While there are no mountains to climb in the city of Shanghai, you can have a heightened experience climbing Lupu Bridge. Choose a clear, sunny day and hop in a taxi to the bridge that straddles the Huangpu River. This is longest arch bridge in the world with its 550-meter-long arch span is 32 meters longer. The length of on-site welding totals more than 40,000 meters—comparable to the total length of the inner-city elevated freeway of Shanghai.

In order to complete the climb, you need to be healthy and capable to climb unaided, because the experience includes climbing 367 steps at high altitude and exposing under the weather. All cardiopulmonary diseases (including hypertension), dizziness, and equilibrium disorder may affect your climbing safety.

Hand-carried bags and other stuff are not allowed on the bridge. Climbers will be asked to remove them and leave them at the depost, They also must pass through a metal-detector.

Once you reach the top, take in the vast panoramic view, which now includes a good shot of the future site of the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Remember to bring your camera along and take advantage of the great many snapshot opportunities.

If you’ve been to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) there is no need to see any other mountain. Situated in eastern China’s Anhui Province and popular with its breathtaking sweeping landscapes and misty peaks, the Yellow Mountain offers extraordinary scenes and views from what can look like the edge of the world.

Whether you look there are oddly-shaped pine trees and rock formations. Huangshan is actually an entire range of mountains and valleys, jutting rocks, shimmering pools, gurgling water falls and the ephemeral clouds. As an international ecotourism point of interest, UNESCO listed the mountain as an official World Cultural Heritage Site in 1990.

The trees of Mount Huangshan occupy an especially important place in China’s botanical research. Here you will find century-old pines, firs, ginkgoes, actinidia, Chinese torreyas and camphor woods– remnants of the glacial era. The Huangshan Mountain Range also provides a natural habitat for a wide variety of creatures. Among the mountain-dwellers are monkeys, goats, deer, pangolin and squirrels, in addition to an active bird population. The climate there is mild and humid, and the temperature is agreeable during all four seasons.

Getting there: Huangshan is accessible from Shanghai by overnight train, a five-hour bus ride or one hour by air. Expect expensive accommodation and food in the mountains everything is transported up the mountain by man-power: witness tough workers carrying live chickens or flats of coke cans in buckets hanging from wooden beams over their shoulders, and still making it up the mountain faster than you.

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Hainan is China’s Hawaii. It’s on the same latitude, with a highly developed agricultural economy, roads and infrastructure. It’s China’s smallest province, divided by a 1.5 km strait from Guangdong, and nestled between the Gulf of Tonkin and South China Sea. Like Hawaii it has the beaches, hills, forests, wildlife, and recreational roster. 

In the central highlands, the descendants of the Li, Miao and Han wear tribal dress in the villages, and ancient Chinese poetry proclaims the beauty of the waterfalls, gorges, lush forests with chattering monkeys – and the same coconut, banana, pepper and fruit fields you can see, if on a different scale. This is where to join the annual Water-Splashing Festival. 

Sanya, Hainan’s second city in the south, is the centre of beach life, and focal point of all tourism. Xiao Dongtian, to the west at Yazhou Bay is spectacularly pretty, with beauty spots alongside regular beach and countryside facilities. 

When to go: Year-round. Population: 8,200,000. How to get there: By air from mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore or Japan, to Haikou or Sanya; by train and rail-ferry, from Guangzhou in Guangdong, to Haikou; by boat from several Chinese ports, to Haikou or Sanya. Photos by: Alfred(??) in Shanghai

Pearl of the Orient, Paris of the East. For a century and a half  Shanghai was the wildest, wealthiest, flashiest city in Asia—the rival of any world capital. Western visitors were captivated by the crowded, chaotic, yet thoroughly cosmopolitan city. Foreign powers carved out concession zones featuring their own cafes, clubs, police forces, and legions of prostitutes.

Everything seemed so different. China crowded it was, and so hot. There were lots of people everywhere, sleeping on the streets. Apartments were so small and basic. Everything was so dark, so dank.

But today the city is unlike any in the world. Travelers from around the globe poured in, creating a uniquely international place, with newspapers and performances in spectacular art deco theaters in a dozen languages. Splendid colonial architecture rose along a riverfront called the Bund that contrasted delightfully with traditional tile-roofed Chinese dwellings, creating a unique fusion of East and West. Food, fashion, and music blended in a similar spirit.

It’s got a great vibe and great music. Ten years ago, Shanghai was a completely different place and none of what you see now existed. The city used to be the only spark of creativity, with a basement that had the only alternative art and music in the city. The place has changed.

