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 Monday, 13 October 2008 |
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Written by Rain Agency
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Monday, 03 July 2006 |
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China Insider
A quarterly newsletter of "insider tips" on
China's latest travel news including the best and newest in
restaurants, retail, entertainment and culture, culled from general
managers, concierge and staff of Shangri-La's 19 China hotels.
This issue's feature city: Suzhou
NEWS FROM AROUND CHINA
Asia's Largest Contemporary Art Museum
Construction has begun on the largest contemporary art museum in Asia,
a 20,000 square-metre space that will feature a range of modern arts,
from contemporary art to experimental music, drama and film. The museum
will be located in Shanghai's Pudong district, will be part of the
Zendai Himalaya Centre, which will also house a five-star hotel and a
creative industry centre. The museum is scheduled to open in 2009.
Iconic Temple of Heaven Building Reopens
The Temple of Heaven's "Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests," the Qing
Dynasty-era (1644-1911) round building that has come to symbolise the
Temple of Heaven in Beijing, reopened recently after a yearlong US$5.8
million facelift.
China Southern Stretches Its Wings
China Southern Airlines is preparing for an onslaught of travellers.
With domestic traffic expected to rise sharply in the next decade, the
mainland's largest air carrier has earmarked US$2.62 billion for the
purchase of 70 new aircraft by the end of 2007.
Stars Wax Lyrical In China: Madame Tussaud's Opens
Chinese superstars Yao Ming, hurdler Liu Xiang and kung fu idol Jackie
Chan are the headliners at Shanghai's newly opened Madame Tussaud's
exhibit. The sixth Madame Tussaud's worldwide features lifelike wax
models of 75 of China's favourite celebrities.
Subterranean Han Dynasty Museum
One of China's largest underground museums, featuring a world-class
collection of 1,770 relics from the Western Han Dynasty, recently
opened near Xian. The Han Yang Ling museum is next to the mausoleum of
Emperor Liu Qi (188-141BC) and his empress. The 1,400 metres of
exhibition space include warrior, musician and domestic animal terra
cotta figures.
High-Speed Railway Puts the Brakes on Travel Time From Shanghai
A 1,318-kilometre high-speed rail line that will reduce travel time
between Beijing and Shanghai to five hours will begin laying tracks
this year. The line, which uses Chinese technology, is expected to
begin running by 2010, in time for the World Expo in Shanghai. Current
travel time between the cities is now 14 hours.
GOING FOR THE GOLD
Celebrity Filmmakers to Direct Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Zhang Yimou, the internationally acclaimed Chinese filmmaker, has been
appointed chief director for the opening and closing ceremonies for the
2008 Olympic Games. Known for his sumptuous cinematography, Zhang will
work with the Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg, who is artistic
adviser for the ceremonies. The director of the 2000 Sydney Olympics
ceremonies, Richard Birch, and Yves Pepin, president of ECA2, have also
been named advisers.
CHINA TRENDS
15 Million Chinese Heading Abroad
According to a MasterCard International survey, the numbers of Chinese
travelling overseas is on the rise with 15.45 million mainland Chinese
travelling abroad during the first six months of 2006 (28.85 million
Chinese travelled internationally in 2005.) Favourite destinations:
Hong Kong, Australia and Europe.
HOT TIPS ON HIP PLACES IN SHANGHAI
Bund Glamour
M on the Bund's sexy Glamour Bar gets its own space in June. Owner
Michelle Garnaut promises an even more glamorous bar on the sixth floor
of her existing building, featuring a champagne bar, late night music
and that famous view.
Creek Chic
Shanghai's newest hip destination is Pier One, an old factory in the
Suzhou Creek artists' quarter, featuring the nightclub Minx and Monsoon
lounge.
Beijing Imperial Cuisine Goes South
Li Jia Cai, the well-known Beijing restaurant that recreates the dishes
from Dowager Empress Ci Xi's imperial kitchen (thanks to a grandfather
who headed up the Palace Guard), will open its first Shanghai branch on
the Bund this summer.
Simply More Space
Simply Life, the Shanghai homegrown lifestyle retailer, opened its
bigger, better flagship store at Xintiandi this spring. The new store
allows more space for its signature Asian Fusion products, as well as
for new lines, including furniture.
DESTINATION: SUZHOU
Suzhou, 88 kilometres west of Shanghai, is a classic Chinese beauty, an
ancient city where the gardener's art reached its zenith over a
thousand years ago. The city, whose intricate canals inspired Marco
Polo to describe it as the "Venice of the East," is renowned for its
traditional gardens, silk-weaving and beautiful women.
Lush Life
The soul of the city is its bouquet of tranquil gardens. Each has its
own personality, but all share Chinese classical garden design. Trees,
shrubs, fish pools, rocks and pavilions are perfectly balanced in
harmony, proportion and variety. Views through moon gates and lattices,
and cunning reflections in mirrored lakes, are all part of the
contrived effect. And everything, from the pine trees (long life) to
the goldfish (money) is imbued with symbolism.
Our favourites include The Humble Administrator's Garden, Lion Grove
Garden and Master of the Nets. The exquisite Master of the Nets Garden
is the tiniest garden in Suzhou - and, we think, the most beautiful.
The pavilions here have some of the loveliest antique Chinese furniture
in Suzhou -- furniture buffs will want to check out the Peony Study,
which has been duplicated in its entirety in the Metropolitan Museum of
Art's Astor Court and Ming Room.
Come back at night in the summertime: Master of the Nets is an
exquisitely romantic, nighttime setting for traditional Chinese
performances - opera, music, dance - that transport the viewer to the
days of the imperial court.
