a. Shanghai ? ? - Yu Garden (Garden of Leisurely Repose) ??

First established in 1559 by a Mandarin named Pan Yunduan??? who used to be the governor of Sichuan????? and was expanded in 1577, the Yu Garden (also called as “Chenghuang Miao”—Town God Temple by the local people, it got two names because of two ancient architectural structures in the area: Yu Garden and Town God Temple) is located on the northeast side of the old Chinese Town. The garden encompasses 5 hectares (12.5 acres). Laid out by a landscape artist, Zhang Nanyang, it has become one of the most renowned gardens in South China. As the Pan family fortunes declined, the garden was neglected and overgrows until the local gentry restored it in 1760. It became the headquarters of the Dagger Society or Small-Society, Uprising (an uprising led in 1853 by the Small-Sword Society, a secret society, against the foreign imperialists in Shanghai and Xiamen, Fujian Province) in 1853, during the early part of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Revolution (1851-1864), and was badly damaged. Part of the garden became the bazaar and local guildhalls, but over 20,000 square meters remain of tall rockeries, halls, ponds and pavilions linked by zigzag corridors. The Spring Hall???, used by the Dagger Society???, houses exhibits of coins and weapons from that period. The five-ton porous Exquisite Jade Rock is one of the attractions. Beautifully shaped, it is about 4 meters in height. It is a piece of grotesque rock from Lake Tai in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, characterized by its wrinkled appearance, slender shape, translucent nature, and numerous holes eroded by water. That if incense is burned underneath, smoke will float out of each crevice, drifting away with the wind, and when water is poured from the top of the rock, it will trickle out through its crevices. Legend relates that it was discovered some 1,000 years ago in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and it joined Emperor Huizong’s collection of weird and grotesque rocks before finding a resting place in Yu Garden.

The Moon Palace, a brick carving on the wall of the eastern corridor of the Chamber for Enjoying the Moon, is considered a rare piece of treasure among all the brick carvings south of Yangtze River. It is exquisitely carved and has approximately 7 or 8 layers, producing a strong three-dimensional effect.

Yu Garden, located in the southern part of Shanghai, is a well-restored Suzhou-style garden. It is one of the best gardens in southern China. With pavilions, halls, chambers, towers, ponds and rockeries, it presents more than 40 scenic spots. At least 10,000 people visit the garden every day. No wonder people say “Those who have come to Shanghai but missed Yu Garden and the City God Temple Bazaar can not claim that they have been to the city.”

b. Shanghai ? ? - Oriental Pearl TV Tower ?????????

Three nine-meter-in-diameter cylinders, which are supported by three tilted standings seven-meter-in-diameter with an oblique angle of 60, tower to the sky. With eleven steel spheres in various sizes inscribed, the body of the Tower creates an admirable image, which is described in an ancient Chinese verse as: Large and small pearls dropping on a plate of jade???????????????.

The 468-meter-high Tower, which is the highest in Asia, and the third highest trailing 553.33-meter-high Toronto Tower Canada, and 533 meters high TV Tower in Moscow, Russia in the world, was put into construction in 1991 and completed in 1993. On May 1, 1994, the 118-meter-high antenna pole was successfully connected with the Tower body in the first attempt sitting between Nanpu Bridge in the south and Yangpu Bridge in the north of the Huangpu River, the Tower is made up of 11 balls, the lowest of which is 118 meters high and the tallest being 295 meters. There is a revolving teahouse and a scenery-viewing platform, which can accommodate 1,600 people in the tallest ball. Here visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the Bund and the Pudong New Area.

The coloue-changeable luminary system of the Tower consists of 438 emitting lamps, 2 revolving lamps, 2 light belts, 2 projectors, 576 lighting points and other accessory equipments. Automatically controlled by computers, the lamps give the Tower body thousands of changeable colours.

The antenna at the top of the Tower can be used for multiple purposes of data transfer and telecommunications. It accommodates the transmission of 10 radio frequencies and 9 TV channels. The power covering the whole area of Shanghai, the operation of the Tower largely improves the receiving of radio and TV programmes for Shanghai residents.