There’s a lot of great places to explore in Shanghai like very cool art districts and a lot of great designer boutiques, pottery shops, and other creative shops. I also like the Shanghai Art Museum, which has this fantastic setting along the old racing track, the former British Jockey Club. Green tea is the way to go—and a lot of wine.

Atkins has won an international competition to design a five-star resort hotel. Set in Songjiang, China, the 400 bed resort hotel is uniquely constructed within the natural elements of the quarry. The innovative design of the 400-bed resort hotel stands two levels higher than the rock face of the 100 meters deep quarry and includes underwater public areas and guest rooms. It will incorporate conference facilities for up to 1,000 people, a banqueting center, restaurants, cafes and sports facilities.

An aquatic theme runs through the design both visually and functionally. Curved wings of the main body of the guest rooms enclose a naturally lit internal atrium, which uses the existing rock face with its waterfalls and green vegetation. This will be overlooked by guest room balconies and contain restaurants and cafes at the base. Two underwater levels will house a restaurant and guest rooms facing a ten-meter deep aquarium. The lowest level of the hotel will contain a leisure complex with a swimming pool and water-based sports. An extreme sports center for activities such as rock climbing and bungee jumping will be cantilevered over the quarry and accessed by special lifts from the water level of the hotel. This is a fine example of an ultra modern facility co-existing amongst its natural environment.

The project is Atkins eighth design competition win in China this year. It also reinforces the company’s international reputation for exceptional hotel design. The design was the result of collaboration between Atkins’ teams in Bristol and Shanghai. It was led by Martin Jochman in Bristol and involved Paul Rice, Hu Yali, Ding Fang, Zhang Jian and Vivian Chen from Shanghai.

Dongtan is a new city planned for the island of Chongming, near Shanghai. The city should be open, with accommodation for 50,000, by the time the Expo 2010 opens in Shanghai. By 2040, the city is slated to be one-third the size of Manhattan. Dongtan is the first of up to four slated “eco-cities” to be designed and built in China by Arup, a British company. The cities are planned to be ecologically friendly, with zero-greenhouse-emission transit and complete self-sufficiency in water and energy.Ecologically sensitive design will be a key element of the masterplan.The site is mostly agricultural land adjacent to a huge wetland of global importance. This will be a significant opportunity to apply our integrated sustainability and urban planning expertise to the benefit of the eco-city.

Valencia
All eyes will be on Valencia later this year when the Spanish city hosts the coveted America’s Cup, the world’s biggest and most prestigious yachting event. Valencia is the first city in Europe to stage the race, despite the event’s long history. Already a popular short break destination with savvy travellers, Valencia benefits from a great location a short hop from the resorts on the Costa Blanca and is well served by no-frills airlines. But it is a charming city in its own right, home to the original paella, and it offers an exciting mixture of old and new, with cutting edge modern architecture and traditional baroque barrios. Check out the futuristic looking Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (the City of Arts and Sciences) designed by local architect Santiago Calatrava, featuring Europe’s largest state-of-the-art marine park, complete with a 30m- (98ft-) long shark tunnel, a dolphinarium, huge fish tanks, a colony of Humboldt’s penguins, and a very surreal underwater restaurant . The harbour area, Europe’s largest urban regeneration project, will be at the centre of the action during the Cup.
Beijing
As the rest of the world awakens to the tourism potential of the Chinese giant, interest in the country is growing and visitor numbers to China have rocketed. But while Shanghai and Hong Kong have traditionally stolen the limelight, it is Beijing which is set to draw the crowds in the next few years.
The capital has been undergoing a breathtaking urban makeover since being named host city for the 2008 Olympics and the buzz is almost palpable. The city’s facelift has spawned some amazing buildings, not least the Olympic venues themselves, and particularly the National Stadium, or Bird’s Nest, designed by Herzog & de Meuron at a cost of over US$400 million. The Water Cube (aka National Aquatic Centre), Paul Andreu’s new egg-shaped National Opera House and the huge new Norman Foster-designed terminal at Beijing Capital Airport will also dazzle visitors.
Old-time favourites such as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, or the Temple of Heaven are being given a makeover too. The city’s infrastructure has been improved, thousands of trees and shrubs have even been planted to brighten up streets and squares, new hotels are opening every week (most recently Westin, Ritz-Carlton and InterContinental), and more direct flights than ever now serve the Chinese capital. Beijing is most definitely one of Asia’s most exciting cities.

