尼雪球

　　“落户上海是迪士尼历史上的又一个里程碑。”11月3日，迪士尼公司英文官方网站上刊登了迪士尼公司CEO罗伯特·伊格尔的声明，对上海市场这块“大蛋糕”所表现出的极大热忱和期望可见一斑。

　　“大型主题公园的成功一定是在主题公园本身的经营、周边配套设施的运营、品牌与知识产权的运作这三个层次中有所作为、有所创造的。”赵抗卫解释，园区经营收入是主题公园最基本的收入来源，主要由门票、服务销售、赞助费收入等几项构成。

　　迪士尼方面预测，在园区经营收入中，门票收入占50%，食品和饮料占24.5%，商品24.5%，其他收入为1%。门票收入在园区经营收入中的地位可见一斑。

　　“此次上海迪士尼的门票价格初步定价为320元”，上海财经大学教授何建民告诉《中国新闻周刊》。何建民是国内最早的旅游经济学者，今年2月，他曾作为唯一一名旅游专家，参与了上海迪士尼项目的评审，“并签署了保密协议”。根据瑞士银行(UBS)世界区域经济调查机构公布的数据，截至2007年3月，按购买力平价估算，上海的人均国民收入已经达到27734美元，位居内地第一，“所以这个定价是合理科学的。”何建民说。而2002年上海迪士尼项目谈判重启时，美方通过当时的市场调查，认为门票适当的定位在220元。

　　何建民估算，门票收入再加上购物消费，饮料、交通费用等，入园一次，游客人均花费会在600元左右。　

而如何让这个雪球越滚越大呢？

　　“市场基础是个关键。”何建民告诉《中国新闻周刊》，“迪士尼想要在园区经营上盈利，需要保证年客流量在1000万人次左右。”

　　“上海有着得天独厚的优势，就是人口基数大。”何建民进一步解释，“上海有2000万人口，整个长三角地区有7500万人口，是中国经济最富裕的地方；上海国内游客目前有1.02亿人次，入境游客700万人次左右，这个数字还在急剧增长。”

　　来自国家统计局披露的第五次全国人口普查公报，0～14岁的孩童，在中国有约2.8亿，而他们，正是迪士尼最重要的目标人口群。

　　有了市场基础，如何保证每年1000万人次的游客为迪士尼主题公园“买单”？

　　迪士尼频道是迪士尼公司吸引游客的另一张“王牌”。他们需要一个天天向中国孩子讲故事的机会，让孩子们重新爱上米老鼠。但受到我国文化产业相关政策的限制，迪士尼频道落地成为迪士尼项目谈判数十年波折不断的“绊脚石”之一。据此前媒体报道，此次上海迪士尼乐园项目计划中，就可能包括一份重要的媒体协议。广为流传的版本是，这份协议允许迪士尼以合资的形式，可以放手制作电影、电视和网站内容。

　　上述主题公园经营收入仅仅是迪士尼“吸金”的冰山一角。纵观迪士尼全球经营状况，主题公园收入仅占迪士尼公司总收入的20%，后续的电影和电视收入占30%。

　　剩下的一半收入呢？“秘密全在衍生产品、二次消费中。”赵抗卫告诉《中国新闻周刊》，迪士尼其余50%的收入，全部来自品牌销售。