Beijing and Shanghai, as two of the world’s most famous cities with two distinct style attract the people throughout the world. In Beijing, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Hutong, Peking Opera, roast duck etc make you feel a strong cultural atmosphere here; but if you want to know China’s rapid development, the recent outcome of Shanghai’s science and technology, information technology, trade, financial will make you feel an international cultural exchange and integration in the bustling city.
When the Communist Party liberated China in 1949, the all-night
party that characterized Shanghai in the 1930's was shut down
in the blink of the eye. The “City that Never Sleeps” was finally
put to bed and covered with a large red flag. Shanghai remained
this way for 40 years until Deng Xiaoping opened the city to
economic reform, and the world let out a loud sigh of relief.
The nightclub scene began its slow comeback in 1992, and in
the fourteen years between then and now, Shanghai has come a
long way in returning to its former greatness. Travelers now
have a variety of entertainment options when they are in town.
If you come with an open mind and an adventurous spirit, you
will discover that Shanghai is a fun place to visit.
Unlike most small cities in China, the Shanghai nights are far
from quiet and still. Shanghai is a city with two faces. In
the daytime, it is a whirlwind of suits, briefcases, people
and vehicles. As night falls, Shanghai comes ablaze with street
lamps and neon lights. Everyday the city undergoes a new makeover,
with flashy new watering holes popping up and closing down every
day. Shanghai now has more bars than you can swing a dead cat
at, providing the traveler with a great variety of options and
an equally great variety of prices. A recent government clampdown
on nightclubs open later than 2 am took the edge off of the
scene for a while, but the bars are back up and running again,
and going strong. Club nightlife is closely connected to the
bars, which are usually found in the same area. Shanghai has
different clubs to suit different tastes, with music ranging
from salsa and hip-hop, to trance and Chinese-techno, to gay
venues.
For those looking for other more culturally related forms of
entertainment, Shanghai is more than willing to please. Travelers
will be able to take on some Broadway shows, see gravity-defying
acrobatics at a nearby circus, or enjoy a symphony at the Shanghai
Grand Theater. And then at the end of the day, finish it all
off by heading to a masseuse, and letting your worries get rubbed
away.
Bars and nightclubs
If you are looking for evening on the town,
Shanghai has a number places to go to. Upscale establishments
center on the Bund, and more personalized choices can
be found at Fuxing Park and Jingan Si. Maoming Nanlu,
Hengshan Lu, and Huaihai Zhonglu are all know as blue
collar spots for the average Joe, where you will not have
to break the bank to party till dawn.
Dance club & Discos
Due to barflies' lazy nature it is a good thing bars
and the dance clubs are clustered together in groups,
and it is not necessary to have to walk very far to get
to one. Shanghai clubs are part bar and part dance floor,
so you can be get your drink and groove on all in one
place. Many clubs now are inviting a lot of on foreign
DJ's which adds variety and spice to the Shanghai nightlife.
So, sharpen up your moves and go join the locals on the
dance floor.
Theaters and shows
One problem that has persistently plagued China's movie
industry is that movies theaters are expensive, and cheap
pirated DVDs are too big a temptation to refuse. Illegally
copied DVDs can usually be found circulating on the Shanghai
streets within hours (and even sometimes before) a film's
world premiere. Indeed, most people prefer seeing a movie
in theater, but how could anybody possibly turn down the
chance of owning a movie for ten times less than the cost
of a movie theater ticket?
Another factor that tends to feed the problem is that
China imposes strict limits on the number of foreign films
released to Chinese viewers. Most of the time, pirated
viewing fine cinema. Until somebody finds a way to bridge
the gap between Movie Theater ticket prices and dirt-cheap
pirated DVD's. Movie Theater in China will continue to
be a net-lose venture.
For travelers who still want to catch a movie in the movie
theater but hesitate because you do not understand Chinese,
you are in luck. In the past, most foreign language films
shown in Chinese theater were dubbed into Chinese, but
recently, more and more foreign language films are shown
in their original language. Original language versions
of foreign films can be found in such place as the Paradise
Theater, Yong Le Gong, and the UME international Cineplex.
So, if virtue wins you over, and you want to skip the
DVD store to see the summer blockbuster as it was meant
to be seen, in a crowded movie theater with bottle of
soda and a bag of sweet popcorn, then check out one of
the movie theaters listed below and enjoy a show.
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