Around Shanghai: 清明节 attractions, exploring 0093, and extreme Expo makeovers

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  • Shall we go for a jaunt in the cemetery, check out celebrity graves and catch a flick? [Shanghai Daily] "Though young people are less fearful than their parents, going to the cemetery is still a grave undertaking, not a walk in the park. So it was a break with tradition when parklike Fushouyuan Cemetery in suburban Qingpu District applied late last year for scenic-site status from the city's tourism commission. Fushouyuan (literally Happiness Longevity Garden) says the process is underway and is making big plans to attract visitors throughout the year... That a cemetery could become a tourist attraction - and investors plan a cinema and a museum - is a sign that China's funereal (meaning sad) culture could slowly be lightening up."
  • Enter the bunker of sound - 0093 [Urbanatomy Shanghai] Lisa Movius checks out 0093 - also called Ling Ling - a former bomb shelter turned rehearsal rooms where Shanghai's young bands have begun practicing their music. More than just a place to play, 0093 has become the glue that holds the Shanghai music scene together.
  • Man falls onto Metro Line 2 track, killed by passing train [Oriental Morning Post] On Wednesday morning, a man suddenly fell onto the tracks at the Loushanguan Road station and was hit by an oncoming train. He was taken off the tracks immediately afterwards, but had died on impact, according to medical personnel. They could not find any documents on him. The Metro Line 2 train was delayed for 7 minutes.
  • Shanghai’s Extreme Expo Makeover [All Roads Lead To China] "Well, you knew it was coming, and if you have been in Shanghai for the last 8 months you will already begun to see the signs of the 2010 Shanghai face lift. Extreme Makeover style. It is a process that will spare few neighborhoods, look for lots of buildings encased in green construction packaging, and the last line of the Shanghai Daily article City to clean up for Expo really says it all: 'Old residential areas, wet markets and small streets are the key targets'."
  • Shanghai World Expo vows to outdo Olympics [SCMP] China Travel Service, seller of tickets for the World Expo, has said that Shanghai's premier event will attract a more enthusiastic response than the Beijing Olympics. They are confident that they will surpass sales records with over 178,000 tickets sold.
  • Construction starts on UAE pavilion [China Daily] "Construction began [Thursday] on the United Arab Emirates' desert-inspired pavilion for Shanghai's 2010 Expo. The golden stainless steel structure will have an undulating roof designed to look like sand dunes. It will shimmer and change colors to remind visitors of the UAE's natural environment and will be illuminated at night."
  • Murder hunt as sisters are slain at home [Shanghai Daily] "Two sisters from neighboring Jiangsu Province were found murdered in a rented house in Baoshan District early yesterday morning. There was no immediate word from police about suspects in the crime, but an Anhui neighbor of the victims, surnamed Zhao, said he heard from investigators that both women had their throats cut... Zhao heard the sisters crying for help about 1am, but didn't dare come out and see what was happening, he told reporters. The screams stopped after a few seconds."
  • Shanghai port operator signals dark clouds ahead for industry [Lloydslist.com] "International Port (Group), which operates China’s largest container port, has warned that 2009 will be 'the toughest year in recent memory for the port and shipping industries'. The dire forecast was issued as the port group saw a 17.5% slump in fourth-quarter net profit to Yuan697m ($102m), down from Yuan845m in the fourth quarter last year."
Photo by Mike Chen
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By Elaine Chow in on April 4, 2009 6:00 PM Comments 3 Likes Likes

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