Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www1.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/09/15/292105/Curtain's up at Tourism Fest.htm
Visitors discuss a Beijing Olympics-themed plant sculpture at Century Park yesterday. The Shanghai International Mosaiculture 2006 opened at the Pudong park yesterday, featuring 82 pieces from 15 countries. A public photo contest will be held for the show and the winner will get a free trip to Hong Kong. Photos can be submitted between today and October 22 and the winner will be announced in mid-November.
Curtain's up at Tourism Fest
Created: 2006-09-15 CST, Updated: 2006-09-16 CST
The Shanghai Tourism Festival has something for everyone: fireworks, folklore, cuisine contests, Oktoberfest, carnivals, cricket fighting, extreme sports - or just smelling the sweet osmanthus and viewing the autumn moon, writes Xu Wei.
Tonight, the city puts her best foot forward for the annual Shanghai Tourism Festival with the traditional floral floats parade to kick off the three-week event.
Starting at 7:30pm, 17 floral floats, in both traditional and foreign designs, will head off along Huaihai Road. The parade will be followed by an outdoor carnival party at the Century Plaza on the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall.
Over the next three weeks, the annual festival will provide traditional and not-so-traditional entertainment at venues across the city.
Traditional programs include the highly praised "Rose Wedding" ceremony, cruisers' parade on the Huangpu River, International Music Fireworks Festival in Pudong's Century Park, folklore tour of nostalgic Shanghai lanes, tourist souvenir market, parachute-jumping show and a "China Day" event at Yuyuan Garden.
"The annual event of the city has been a focus for a long time," says Yao Shuoye, spokesperson of the Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission. "This year's major catch is the International Cuisine Festival. Gastronomic delights are the new highlight."
In addition to a show of foreign delicacies at Super Brand Mall in Pudong, food lovers can enjoy the sumptuous Oktoberfest at the Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel, seafood at Longhua Tourist City, a Taiwan snacks and fruit exhibition on Yandang Road and Fuxing Park.
A grand cooking competition is also on the menu. Officials say the contest will gather top Chinese chefs to showcase their talents and present authentic dishes to tourists.
As the festival coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival (on October 6), which marks the harvest and family reunion, a few traditional celebrations such as flower- and moon-viewing will add a festive ambience.
The tour to enjoy the blossoming of sweet-scented osmanthus has already been launched at Guilin Park in Xuhui District, Grand View Garden in Qingpu District and neighboring Shaoxing of Zhejiang Province and Nantong of Jiangsu Province.
Meanwhile, fish lovers should not miss the amusing neon-tetra and guppy fish show at Shanghai Ocean Aquarium. Starting from September 27, nearly 10,000 fishes will be on display.
The auspicious beautiful lights from the fish bodies brighten the sea and convey people's best wishes for life.
Visitors to the Century Park can also enjoy breathtaking topiary - plant sculptures shaped like animals and grand architectural features. The ongoing Shanghai International Mosaiculture boasts the work of gardeners from home and abroad.
The special International X-game Sports Day on October 5 aims to bring the sport's culture and lifestyle concept to Shanghai. Famous X-gamers from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Brazil will perform all the anti-gravity tricks through skateboarding, para-gliding and BMX (bicycle motocross).
If you want to take a quiet and peaceful holiday in the suburban fresh air and soft breeze, a forest tour and happy farmers tour seem perfect choices to escape from the bustling concrete jungle.
Chongming Dongping National Forest Park is now hosting a large forest carnival where people can appreciate blossoms and poetic landscapes, and enjoy outdoor sports such as climbing and grass skating.
Elsewhere on Chongming Island, tourists can spend an impressive "farm day," seeing things they won't see in town, such as cricket fighting, fishing, wine-making, cow milking and picking fresh fruits from the trees.
"I want to participate in the tour to enjoy the osmanthus blossoms with my boyfriend," says Zhang Wei, a 24-year-old white-collar worker. "That would be sweet and comforting."
A lot of residents say many of this year's programs are considerate, catering to people from all walks of life. But some hope that future festivals can collaborate with local shopping malls and offer more shopping discounts.
"Crowned as 'a paradise for shopping,' the tourism festival can be a good platform for both entertainment and shopping," says Sam Xie, a non-Shanghai native architect. "The officials can include several 'shopping days' in the event."
Starting at 7:30pm, 17 floral floats, in both traditional and foreign designs, will head off along Huaihai Road. The parade will be followed by an outdoor carnival party at the Century Plaza on the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall.
Over the next three weeks, the annual festival will provide traditional and not-so-traditional entertainment at venues across the city.
Traditional programs include the highly praised "Rose Wedding" ceremony, cruisers' parade on the Huangpu River, International Music Fireworks Festival in Pudong's Century Park, folklore tour of nostalgic Shanghai lanes, tourist souvenir market, parachute-jumping show and a "China Day" event at Yuyuan Garden.
"The annual event of the city has been a focus for a long time," says Yao Shuoye, spokesperson of the Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission. "This year's major catch is the International Cuisine Festival. Gastronomic delights are the new highlight."
In addition to a show of foreign delicacies at Super Brand Mall in Pudong, food lovers can enjoy the sumptuous Oktoberfest at the Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel, seafood at Longhua Tourist City, a Taiwan snacks and fruit exhibition on Yandang Road and Fuxing Park.
A grand cooking competition is also on the menu. Officials say the contest will gather top Chinese chefs to showcase their talents and present authentic dishes to tourists.
As the festival coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival (on October 6), which marks the harvest and family reunion, a few traditional celebrations such as flower- and moon-viewing will add a festive ambience.
The tour to enjoy the blossoming of sweet-scented osmanthus has already been launched at Guilin Park in Xuhui District, Grand View Garden in Qingpu District and neighboring Shaoxing of Zhejiang Province and Nantong of Jiangsu Province.
Meanwhile, fish lovers should not miss the amusing neon-tetra and guppy fish show at Shanghai Ocean Aquarium. Starting from September 27, nearly 10,000 fishes will be on display.
The auspicious beautiful lights from the fish bodies brighten the sea and convey people's best wishes for life.
Visitors to the Century Park can also enjoy breathtaking topiary - plant sculptures shaped like animals and grand architectural features. The ongoing Shanghai International Mosaiculture boasts the work of gardeners from home and abroad.
The special International X-game Sports Day on October 5 aims to bring the sport's culture and lifestyle concept to Shanghai. Famous X-gamers from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Brazil will perform all the anti-gravity tricks through skateboarding, para-gliding and BMX (bicycle motocross).
If you want to take a quiet and peaceful holiday in the suburban fresh air and soft breeze, a forest tour and happy farmers tour seem perfect choices to escape from the bustling concrete jungle.
Chongming Dongping National Forest Park is now hosting a large forest carnival where people can appreciate blossoms and poetic landscapes, and enjoy outdoor sports such as climbing and grass skating.
Elsewhere on Chongming Island, tourists can spend an impressive "farm day," seeing things they won't see in town, such as cricket fighting, fishing, wine-making, cow milking and picking fresh fruits from the trees.
"I want to participate in the tour to enjoy the osmanthus blossoms with my boyfriend," says Zhang Wei, a 24-year-old white-collar worker. "That would be sweet and comforting."
A lot of residents say many of this year's programs are considerate, catering to people from all walks of life. But some hope that future festivals can collaborate with local shopping malls and offer more shopping discounts.
"Crowned as 'a paradise for shopping,' the tourism festival can be a good platform for both entertainment and shopping," says Sam Xie, a non-Shanghai native architect. "The officials can include several 'shopping days' in the event."
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