There are 6 elevators in the tower—five installed in the three columns, one between the height of 250 meters and 341 meters. One of the five elevators is double-decked. With a capacity of accommodating 50 persons at a speed of 4 meters per second, it is the only one of its kind in China. Two medium-sized elevators, accommodating 30 persons each and running at a speed of 7 meters per second, cover the distance from the bottom of the Tower to the higher sphere within 40 seconds.

The Tower is 120,000 tons in weight, compared with the 7,000 tons of the Eiffel Tower in Paris of France. The steel structure of the lower sphere ???weights 624 tons, the higher sphere??? being 873 tons, the space cabin 50 tons and the antenna 450 tons.

Tallest building gets new security

Starting late March 2002, people entering the office area of the Chinese mainland’s tallest Building?????? (the US $ 540 million, 88-storey)—Jinmao Tower in Shanghai, have to wear a special security tag to get through a new security system. The Tower has become the first office building with a total floor space of 290,000 square meters in the mainland to use a system controlling access to its doors. The building has become a new icon for Shanghai’s Pudong area.

The Bund ??

The Bund, which extends from Jinling Road in the south to the Waibaidu Bridge over the Suzhou Creek (the whole project of the cleanup of the Suzhou Creek is estimated to cost 20 billion yuan or US $ 2.42 billion and by 2010 hopefully the river will once again be clean enough to encourage marine life back to the area) in the north, is on the western bank of the 114-kilometer-long Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze River. It is a 1.5-kilometer boulevard and used to be called the Huangpu Shoal. Walking along Zhongshan Road, visitors can enjoy the fade grandeur of old Shanghai, for this was the Bund, where the great trading houses and banks had their headquarters. ON ONE SIDE IS A LINE OF IMPOSING 1930S European buildings, while the other is the Huangpu River. The Bund underwent a face-lift several years ago, which included raising the level of the breakwater to prevent flooding. The raised pedestrian promenade gives a wonderful view of the Huangpu River with the futuristic-looking buildings of the New Pudong Area rising on the other side. Across the Waibaidu Bridge is the Shanghai Mansions. On the 22nd Floor of the Mansions, you will find yourself above the tree line, and unfurling below you, a marvelous view of the bustling city of Shanghai with a sea of buildings in all their majesty. The architecture, along the Bund is unanimously honoured as a “World Architectural Fair.”

THREE ON THE BUND ????

A historic building on Shanghai’s most famous and elegant thoroughfare, The Bund, has been totally transformed into a ground-breaking celebration of contemporary living, where art, culture, food, fashion and music converge to inspire a richer life – an elegant, sophisticated gathering place for vibrant people and stimulating ideas.

The seven floors in the 12,000 sq. meter space include four unique restaurants, an exquisite fashion retail store, the Armani flagship, an elegant day spa and a music lounge - all of which are physically connected to the heart of the building, the Shanghai Gallery of Art (SGA) on the third floor.

Three on the Bund is owned and developed by investment holding company, House of Three which was established in March 2000 and is incorporated in Hong Kong. House of Three was the first privately owned company to obtain government approval to develop and own a building on the Bund, and Three on the Bund is the company’s first private-equity backed venture in China.

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Shanghai ? ? - Nanjing Road ????

