Welcome to Shanghai Hills!

We just read a report that says the the new Shanghai World Financial Center complex is going to be called "Shanghai Hills." But check out their official website, which seems to have been opened for business on the 20th, and introduces some of the features of this complex, which is going to be completed sometime in 2008.

On the website, there's information about the hotel, world's highest observatory, shopping and business areas that will comprise the center. As for the name, we found this explanation:

Concept
The world has entered a new era, evolving from an industrial into a knowledge-based society, and into a society that wants to live in harmony with nature. People’s behavior, values and business styles have also experienced tremendous changes. The shapes of our cities must adapt to these new trends.

In our long search for a suitable model for the cities of this new era, we finally decided on the concept we named ”Hills.” Our “Hills” concept embodies diverse meanings. Physically, “Hills” take full advantage of existing topography and history, restore lost greenery and create urban environments in which nature and humankind coexist in harmony. Symbolically, “Hills” express a stage from which new perspectives, new ideas, and new visions are generated. These are gentle sloped “Hills,” ideal for strolling and which engender pleasant conversation. There are spots which everyone can enjoy in perfect safety, including children and the elderly. Our “Hills” include, within efficient vertical layouts, the various elements needed to provide a fully rounded urban lifestyle. Our “Hills,” therefore, become destinations where people from around the world come together to enjoy the wealth of information, knowledge, culture, and business opportunities.

There's a bit more after that and you can read the whole thing here.

The Chinese name is a bit different: 上海秀仕 (Shanghai Xiu Shi). On the face of it, if you say xiu shi it kind of sounds like "hills" the way that ai laohu you sounds like "I love you." On the other hand, take a look at the characters involved -- 秀 (xiu) can be used as part of 秀才 (xiu cai), which means a gifted scholar or writer. Shi is a character that refers to officials and officialdom, as in 仕途 (shi tu), literally, path of the official, or "official career." In this sense, the name has more to do with "human capital" than mounds of dirt that never grew up to become mountains.

You can with their little introductory movie here (though we've been having some technical issues with that) and there's another flash/movie thing here, which again our internet connection makes difficult to appreciate.

Also on Shanghaiist:
Skyscraper Envy: Shanghai to whip out another big one

Image from Shanghaihills.com