October 2007
Issue Eleven

A quarterly newsletter of “insider tips” on China’s latest travel news including the best and latest in restaurants, retail, entertainment and culture, culled from general managers, concierge and staff of Shangri-La’s 23 China hotels.

This issue’s feature city: Shenzhen

Served by traveloscopy.com

CHINA NEWS

A TASTE OF TANG
A 1,300-year-old market in Xi’an, designed to give visitors a glimpse into the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), will be rebuilt by June 2008. The 33-hectare market will feature antique and souvenir shops, a museum, restaurants, reception centers, and even a supermarket. Offices and residential apartments will be added further down the track.

GETTING A RISE OUT OF FOREIGNERS
A new study by the China National Tourism Administration found that the number of foreigners visiting China over the first six months of 2007 was up over 18 percent year-on-year. Over 12 million foreigners – the largest contributors being Korea, India and Russia - hit the Chinese mainland for leisure between January and June, with the total number of inbound tourists reaching 63.37 million.

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
It’s official – the Shanghai World Financial Center is now the tallest building on the mainland, topping 422 metres… and still growing! The wedge-shaped tower in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial district will eventually house 70 floors of office space, with each square meter being rented out for a minimum of USD2.66 a day. Shanghai's Jinmao Tower, next door to the World Financial Center, previously held the record as China’s tallest building, at 421 metres.

EYE OVER BEIJING
Beijing is also looking to pull out the record books, thanks to the construction of the world’s biggest ferris wheel. Permitting spectacular views of the city, the wheel will be 210 metres high – the current largest, the London Eye, only 135 metres high. The project is due to be completed in time for the summer Olympic Games in 2008.

BEIJING THE BEAUTIFUL
Forget coastal Qingdao and sandy Sanya, the most beautiful city in China is, in fact, Beijing. A new study by the China Institute of City Competitiveness had Beijing pip 558 other Chinese cities to take home the crown, followed closely by Hong Kong – which was also rated as the safest city in China.


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THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS
Construction on the long-awaited Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway is expected to begin soon, having been postponed for a year due to unspecified issues. To be completed by 2010, the railway will have a cruising speed of 300 kph and a top speed of 350 kph, slashing travel time between the two cities from 13 hours to just five.

OLYMPIC UPDATE

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
Chinese film director and Olympic consultant Zhang Yimou is on the hunt for pearly whites to front the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Olympic Games. Over 10,000 smiling faces are required for the choreographed spectacular in order to express the theme of “One World One Dream.”

TICKET TO VIEW
After a whopping 720,000 requests for 5.8 million tickets in the first round of Olympic ticket sales earlier in the year, October sees the second round of tickets hit the market on a first come, first served basis. Tickets can be booked via a hotline (+ 86-10 952008), the official ticketing website (www.tickets.beijing2008.cn), and Bank of China branches.

THE HOTTEST NEW VENUES IN CHINA

NEW RESTAURANTS & BARS

WHAM, BAM, THANK YOU MA’AM
The brainchild of Hong Kong/Singaporean gourmand Jereme Leung, newly opened Whampoa Club in Beijing’s Financial Street area is a stunning reinterpretation of his existing Whampoa in Shanghai. Featuring modern Chinese cuisine focused on Beijing staples, Whampoa Club is decked out by world renowned designers, and set in a beautiful courtyard property with outdoor, underground and street-level dining options.

NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE
Throwing open its doors in August, Jia - the third restaurant to grace the Face complex in Beijing, the other two being Hazara Indian and Lan Na Thai – dishes up exquisite Cantonese and modern Chinese in rooms that once housed hundreds of children as part of a school complex. Vibrant coloured walls are painted with intricate murals, with the presentation of food as immaculate as the dining rooms themselves.

A HOT COLLECTION
Located in chic Xintiandi, Shanghai, The Collection is a new compilation of different food and drink concepts housed under a single roof. Treat yourself to the freshest Japanese at Pure – a sushi bar headed by American Max Levy – indulge in the finest sweet treats at Sugar dessert parlour, or recline with a fine Cuban in Cube gentleman’s lounge.

