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Eco-Tourism

Destination of the Week: Shanghai

The biggest city in China is quickly becoming one of the greenest, and it's using the 2010 World Expo to morph into a global example of sustainable and harmonious living.

By Mike IvesSat, Aug 01 2009 at 5:18 AM EST

Photo: dnevill/Flickr
OK, China has environmental issues: soil erosion, rising oil consumption, runaway air pollution. But Shanghai, China's largest city, is refreshingly green. This hip metropolis 745 miles south of Beijing boasts scenic parks, tasty vegetarian food and a bustling bike culture. And it's greening up even more for the 2010 World Expo.
 
From May through October 2010, Shanghai will host the international showcase formerly known as the "World's Fair." The six-month World Expo will be the biggest event in China since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with Shanghai officials expecting 70 million visitors. Accordingly, they're investing billions in sustainably designed buildings, new subway lines, and public campaigns promoting recycling and green lifestyles.
 
World Expo "is the occasion for China to bring the world at home [sic], and for the world to feel at home in China," notes the event's website. "Shanghai hopes to build a powerful and lasting pilot example of sustainable and harmonious living."
 

Green buildings rising

The 2010 World Expo site will be a paradise of green design. This two-square-mile mini-city spans the Huangpu River and includes a 34-acre "wetland park." Expo "pavilions" — about 200 countries and international organizations are expected — will feature such perks as recycled materials, solar panels and geothermal heating. Weary Expo attendees will plop down upon more than 1,000 "eco-friendly couches."
 
Want a sneak preview? Visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. The downtown building has sleek displays detailing green aspects of Expo construction. Take an escalator to the top floor, and you'll find a glowing, 8,000-square-foot scale model of the city.
 

Sustainable transit

Shanghai is big — 2,447 square miles and counting — but its growing public transportation system is a model of efficiency. The Shanghai Railway Station's centralized location makes it hectic, but public buses are clean and timely, and ultramodern metro lines are easy to navigate.
 
Feel like getting around Shanghai en plein air? It's a great place to stroll. Moreover, compared with less cosmopolitan Asian cities, the former fishing village is a relatively good place to bike — if you can negotiate frenetic traffic. China Cycle Tours offers rolling sightseeing excursions and rents basic bikes for $12 per day.
 

Green eats

Shanghai chefs don't embrace organic food or vegetarianism. The city's famous dumplings are stuffed with pork, and most restaurant menus are loaded with beef, chicken and duck.
 
Herbivorous options abound, however, if you know where to look. Street vendors sell soy milk, sumptuous vegetable dumplings, chewy pancakes and fresh corn, for example, and fried-eggs-and-tomato is a tasty lunch-stall option. For fresh shellfish, head to Shanghai's charming, labyrinthine Old City. Hankering for a traditional vegetarian experience? Try such famous restaurants as Chunfeng Songyue Lou, Gongdelin and Zao Zi Shu.
 

Green 'scapes

Shanghai has lovely parks. Centrally located People's Park, for starters, is a great spot to people-watch, eat ice cream and take a breather from downtown bustle. Across the Huangpu River, Century Park offers skyline views and easy access to the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum. For a cozier park experience, visit Zhongshan Park. That's where locals rent rowboats, sing karaoke and practice tai chi under willow trees.
 
Parks aren't Shanghai's only natural wonders. The impressive Shanghai Zoo has walking paths and exotic animals. (Thanks to "Frog Daddy," a resident eco-landscaper, it also has a tranquil frog sanctuary.) Looking for something more aromatic? Check out the Shanghai Botanical Garden, a haven for azaleas, orchids and medicinal plants.
 
You can also find nature indoors at the Shanghai Museum. This multistory cultural landmark features a stunning collection of classical Chinese landscapes. The pastoral ink scrolls live in a dark, quiet, wood-paneled room. As you walk among them, motion sensors cue track lights in time with your footsteps. It's a serene way to experience some of China's most prized cultural treasures.
 

Sleep green

In Shanghai's elegant French Concession district, the Okura Garden Hotel is going green — the 492-room hotel reports that power-saving projects will cut its energy consumption by 14 percent. That doesn't mean Okura guests are missing out on lavish service, though. This massive hotel offers heaps of amenities, including an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and a massage service. Standard rooms start at $307.
 

The eco-city that couldn't?

Shanghai is getting greener, but not all of its eco-projects are proceeding according to plan. Take Dongtan, a planned "eco-city" on nearby Chongming island: The United Nations claims a completed Dongtan, which was designed by a Hong Kong firm, would be the "world's first fully fledged eco-city" — think alternative energy, über-recycling, hydrogen fuel cells and organic food. But according to news reports, the four-year-old project has fallen way behind schedule. A Sunday Telegraph reporter calls Dongtan a "pipe dream."

 
The would-be eco-city's planning has suffered from bureaucratic problems, according to Beijing journalist Christina Larson. "Although the project was widely publicized internationally, most locals knew little about it," she wrote in an April 2009 story for Yale Environment 360. "The political leaders who championed the project were ousted in a corruption scandal, and their successors have allowed construction permits to lapse."
 
MNN homepage photo: MK Media Productions/Flickr
 
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Related Topics: China, Destination of the Week, Green City Living

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anonymous
Mack 08/12/2009 05:11 AM

Very informative post. Huang Pu River was the significantly famed street in Asia with key Far East firms having their head offices in the sea- facing buildings.TV Tower is presently the highest building in Shanghai and Asia with its unique design. Don 't fail to visit Tv towers panoramic view of Shanghai, Snake Mount, Chongmin Island and the Yangtze River. Enjoy the food of Dongfeng

Restaurant.Customs Building and the oldest hotel are the several significant sights. Potala palace was the.... More

anonymous
gary s. 08/06/2009 01:09 AM

It must have been a fascinating visit.. I'm slightly worried though that your article might as well be written by the Environment Department of the Xinhua news agency. The article is well intended but very naive. How many days did you stay in Shanghai again?

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