CHINA INSIDER”

 
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
Shangri-La will open its second hotel in Shenzhen, the Futian Shangri-La, in early 2008.

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 later.
 
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 meters (1,384 feet) … 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 US$2.66 a day. Shanghai's Jinmao Tower, next door to the World Financial Center, previously held the record as China’s tallest building, at 421 meters (1,381 feet).

EYE OVER BEIJING
Beijing is also looking to make the record books with the construction of the world’s biggest ferris wheel. Permitting spectacular views of the city, the wheel will be 210 meters high (690 feet); the current largest, the London Eye, is 135 meters high (443 feet). 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.

THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS        
Construction on the long-awaited Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway is expected to begin soon. To be completed by 2010, the railway will have a cruising speed of 300 kph (186 mph) and a top speed of 350 kph (217 mph), 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

WHAMPOA WOWS
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 cuisine in rooms that once housed hundreds of children as part of a school complex. Vibrant walls are painted with intricate murals and the presentation of food is 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 parlor, or recline with a fine Cuban cigar in Cube gentleman’s lounge.

FRANCK-LY PRETTY GOOD
Recently reopened after a short hiatus, Franck is one of the coziest French bistros in Shanghai, offering none of the frou-frou of other European establishments, but delivering when it comes to quality of food. With a 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 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 asymmetrical buildings are being converted into a stylish shopping mall, with restaurants and cafes alongside housewares 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, the quality is guaranteed. Mudan also goes to great lengths to ensure that jewellery designs are elegant 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 Thann products.

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 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.

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 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 while 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 kilometers (three square miles) just outside Shenzhen city. Come 2008 there will also be a theme park with the world's largest man-made waterfall, among 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 kilometer-long (half mile-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
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