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FRANCK-LY PRETTY GOOD
Recently reopened after a short hiatus, Franck is one of the cosiest French bistros in Shanghai, offering none of the frou-frou of other European establishments, but delivering when it comes to quality of food. Despite the small menu, the food is authentic and there’s a great range of wines and goodies for sale to take home as well.

NEW & SUBU
Opened in October by the South Beauty Group, also responsible for Beijing’s ultra-swish LAN Club, SUBU is located in the new Seasons Place mall in Financial Street in the capital’s west. With design influences from Johannes Torpe, SUBU is a virtual cubby house of nooks and crannies featuring different bar and dining concepts.

SHOPPING

THE BIG THREE: SOHO SHANGDU
The third SOHO complex to throw open its doors in Beijing, SOHO Shangdu comes courtesy of Australian designers LAB Architecture Studio. The obscure, asymmetrical buildings are being converted into a stylish shopping mall, with restaurants and cafes alongside homewares and an interesting collection of boutiques.

STRANDED IN SHANGHAI
Although it’s not the newest kid on the block, Mudan Boutique remains one of the best places to shop for exquisite pearls and unique Asian jewellery in Shanghai, priding itself on hand picking every single pearl that goes into a strand, as well as every single piece of stone, crystal or jade. Quality guaranteed, Mudan also goes to great lengths to ensure that jewellery designs are classy and original.

THE NEW PLACE TO BE: THANN
It may be small, but the new Thann Spa in The Place mall in Beijing is all about quality. The Thai-owned spa features an exclusive number of treatment rooms, as well as a boutique selling exquisite Thann products, inspired by aromatherapy and botanical extracts, and using all natural products for a truly sensuous experience.

Destination: SHENZHEN

Located in Guangdong Province and bordering Hong Kong, Shenzhen is renowned for its fast and furious economy, with one of the busiest ports in China, not to mention vast foreign investment in the area due to its status as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The first SEZ established in China back in 1979, the success and development of Shenzhen has since led to the founding of over a dozen other Special Economic Zones across the country.

Given its location and rather diverse community, Shenzhen is also renowned for having a large and interesting menu when it comes to dining. Local cuisine is Hakka with Cantonese influences, but there’s also an impressive complement of foreign fare to keep the expanding expat population well fed.

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With a tropical climate, Shenzhen is all about the great outdoors, and although there are limited beaches, the city does feature a growing number of lush, free parks.

Being the closest mainland city to Hong Kong, Shenzhen is a popular spot for shopaholic day-trippers from Hong Kong, and offers some of the best bargains in China as a result. One thing’s for sure: there’s never a dull moment in this city!

CHINA INSIDER’S LOOK AT SHENZHEN’S ATTRACTIONS, DINING, ART, CULTURE AND SHOPPING

ATTRACTIONS

INTERLAKEN IN SHENZHEN
For those who want to holiday in Europe whilst still in China, look no further than the new OCT East – a resort town in Shenzhen, modelled on the Swiss resort village of Interlaken. Complete with a five-star hotel, golf courses, eco-park and spa, the resort covers nine square kilometres just outside Shenzhen city. Come 2008 there will also be a theme park with the world's largest man-made waterfall, amongst other treats.

MARINE WORLD AND XIAOMEISHA BEACH
Located just outside of Shenzhen proper, Xiaomeisha Beach is as close to Bondi as you’re going to get in the province. Aside from swimming, the kilometre-long sandy beach facing the South China Sea is famous for its water sports, including sailing, diving, kayaking, jet skiing and more. Nearby, Marine World theme park has its own man-made beach, as well as nautical-themed rides, performances, and many shops.

NAN'AO BAY
With vistas of Hong Kong in the distance, Nan’ao Bay has a lively, beach atmosphere, with good shopping and lots of fishing action. The seafood here is super-fresh, and the ocean is teeming with rare animals including abalone and sea urchin.
Insider’s Tip: Close to 40 small restaurants line the waterfront in the area, all displaying their catch of the day in various fish tanks. To order, pick your fancy directly from the tank, then discuss the best cooking options with the friendly staff.

