Taco Bell, we hardly knew ya. An article in this morning's Metro Express commuter paper reported that a Yum Enterprises spokesperson has confirmed the closing of Shanghai's two Taco Bell Grandes, at People's Square and in Gubei, as well as the chain's single Shenzhen location. Instead of pushing Americanized Mexican food in a tough market, the owners of KFC and Pizza Hut have chosen to concentrate on expanding their new Chinese "quick service" venture East Dawning (东方既白), which according to Dianping.com already has 10 locations sprinkled throughout greater Shanghai. The People's Square former Taco Bell Grande will become East Dawning's flagship location. According to TIME magazine: more ›

Metro news from the local press: more ›

The free Metro Express commuter paper has a big front-page spread today on the People's Square metro interchange make-over. The headline announces that "People's Square Three Line Interchange Hall To Open By Year's End", which is old news to those who have been following the progress of the new metro Line 8. Instead, the reason for the story being published today is that the Shanghai Rail Transport Construction Headquarters just released a bunch of numbers on the new station, as well as a map of the planned station layout. Among the numbers: more ›

The Shanghai Daily and local media report that a historic slaughterhouse located at 10 Shajing Rd in Shanghai's Hongkou district is set to open in July as a luxury shopping shopping center featuring "house jewelry and car shops". The old slaughterhouse, built in 1933, is famed for being one of three in the world with a unique octagonal architecture, and whose twisting passages, balconies and bridges have been a prized target for wily photographers who could talk their way into the off-limits building used as a factory and warehouse since the 1950s; this "reporter" couldn't get in, but others have. The Metro Express article-cum-press-release linked to above likens the project to Xintiandi and certain areas of the Bund, and reports that architects are referencing old photographs of the building during the restoration process. more ›

According to this morning's Metro Express (时代报), officials at Shanghai's Conference on Population and Family Planning declared yesterday that there were 18.15 million inhabitants of Shanghai at the end of 2006 — and that doesn't include migrant workers. The figure is said to be 2.07 million more than 2000. By 2010, the population is expected to exceed 19 million. more ›

Yesterday's Metro Express reports on a vote by 2470 internet users of real-estate website Sofun.com to decide which Shanghai metro station has the most romantic potential, ie where you would be most likely to meet your one true commuting love. more ›

Shanghai malls haven't been doing too hot lately. The Cloud Nine Shopping Mall in Zhongshan Park can claim to be "the city's biggest shopping center in terms of floor space," but suffers from a severe lack of tenants and had to cede their home-grown basement grocery store to Carrefour in in June due to lackluster sales. In July, the Los Angles Times exposed Shanghai's luxury malls as "ghost malls", spearing Plaza 66 and others for renting space to designer name brands at cut-rates in order to create a façade of prosperity and high fashion for the city. more ›

Photo by Captainvideo taken from the Shanghaiist photos page. To see your photos on our photos page, use Flickr and tag your photos “shanghaiist”. Or you can email your photos to photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically appear on our site. more ›

胡锦涛主席启程出访五国
Chairman Hu Jintao sets out to visit five countries, including 美利坚合众国 (the USA). Did you hear about the dinner at Bill Gates' house? more ›