headseast

From the Beijinger:

“The Global Times recently reported a planned expansion of the areas of the Forbidden City open to tourists, from 30 percent to 70 percent of the complex’s total area. As well as opening up new areas of the City, the renovation aims to relieve congestion and stress on the current zones open to visitors.

According to the report the area of the Forbidden City open at present has an ideal daily capacity of approximately 30,000, yet the City sees as many as 130,000 visitors a day during peak tourist seasons. Overwhelming crowds has led to damage and general wear that many hope will be relieved with the opening of new sections within the walled City.

The expansion project marks the start of phase two of long-term renovations; the first phase began in 2002, continued for six-years and restored areas already open to the public. Beijingers may remember that many of the gates were spruced up in the years before the Beijing Olympics.

This new phase will work on areas not currently open to the public and is scheduled to continue through to 2020. Tourists may see new areas of the Forbidden City open to them within a year however.”

Came across this from SkyscraperCity of Shanghai’s Pudong are – same perspective taken in 1990 and in again in 2010.

After a 33 month renovation costing an estimated 5 billion yuan (US$732 million) Shanghai’s famous Bund running alongside the Huangpu River has finally reopened as planned in time for May’s Shanghai Expo.

Gone is the 11-lane highway which has been cut down to four lanes, with 70 percent of the Bund’s traffic diverted into a two-tier underground tunnel. This has freed up space for a larger pedestrian promenade now stretching 2.6km with a staggering 2,000 park benches!

Below is a photo from 2009 of the Bund’s European architecture at night. Click here for a set of photos from the Shanghaiist of the newly opened Bund.

With only a few months now to the kick off of the Shanghai Expo 2010 the venues are nearing completion and the media buzz is starting to build up. To keep up to date with how construction is coming along a great photo essay can be seen at the Big Picture (photo below courtesy of Big Picture / Reuters / China Daily). Also a run down of some of the better buildings under construction at Lost Laowai will give you a taste of what to expect.

A set of photos here showing how the National Pavilions for the Shanghai Expo are coming on.

Hangzhou has long been famous as a centre for the arts, its wealth built on the silk industry. The chief draw is the West Lake, Xi Hu, which most Chinese regard as the world’s most beautiful lake. The lake is surrounded by gardens and paths, temples and tombs making a day or two here well worth the two hour trip by express train from Shanghai.

An hour from Hangzhou or several hours from Shanghai is curious Wuzhen, an ancient water town much restored to either it’s former glory or as a bit of a historical theme park depending on how you want to view it. The town is made up of a partially restored east side and fully restored west. A mish mash of old and new separates the two zones. The east side has a lived in feel and is more genuine but the west side is far larger and more impressive if a little sanitized. What can’t be ignored is the sheer scale of this tourism project – vast and very ambitious and, overall, very well done so the verdict is that it is worth a visit.

Shanghai marks the start of part two of this China journey. I flew here from Tibet via Chongqing and despite the time spent in Chongqing’s airport the arrival in Shanghai was surreal as it is about as far removed from Lhasa as is possible. Big brash Shanghai is China’s business hub. 18 million plus people all seemingly focused on money and the accumulation of as much of it as possible. Not a sign of the spirituality of Tibet – consumerism replacing religion. But this is what makes this city fascinating. Is this the future of China? Shanghai is gearing up for the 2010 World Expo starting next May and running for 6 months. Perhaps a better idea will come out of that – their slogan afterall is “Better City, Better life.”

An afternoons drive from Lhasa to the cliff side Drak Yerpa monastery famous for the monks who meditate for 3 years, 3 months and 3 days in the tiny caves which cover the mountainside.