HAPPY VALLEY
Shenzhen’s answer to Disneyland, Happy Valley is a monstrous amusement park renowned for its numerous themed cities, including Mt. Advantage, Gold Mine Town, Shangri-la Woods, Sunshine Beach, Typhoon Bay, Happy Times, Playa Maya Water Park and Spanish Square. Blast into outer space aboard the Space Port, count your riches on the Gold Mine Train, or just make yourself sick on the Suspended Looping Coaster.






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ART AND CULTURE

SHENZHEN ART MUSEUM FACELIFT
Recently reopened after a six-month facelift, the Shenzhen Art Museum is now the glimmering, modern home to more than 2,000 local and international works of art. To make art more accessible to the people, the Museum plans to travel some of its exhibitions across the province in coming years.

OCT CONTEMPORARY ART TERMINAL (OCAT).
Located in the Overseas Chinese Town, OCAT is a beautifully bohemian art district, designed from renovated factory buildings. Aside from numerous exhibition halls, the area features artists’ workshops, offices, bars, cafes, bookshops, restaurants and souvenir stalls. Modelled on the 798 Art District in Beijing, OCAT is fast becoming a gathering point for contemporary artists from around the world.

ENTERTAINMENT

WINDOW OF THE WORLD
A sprawling theme park featuring replicas of 118 world-famous scenic spots, Window of the World is one of those places that lets you travel the globe… in a day! The 108- metre-tall Eiffel Tower sits alongside the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, and a series of mini-exhibits designed to make you feel like Gulliver.
Insider’s Tip: If you don’t mind the crowds, a good time to visit is during a specific annual festival. In summer, the park celebrates warm weather with an International Beer Festival; in October there’s a pop festival to commemorate Chinese National Day; and at Christmas Santa roams the streets with gifts for the kiddies.

SHENZHEN SAFARI PARK
One of the best zoos in China, and the first to feature the open-cage concept, the Safari Park is located on the bank of serene Xili Lake. Over 300 different animal species roam the 120-hectare park, with buses zipping visitors between the different enclosures.

WINING AND DINING

BAR STREET
Located in the heart of the CBD in Futian District, the new 136-metre-long bar street features an array of Chinese and western restaurants alongside new bars, clubs and teahouses – many of them with pleasant outdoor seating areas. Located inside the newly built Coco Park, punters are truly spoilt for choice.

LÖWENBURG BRAUEREI AND RESTAURANT
A unique German microbrewery and restaurant with a resident German brew-master, the food here is hearty, but good: think home-made sausages and crispy pork knuckle, washed down with one of many delicious, rich beers. Lounge in the outdoor garden on balmy evenings enjoying tunes from the resident band.
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MORNING TEA
A popular tradition, morning tea in Shenzhen is like nothing you’ll ever experience. Various specialty-potted teas accompany piles of fresh dim sum, including sticky sweets.
Insider’s Tip: A good place to catch the action is at Tang Palace – hugely popular, which means you may have to queue for a table – but well worth the wait.

RETAIL THERAPY

HUA QIANG BEI
This is the place to pick up anything electronic in Shenzhen. The huge, multi-story complex is bursting with everything from MP3 players to computers, but is also home to Women's World, which, as the name suggests, sells a wide variety of clothes and accessories. Thankfully there’s a Starbucks as well – you’ll need a coffee after a few hours shopping here.
Insider’s Tip: The Hua Qiang Bei area is renowned for its wealth of excellent Korean restaurants. After a hard day of bargaining, there’s no better way to relax than with a shot of soju and Korean BBQ.

LUO HU COMMERCIAL CENTER.
Located close to the Hong Kong border, and hence very popular with day-trippers, the Luo Hu is a huge six-story market selling everything under the sun. Different floors are dedicated to different products – handbags and shoes, clothes, audio-visual products, souvenirs, jewellery…
Insider’s Tip: Head to the top floor of the mall for a quick meal at one of the many restaurants, or treat yourself to a massage, manicure and pedicure from one of the beauty parlours on site.

HOT EVENT IN SHENZHEN

POP MUSIC FESTIVAL
In December, Happy Valley hosts a series of pop music festivals, Christmas concerts, live dancing performances and more to welcome in the silly season. Spanning 10 days, the festival includes hundreds of event from local and international artists performing everything from jazz and rock to classical as well as traditional Chinese.