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Shanghai Holiday Guide to What`s Going On

Shanghai Holiday Guide to What`s Going On

Write: Averell [2011-05-20]
Events
Yuyuan Garden
The garden and the City God Temple will hold a traditional Chinese style temple
fair. A lantern bank, composed of 100 tiger lanterns, will welcome visitors.
February 14-March 3.
Jinjiang Amusement Park
A new attraction - "Big Pendulum Bob" - is expected to have visitors screaming
during the holiday.
Shanghai Botanical Garden
The garden will display 30 breeds of plants with names related to "tiger" to
mark the Year of the Tiger. Visitors can also make dye from plants to paint
Chinese New Year cards.
February 14-28.
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
Divers at the aquarium will be dressed as the God of Fortune in Chinese
mythology. As the year`s Valentine`s Day falls on the Chinese New Year`s Day,
the aquarium will also set aside "kissing time" for lovers at the South America
area.
February 13-19
Changfeng Ocean World
The aquarium will hold an underwater magic show during the holiday. Held in the
shark tank, the show describes how a mermaid escapes from a cage set up by a
witch.
February 13-28.
Shanghai Zoo
The zoo will give children a brief introduction to tigers and their life.
Children will be able to make tiger masks.
February 15-19, 9:30am -2:30pm.
Shanghai Wildlife Park
Visitors to the park can feed the tigers on a special "feeding car" while
watching rare examples - white tigers and ligers, the offspring of a lion and a
tiger. Visitors can also upload tiger pictures taken at the park to its official
Website www.shwzoo.com, to take part in a photography contest with a ticket to
the 2010 World Expo as a prize.
February 14-March 20
Shopping
Almost all the stores in Shanghai are hoping to attract Spring Festival
customers with discounts and longer opening times. Some discounts will be as
much as 80 percent. The sales promotions at some stores will last to February
28, the Lantern Festival.
Printemps Department Store Huaihuai Road branch
The store will open from 10am to 2pm, and from 10pm to 2am. The store said the
times will suit people who want to shop after their New Year`s Eve dinner.
People who buy products up to 200 yuan (US$28) will get 200 yuan coupon.
No. 6 Department Store, Xuhjiahui
People buying products up to 188 yuan will enjoy 100 yuan discounts at the
store. The sales promotion activity will last to February 21.
Westgate Mall, Jing`an District
Before February 21, customers can take part in a lucky draw whenever they buy
goods worth 500 yuan. Every participant will get a prize.
City Plaza, Jing`an District
There will be up to 80 percent discounts on sporting items sold on the seventh
floor before February 22.
Daning Life Hub, Zhabei District
Before February 13, consumers may get an embroidered ball or diamonds when they
buy goods worth 500 yuan.
Lighting
Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau says scenic lighting will be on
in the city from today to next Thursday to celebrate the Spring Festival. All
lighting facilities along the Huangpu River, areas around the Expo zone,
shopping centers and traveling spots will be on from 6pm to midnight today and
6pm to 10:30pm during the holiday.
Hospitals
Out-patient treatment will mostly be stopped from today to next Friday. The
service will resume from Saturday, said the Shanghai Health Bureau. Emergency
services will be available 24 hours a day during the holiday.
Hospitals that have different schedules must inform patients beforehand.
Shanghai No. 10 People`s Hospital, for example, says all its departments will
offer out-patient services during the holiday.
Post Offices
Local post offices will be open as normal.
Lottery
The Shanghai welfare lottery market will close from today to February 19.
Banks
Most banks in Shanghai will be open in busy areas during the holidays, but hours
will vary.
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, for example, will open 50 percent
of its branches in Shanghai during the first three days of the holiday with 60
percent open during the rest of the holiday.
To get the opening hours of your local branch call the bank hotlines - ICBC:
95588; ABC: 95599; BOC: 95566; CCB: 95533; BoCom: 95559; BOS: 962888.
Transport
The city`s transport system is expected to carry 11 million passengers per day
during the holiday, about the same as last year.
Shanghai communication and transport administration bureau said up to 13,000
buses will be in use during the seven-day holiday.
Today, New Year`s Eve, nine bus routes will add buses and shorten interval
times.
The city subway operator said it had no plans to expand services on the 10 Metro
lines which will take 2.5 million passengers a day during the holiday, compared
to nearly 4 million on working days.
However, a section of Metro Line 2 will be shut for 10 days from February 14 for
renovation. Free buses will carry passengers between Longyang Road and
Zhangjiang High-Tech Park.
Services on Line 2 will also end an hour earlier on February 19. The current
service ends about 11pm.
The city`s 47,000 taxis will carry 3.04 million passengers a day. Five major
taxi companies also have an extra 2,000 cars ready to meet demand. The companies
expect to receive 40,000 phone calls a day to book cabs.
Shanghai traffic authorities are adding 200 coaches for long-distance travelers.