A Museum for Moto-philes

Jeep junkies, get revved up – China's first automobile museum opened to the public in Shanghai last month. Located in the Shanghai International Automobile City in Anting, Jiading District, this museum covers an area of 11,000 square meters and houses 80 historical roadsters, such as China's first generation of Hongqi CA72 vehicles and 40 cars produced by the American group Blackhawk between 1900 and 1970. For more info, please contact the museum at 6955-0055.

Lujiazui Foodies' Delight

Residents of Lujiazui, rejoice and lay out the "Welcome" doormat for your newest neighbors. Nuovo Vita has opened a new eatery in Pudong to feed Italian food enthusiasts. Afternoon teas are available from 2-5pm, while set lunches, special Wednesday set menus and weekend brunches make this a likely candidate to deem as your canteen. The other end of the culinary scale finds iconic Ye Shanghai joining the scene across the bridge, where they promise new interpretations of classic Shanghai dishes and the cuisines of Zhejiang and Jiangsu.

Dining in the Dark

Get your night vision goggles out for a one-of-a-kind dining experience – Shanghai's very first Black Restaurant will open this spring, following the success of the Beijing branch last year. Although construction hasn't yet begun on this innovative eatery that will employ ten blind waiters to serve meals to diners in the dark, the media buzz has. Check upcoming issues of City Weekend for a full review.

World Expo Mascot Race

The 2010 Shanghai World Expo recently announced a world-wide competition to choose its mascot. The lucky winner will receive ¥200,000. According to organizers, the mascot should reflect the expo's theme, "Better City, Better Life," in a Chinese cultural context. Application forms are due by May 31 and are available on the website at www.expo2010china.com. We're hedging our bets on the Giant Panda.