Museums of Silk and Song
The Suzhou Silk Museum tells the long and fascinating story of silk in
China, and features beautiful and rare ancient silk pieces. The Museum
of Opera and Theatre showcases Kun opera, the much-loved Chinese opera
style of this region. Kun Opera is still performed in the Ming-era
building on the museum grounds and a second building houses a display
of costumes, opera masks, musical instruments, even a model orchestra.
Temple of Mystery
Dating from the third century, the Taoist Temple of Mystery (Xuanmaio
Guan) is infused with an old-China aura and an impressive scale: a
great courtyard leads to the massive San Qing Hall, with its 60
magnificent red-lacquered columns, classic two-tiered roof with
upturned eaves and vibrant Taoist god imagery. Its grounds were once
the heart of the Suzhou bazaar, and the temple area is still a shopping
magnet, surrounded by a street market selling a variety of goods.
Pearl Market
The gleaming 3,000 square-metre China Pearl City, just outside Suzhou,
is the heart of the China pearl world. Over 800,000 kilograms of pearls
are traded here each year, two-thirds of the annual volume for all of
China. On busy days, up to 10,000 people come through, examining,
buying, selling and bargaining. For consumers, it's pearl heaven.
Classic Cuisine
Suzhou cuisine features a preponderance of seafood as well as fowl;
dishes tend to be sweet with clear soups and rich gravies. Recommended
authentic local eateries include:
Pine and Crane (Songhelou) Restaurant -- A 2,000 year-old restaurant,
Suzhou's most famous, is known for its traditional Suzhou cuisine.
Songhelou is said to have been a favorite of Emperor Qianlong, who ate
here whenever he visited Suzhou.
Attaining the Moon (Deyuelou) Restaurant -- With a history that dates
back to the Ming Dynasty, Deyuelou is another favorite spot for Suzhou
cuisine, with over 300 dishes on the menu and lovely garden views.
Wangsi Restaurant -- First built in the Qing Dynasty, Wangsi might not
have the scale of Songhelou, but the food is superior to the other two.
Nankai Restaurant -- One of the largest restaurants in the city, with
over 200 tables. Local dishes as well as cuisine from throughout China.
Nightlife
Nightlife in Suzhou is fairly quiet, with a couple of exceptions: bars
and pubs in hotels and on Shiquan Street. The latter comprises
humpbacked bridges over its adjacent canal, 1,000 years of history, and
now, teahouses, bars and pubs in its Ming and Qing-style buildings.
This is the place to go for a little local culture, with punters
finishing big nights with a cup of green tea.
Best Buys
• Once only used by nobles, silk fans are a Suzhou speciality. The Temple of Mystery market is a good place to buy.
• Suzhou's exquisite embroidery is renowned throughout China. Pieces
are available at shops throughout the city, including the Suzhou
Embroidery Research Institute.
• Suzhou silk is a fabulous buy - whether it is a piece of silk to be
made into a bespoke garment or something already made up. Guanqian
Street, the Suzhou Silk Museum and the Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory all
offer good variety.
Don't Miss:
North Temple Pagoda
This 16th century mustard-and-vermilion pagoda, a tiny bell tinkling
from each of its classical Chinese eaves, dominates the city. Climb the
charming wooden staircase to its summit for spectacular views of the
surrounding city.
Suzhou Sunrise Golf Club
A lovely Jack Nicklaus-designed course that is among the best in China.
Suzhou Pingtan
Pingtan, a form of traditional storytelling and ballads in the Suzhou
dialect, is an old art form that is endangered in big cities like
Shanghai - but still flourishes in Suzhou. The stories told are
traditional legends and myths familiar to most Chinese, and although
there are no translations, the dramatisations, accompanied by music and
song, still make it enchanting to experience.
EVENTS AROUND CHINA
"From Monet to Picasso" at Beijing World Art Museum, through August 27
Art aficionados are treated to a very special exhibition of modern
European art from the Cleveland Museum of Art, on display at the
Beijing World Art Museum. Master artists featured include Claude Monet,
Edgar Degas, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Georges Seurat,
Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. Beijing is the first stop of the
six-stop, five-year art tour, which will cover North America, Europe
and Asia.
The Fruits of Summer: Guangzhou Lychee Festival, July
Guangzhou's luscious summer fruit is celebrated at the peak of
perfection in July in Zhengcheng and Conghua with a festival that
includes performances, fairs and, of course, plenty of lychee-picking
and eating.
Harbin Summer Music Festival, August 6-15
The Harbin Summer Music Festival, which celebrates its 45th birthday
this year, features a wide range of musical offerings and competitions,
including opera, symphony, chamber music, choruses, vocalists, soloists
and dance. The Harbin Summer Festival is increasingly
internationalizing, with ambitions to become a truly international
music event.
The 16th Qingdao International Beer Festival, August 12-27
The seaside town of Qingdao, where the country's first brewery of the
same name (Tsingtao) was established - holds its legendary Beer
Festival including beers from around the country, spectacular fireworks
shows on the sea, parades, the "Summer of Qingdao" Art Show, sports
competitions, professional seminars, sand sculpture contests, and
exhibitions of calligraphy and paintings.
Dalian International Fashion Festival, September 9-15
The 18th annual Dalian Fashion Festival includes collections by some of
the world's top designers, forums for dress and accessories experts,
cultural seminars and garment and fabric expos. In addition, there is
also a city carnival, as well as spectacular opening and closing
ceremonies.
Art Exposition, September 25-29
The China International Artistic Works Investment & Collection
Exposition will be held in Beijing late September. The Expo will gather
world-class collectors from around the world, showcasing a diversity of
artistic works. The exhibition area will be separated into three: one
featuring international academies of art, national art galleries and
professional artists; another for international art galleries, auction
companies and art collection agencies; the third for China's
traditional artistic works.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 03 July 2006 )
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