Nanjing Road in Shanghai, the so-called No 1 shopping street on the Chinese mainland, is being groomed over the next 10 years into a world-class commercial destination. About 18 billion yuan (US $ 2.17 billion) of Shanghai investment will be fed into the an ambitious project to build the century-old Nanjing Road into a first-class commercial destination in the next ten years. The remodeling of Nanjing Road has aroused interest from many world-famous enterprises. Executive officers from 28 top multinationals such as AOL Time Warner, Louis Vuitton and Nike, gathered at a two-day Nanjing Road International Forum that started on November 21, 2001 to seek investment opportunities and to share each other’s experiences. The project will be completed by 2010. The Nanjing Road will be built into a leading world-class commercial destination, like the Champs Elysees in Paris and Fifth Avenue in New York. Mckinsey????Co, one of the world’s largest consulting companies, is participating in the current project to design the street’s new image. The company has spent three months investigating such world-famous streets, including London’s Oxford Street????? and Tokyo’s Ginze?????. Based on the success of those streets and an in-depth study on the strengths and insufficiencies of Nanjing Road, Mckinsey presented a plan to divide the street into three sections. The first section, from the Bund to Henan Zhouglu, will be known as Heritage Shanghai“????”?. The section is mainly for sightseeing and quality goods shopping. The second section, from Henan Zhonglu to Xizang Zhonglu, will be called as Cosmopolitan Shanghai“????”?. The section will house China’s largest street mall. Apart from dozens of flagship fashion boutiques, an 8,000-square-meter market selling sedans will also be included in this section. The third section, running from Xizang Zhouglu to Chengdu Beilu, will be known as A Taste of Tomorrow“????”?. The section will be designed mainly for recreation and entertainment. Of the 18 billion yuan (US $ 2.17 billion) to be invested, only a small section of the infrastructure is Nanjing Road won’t be turned into an expensive consumption district like Ginza in Tokyo. It will maintain its character: to serve the people.
Shanghai ? ? - Other Scenic Spots ????

Disney-Like Theme Park ??????

A 373-hectare-Disney-style Theme Park built in Shanghai’s Qingpu District aims to show that learning is not just from textbooks any more. At this as-yet unnamed park, which opened in October 2001, children can camp, play sports, touch the high-tech arms, spacecraft and robots and meet famous historical figures from Chinese philosopher Confucius to gravity guru Newton. There are also Internet facilities. Other attractions include a “Tarzan”-like jungle adventure and a Mother Nature coping challenge a la the Tom Hanks blockbuster “Cast Away.” The park is a vision of the Shanghai Education Commission and includes a museum, science laboratory, Internet connections and sport facilities. The largest one in Asia, the park can serve as many as 4,000 students on overnight camping outings. On weekends and national holidays, non-students would be granted admission.

Work is on track on building a 700-by-25-meter boulevard featuring images of 160 distinguished scientists from China and overseas. The boulevard is also lined with 400 different types of plants. Students can get up close and personal with people of excellence in sciences. This way they come away with a deep impression, paving an easy way to build knowledge. Education experts laud the park as a solution to the limited space provided in crowded Shanghai for extracurricular activities. Many local schools do not have enough space for sports or recreation because of the downtown area’s dense population.

Pudong ??

Bordering the East China Sea and at the estuary of the Yangtze River, Shanghai Pudong New Area is situated at the junction of China’s “golden coast” and “golden waterway.” Covering an area of 522 square kilometers, it has a population of about 1.4 million. In April 1990 the Chinese Government declared an important policy of developing and opening-up Pudong, which has attracted the world attention. After more than ten years’ development, with a mint of money from overseas fed into the mammoth construction in the Pudong area, remarkable achievements have been made, of which the four key zones have become the vanguard of developing and opening-up in Pudong. These four key zones include Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone, Jinqiao Export Processing Zone, Zhangjiang High-tech Park Zone, and Waigaoqiao Free-Trade Area.

Since 1970s, especially since 1980s, for the fast development of New Pudong Zone, three big Bridges and four underwater tunnels have been built between Shanghai’s Pudong and Puxi (the city proper of Shanghai). To residents and visitors alike, set amidst the Huangpu waters formed by the Suzhou Creek and the Yangtze River estuary, is acknowledged as one of the most beautiful and bustling cities in the world.

Shanghai Grand Theatre ?????

Construction of the Grand Theatre in Shanghai started in 1994 and completed and put into use in August in 1998. The total cost for the Shanghai Grand Theatre was US $ 144.5 million. In February 1994, Jean-Marie Charpentier and Associates, a French architectural firm, beat out 12 other firms from 11 countries to design the theatre.

Located on the northwest corner of the People’s Square, the theatre has a striking arc roof and gleaming glass walls revealing the interior to passers-by. At night, with its lights turned on, the building looks like a glittering crystal palace.

The theatre actually houses three stages—a 1,800-seat main stage for ballets, operas and symphonies, a 600-seat medium theatre for chamber orchestras and a small 200-seat auditorium for dramas and fashion shows. The acoustics are good enough for performers’ words to be heard clearly at any corner of the main theatre.

