Metal band Voodoo Kungfu's early influences
It's 1996 in Dublin, and amidst the cobblestone streets and homely pubs a teenager from Beijing sits in his dorm room at a Catholic school hunched over a pile of books. To the eyes of a passing priest all is as it ... Read More
Learn how to take China's delicious cuisine to kitchen and to country
When the time comes for Shanghai expats to pack their bags and head for home, there is something that even the hardest heart regrets leaving behind–the food. For foodies, surviving without daily helpings of qingjiao niurou ... Read More
China's first carbon neutral hotel marries comfort and conservation
Inspired by old architecture from 1920s and 30s Shanghai, URBN Hotels, China's first carbon neutral hotel, pays homage to the city's past and present while taking an innovative step towards ensuring its future. This chic boutique hotel is ... Read More
A truly underground Shanghai rock music venue
There is a place beyond the city's comfort zone where factory chimneys loom in the night sky and the lights of the Yangpu bridge flash overhead. It's an area perfect for anyone who wants to escape the omnipresent predictability of Shanghai ... Read More
Shanghai shopping stops for everything Christmas
Unlike home, Christmas in Shanghai doesn't usually come with eggnog, "Jingle Bells" and rosey-cheeked Santa decorations hovering above frozen sidewalks full of frenzied Christmas shoppers. If you feel that the lonely Christmas tree outside Raffles City does not a Christmas make, we'll ... Read More
A Brazilian martial art/dance takes root
Maybe you've already noticed a new group around Taikang Lu clapping, singing in Portuguese, dancing and twisting with their legs up in the air. This isn't a new trend born out of a gym class, but capoeira, an African-Brazilian martial art ... Read More
Roots & Shoots, China's only registered, international non-profit organization, is holding its second Rock for Roots & Shoots concert to raise money to plant trees in Inner Mongolia. After the success of last autumn's concert, Roots & Shoots believes that pursuing the large number of nightlife-hungry expats is the most effective ... Read More
It doesn't take a creative aficionado to see that the design scene in Shanghai is burgeoning. With the growth of fledgling designer-goods complexes and clusters of artistic boutiques popping up around town, the powers that be are pumping money into China's creative industries believing they could play a ... Read More
The Westernization of weddings is becoming a "pop" phenomenon. With Chinese Valentine's Day on Aug. 19, it seems that more and more Chinese people are giving their wedding ceremonies a Western face, literally, by hiring expats to perform Western-style wedding ceremonies.
"It all comes down to appearances," says American ... Read More
China is well-known for its success in international competitions, and dance is no exception. From August 18-21, Shanghai will host the finals of the fourth Grand Prix Chunghwa, China's own international ballet competition. The contest has produced some of the nation's most promising dancers, earning it such repute ... Read More
You can't teach old dogs new tricks ... or can you? Despite China's storied history, whisky is a relatively new drink in these parts, which is why Dewar's is planning to show it the best-tasting trick seen in recent years. As part of its launch into the Chinese ... Read More
Beijing may be under starter's orders, but it's Shanghai that will be first off the blocks in China's race to Olympic glory. This October the city will host the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games for people with intellectual disabilities–the world's biggest sporting event this ... Read More
Carsick Cars currently stands next in line as the most likely band in China to make a stab at international success. The new poster boys for the resurgence of Beijing rock will play in Shanghai, at eno and 4 Live, on Aug. 10-11. City Weekend chats with singer/guitarist Shou ... Read More
It is hard to dispute that, among all the Olympic sports, China's greatest chance for obtaining the coveted Olympic gold lies in ping-pong, the country's national sport and pride. As the Chinese team prepares for the final countdown to the Beijing 2008 Summer Games, the sport's aspiring ... Read More
Nothing satisfies during the sweltering Shanghai summer like a cold beer or chilled glass of wine. But what if the next time you enjoyed these it brought a smile not only to your face, but to a child’s as well?
Throughout July, KABB and Blue Frog restaurants are partnering ... Read More
Sick of sweating it out this summer in bars looking at yet another "amazing" view of the Bund? Already thinking longingly of Shanghai's oh-so-brisk winter? Fear not, for this is the balm in which to soothe those sunburnt lips. The first ice bar in Asia has opened its doors ... Read More
To many, the idea of spinning their body around a horizontal bar or doing a single-handed cartwheel on a thin piece of wood may seem impossible. However, gymnasts continue to push the limits of human physical capability. On July 27-29, Shanghai welcomes the Federal International Gymnastics World Cup 2007, the ... Read More
It’s hard to describe The Go! Team without sounding like an over-eager schoolgirl–critics and audiences have been melting into puddles of joy since their debut album “Thunder, Lightning, Strike!” hurdled U.S. copyright censors and hit the street dancing in 2005. As Ninja, vocalist and MC for the ... Read More
Can you name ten activities that improve your lifestyle? According to traditional Chinese beliefs, the ten "joie de vivre" include painting, reading, resting, exercising, conversation, sitting in the sunshine, sipping wine, gardening, taking a walk and listening to music. The Shile Boutique Lifestyle Center in Pudong embraces this centuries old ... Read More
School's now out, and summer's in. The question is, what do you do with all that free time? Entertaining your kids over the summer can be daunting but luckily, an abundance of summer programs offer something for everybody.
Little Picassos can check out Sharp+Focus Life summer art ... Read More
The Shanghai bar scene now rivals that of the world's. We still love the quiet cocktail, and avoid the all you can drink specials, but that doesn't mean we don't like to party. Here are the winners, your favorites and our picks.
Best Bar Food
Reader's ... Read More
A year ago, Allan Wills quit his cushy day job and set out on a journey to meet that special someone. After having traveled around the world and been on 45 dates, his blog and quest, Areyoumywife.com, is coming to an end in July. City Weekend caught up with ... Read More
trend-setters in Shang-hai, watch out–The Collection is about to hit Xintiandi.
The Collection strives to be an exercise in emergent properties, where the sum of its individual parts results in an oasis of funky dining delight. "We sat around brainstorming about what Shanghai was still missing," says Caroline Rowe ... Read More
Rorget about staying in with the air-conditioning on and mopping the sweat off your brow. This summer sees the return of the hugely popular and wild pool parties. Organized by the events company of the same name, the last Riviera pool party was a 400 member strong fun-packed summer affair ... Read More
Much to the delight of Chinese teenagers and homesick expats across the country, the notoriously strict government culture officials have given the notoriously “dirrrty” Christina Aguilera permission to perform at the Shanghai Grand Stage on June 26. Though the once-raunchy popstress has settled down and cleaned up her act a ... Read More