Ditch your inner Scrooge and head for the theater

Every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart!" rages Scrooge, Charles Dickens' famous king of stinge. Canadian actor / director Jonathan Geenen ... Read more »

Not since those crazy kids in “Weird Science” made a supermodel out of a test tube has geekiness been so popular. The well-worn Steve Urkels of our past have become the Seth Cohen / Napoleon Dynamite hybrid, a mix of awkwardness, braininess, sexiness and street smarts. With all the fabulously geeky ... Read more »

Let's start with some adjectives to describe Shanghai winters: cold, windswept, wet, dreary, chou dofu. You don't want to go outside, so as the mercury drops, start looking into services that make house calls. The following businesses and services will give you a running start in making your ... Read more »

Ever considered yourself a star just waiting to be discovered? Do you hum the theme song from Fame every time a news camera passes you by? With Shanghai attracting international shows like Cirque Du Soleil's "Quidam," the idea of being a world famous performer based in Shanghai has never ... Read more »

Though Shanghai may be removed 1,300 kilometers from the main action in Beijing, it is still playing a major role in the upcoming Olympics. Our main feat is hosting the Special Olympics World Summer Games this October, an international event that brings together almost 7,500 athletes from six ... Read more »

If you thought that "extreme" applied only to sports, think again. Shanghai's bartending wizards are increasingly employing exotic ingredients, fresh foams and vibrant colors to create some of the world's most interesting (and tasty) cocktails. Over the next weeks, our city's top bartenders gear up for a ... Read more »

Best Place to Watch a Cricket Fight

Gentlemen, Place Your Bets

The tamely named “[Xizang Lu] Flower and Bird Market” makes it easy to decide to minimize your exposure to bird flu; during summer though, a special trait of this market—cricket fighting—makes it worth the risk. Weave your ... Read more »

Best Place to Chase Shadows

Puppet Masters

What did Chaplin, Goethe and Mao have in common? They

were all great fans of China’s shadow puppets. On screen for

thousands of years, shadow plays are the oldest form of Chinese

opera as well as the forerunner of Chinese animation. Each ... Read more »

After years of living in the shadow of Beijing, never getting its much deserved respect, Shanghai rock is finally making its biggest mark to date on the Chinese music map. The Rock it! festival at Dino Beach will be the largest outdoor music festival ever staged in Shanghai, with over ... Read more »

“Made in China" labels usually conjure up images of cheap plastic toys or hilariously misspelled t-shirts, but a group of up-and-coming designers are giving it a whole new rep. Drawing from their global backgrounds and working from one of the most international cities in the world, these small boutique fashion ... Read more »

Gay China

In Shanghai, the sexually alternative scene has blossomed into a world-class affair, with thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people living under the city's neon lights. Ever since the opening of Eddy's Bar in 1995, Shanghai has rapidly accumulated an array of gay-friendly bars, restaurants ... Read more »

Were you blown away while watching high flying skaters and mind blowing stunts at the recent X Games Asia? Maybe you're itching to get into the extreme life yourself but are not sure of where to go or what is available in this city to get you started. City ... Read more »

On the morning of Sunday, November 26, instead of being flooded with commuters and vehicles, Shanghai's main thoroughfares will be inundated with thousands of runners. They gather to take part in the 11th Toray Cup Shanghai International Marathon, which starts at Nanjing Lu and finishes at Minhang Stadium.

Last ... Read more »

Everything is still in the stale air of the long corridor but for a faint rhythmic sound, like a far-off television playing footage of an ancient tribal ritual. The sound grows louder as you approach a sliver of light spilling from a half open door. In the room a band ... Read more »

Caroline Rowe

British / Marketing director of The Collection

Define gourmet? My goodness, this is almost impossible! For me, this means trying inventive dishes. I adore the toro at Tian Jia; it’s like a fresh white truffle. I also adore Eric Johnson’s kumamoto oysters with sparkling champagne jelly at ... Read more »

A new breed of megastars has arrived in Shanghai, not in a stretch limo, but rather in the comfort of your home. Really, you can even meet these new stars while lounging in your smiley face boxers. Who are they, you ask? They are the web celebs of Shanghai–trendy ... Read more »

Since the early 1900s, International Women's Day has been observed around the world. Indeed, the "little woman" of the Twentieth Century has changed. She no longer believes her place is in the kitchen, the bedroom, or any other room of the house. She is an equal in the workplace ... Read more »

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, why not celebrate Chinese New Year the local way? This year, Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, begins on Feb. 18 and celebrations wind down on the 15th day of the New Year, known as the Lantern Festival. We ... Read more »

Boy meets girl. Boy woos girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Unfortunately Shanghai is not always the city for happily ever after. Let us indulge you with some of the possible endings. Boy or girl goes back to his/her respective homeland, relationship ends. Boy or girl realizes inner ... Read more »

It's a cold, quiet night in the northern reaches of Hongkou. But inside the Hongkou Swimming Pool, sharp voices and clashing sticks jut into the frigid silence. A hearty group of men shoot up and down on the seasonal ice rink. They fall, they get up, they fire wrist ... Read more »

What is it that keeps us coming back? We go home for Christmas or New Year's, yet, after seeing family, friends and the familiarity of home, we always return. There's no doubt about it – there's something about this city that takes hold of us and carves its ... Read more »

That we can afford nice clubs without having to be or dress like a VIP

The Hengshan Community Church and its amazing bible study group with members of all nationalities

The Old China Hand Reading Room with its cozy cafe and books

Only in Shanghai would we be able to ... Read more »

Over the past few years, artists, craftsman and shopkeepers with an eye for the unusual have made a home for themselves at Lane 210 Taikang Lu, nestled in the former French Concession. What began as a quiet movement has now become one of the city's premier art communities. Now ... Read more »