Shanghai Museum ?????

Established in 1952, the Shanghai Museum has a collection of more than 120,000 rare cultural pieces including bronze artifacts, ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, lacquer wares, oracle bone inscriptions and coins. The museum is especially famous for its collection of bronze pieces. The 1,200-square-meter showroom has housed more than 400 beautifully decorated bronze artifacts, which reflect the development of the Chinese society from the 18th century BC to the 3rd century BC. With its dark green colour, the showroom conveys an artistic atmosphere of history and culture. The ancient statue showroom has over 120 statues on display, including the simple and coloured wood statues from the Warring States period (475-221 BC). Buddha statues from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and the pottery figures (including horses and soldiers) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Visitors can also get a clear picture of what the ancient seals looked like in the past in the Seal Showroom. The room, consists of four parts, has over 500 seals on display, which date from the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). Entering the showroom of furniture of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties the visitor almost feels s/he is in a Chinese-style garden and mansion. In a 700-square-meter showroom, more than 100 pieces of furniture are on show. In the Coin Gallery, the visitor can find nearly 7,000 coins made from a variety of metals including bronze, gold, iron and copper, which chart the development of coinage in China.

The museum also has a library collection of more than 200,000 books on Chinese art and history. It also has an Archaeological Department, which takes charge of archaeological fieldwork. To date, the department has successfully discovered 27 cultural heritage sites over the past decade.

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium ?????

As one of the largest ocean aquaria in Asia, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is located beside Oriental Pearl TV Tower and features the longest underwater viewing tunnel extending 155 meters, making it the longest in China. The aquarium is divided into eight zones with 28 species and a total of more than 10,000 precious fish from four continents and five oceans. Currently, the highlights include Sawfish, Jellyfish, Sunfish, Leafy and Weedy Sea Dragons, Octopus, Shark Eggs and King Penguins.

Shanghai Wild Life Park ???????

Located in Nanhui District, and encompassing 153 hectares, Shanghai Wild Life Park is China’s largest state-owned one. It boasts six zones for visitors to see cheetahs, lions, bears, tigers and other animals. For the sake of safety, visitors have to stay inside vehicles while touring the areas where animals are kept in the wild. There are also animal shows, shopping centers and barbecue areas.

Wusongkou Port ???

Wusongkou Port on the estuary of the Hunagpu River functions as the Shanghai Port Terminal for domestic passengers, taking the place of 130-odd-year Shiliupu at the Bund. The move is an important part of Shanghai’s century project to turn the Huangpu River, used mostly for industry, into a true “Mother River,” which can offer Shanghai’s people beautiful scenery and enjoyment. Encompassing 24.5 hectares, the terminal, the investment in which has been roughly estimated at 200 million yuan (US $ 24.2 million), runs 700 meters along the coastline and has a channel 11 meters dep. The port has corresponding land transportation, commerce and entertainment facilities. A 180-meter-high iron tower to lift up high-pressure wires is a landmark, and the visitor will be able to take elevators to a platform 120 meters above the ground to enjoy a view of the estuary. The terminal serves as the water gateway to the city and a transportation hub, which is expected to drive development in the north of the city. The port will serve the regular routes that now run through Shiliupu Wharf, such as boats to Dalian of Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, the Zhoushan Archipelago of neighbouring Zhejiang Province, Shanghai’s three islands of Chongming, Changxing and Hengsha, and cities along the Yangtze River. Disenbarked visitors to the city can be delivered to any part of the city via buses or taxis or to neighbouring Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces via long-distance buses. There are more and more luxury tourism liners on international routes and officials hope that people who wish a relaxing trip will choose to explore the Yangtze River. Wusongkou opened in 2003.

Tags: architectural structures, emperor huizong, family fortunes, fujian province, heavenly kingdom, imperialists, jiangsu province, landscape artist, pan yunduan, renowned gardens, slender shape, song dynasty, south china, spring hall, taiping, top of the rock, town god temple, wrinkled appearance, wuxi, yu garden

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