Oman
Travellers to the Middle East seeking an alternative to Dubai are increasingly heading for Oman, which offers stunning unspoilt scenery (think deserts, tranquil oases, rugged mountains and peaceful beaches) and rich cultural heritage, with friendly locals and year-round sunshine thrown in for good measure. Scuba-diving, sailing, dolphin and whale watching are all popular activities here, but it is adventure travel which draws intrepid visitors. So if you fancy spending the night under the stars on a desert safari or sailing along the coast on an old-fashioned dhow, this might be just the destination for you
Virginia, USA
2007 marks America’s 400th anniversary, or the settling of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, in 1607. The entire state will be celebrating this turning point in history this year, with events including the sailing of a newly commissioned replica Godspeed from Chesapeake Bay up the James River, recreating parts of the original route sailed by the first settlers; a World of 1607 Exhibition; the America’s Anniversary Weekend in May; and a host of other celebrations throughout the year
London
London is one of the most popular destinations in the world, and 2007 promises to be yet another exciting year for visitors. The new O2 (formerly known as the Millennium Dome) will be opening in July and is touted as the most technically advanced music, sport and entertainment venue in the UK. The iconic new Wembley Stadium is also reopening later this year: it will be home to the England football team and can seat a whooping 90,000 spectators. The Grand Départ of the Tour de France, held for the first time ever in the capital, is set to draw the crowds in the summer, and so is the blockbuster Tutankhamun exhibition, featuring over 130 of the great pharaoh’s magnificent treasures, later on in the year. Meanwhile train travellers can look forward to the unveiling of the brand new St Pancras Eurostar terminal in November. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link will cut the journey time to Paris down to 2 hours 20 minutes.

Bulgaria and Romania
These two countries in Eastern Europe will be joining the EU in 2007. Served by an increasing number of no-frills airlines from Western Europe, Bulgaria and Romania are popular with second home owners and ideal for those looking for a more off-the-beaten-path kind of holiday. Boasting 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites between them, as well as unique wildlife, fascinating folklore and up-and-coming ski and seaside resorts, Bulgaria and Romania offer fantastic value year round. Little wonder they are growing in popularity

Liverpool
Liverpool will spend 2007 celebrating its 800th anniversary before taking on its role as European Capital of Culture in 2008, so there will be lots going on in the city by the River Mersey. A four-day extravaganza of pageantry and street entertainment will take place in late August this year to celebrate the granting of the city’s first charter in 1207. Over 300 events are planned, including plenty on the city’s best-known export – Beatlemania. Coincidentally, the famous Cavern Club on Mathew Street, where The Beatles first made their name, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. And a brand new Hard Day’s Night Hotel
Turkey
Turkey has been a popular destination with Brits on package holidays for years, but it is redefining its image and reinventing itself as a hip destination, with new trendy hotels attracting young moneyed travellers. The five-star Hillside Su in Antalya created a bit of a stir when it opened in 2004 , as did the Adam & Eve, also in Antalya, last year. On the other hand, the new easyJet London-Istanbul route, launched in summer 2006, now puts this vibrant, fascinating city within reach of budget travellers attracted to Istanbul’s rich past and culture

At the time emperor Guang Xu in the Qing Dynasty (1875-1908) ruled China, Hui Gen, a Mount Putuo abbot went on a pilgrimage to Tibet via the two famous Chinese mountains Mount Wutai and Mount Emei. First he goes to Tibet and then he contiduen his jorney to Burma. By this time Mr. Chen Jun-Pu, an overseas Chinese resident in Burma, donated five Jade statues of Buddha to Hui Gen, who transported two of them back to Jiang-wan, Shanghai. Here Hui Gen had a temple built with collected from various sorces money, mostly of them donated, and died shortly thereafter. This temple was occupied during the 1911 uprising, and the statues were moved to Maigen Road.

An Abbot by the name of Ke Chen later had a new temple built on land donated by a Mr. Shen. The construction took ten years, and lasted from 1918-1928. Ke Chen also invited Reverend Di Xian from Tian Tai mountain to come and lecture on Buddhism in a magnificent ceremony. In 1956, a ceremony was held at the temple by the Shanghai Buddhist Association to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment. In 1966, during the cultural revolution, the monks made a living by selling handicrafts. Monk Zhizhi Xuan and others made a trip to Dunhuang via Xinjiang In 1985. Shortly after their return regular scripture lectures, meditation and other features of temple life were resumed.

The two precious jade Buddhist statues are not only rare cultural relics but also porcelain artworks. Both the Sitting Buddha and the Recumbent Buddha are carved with whole white jade. The sparkling and crystal-clear white jade gives the Buddhas the beauty of Jade Buddha in Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghaisanctity and make them more vivid. The Sitting Buddha is 190 centimeters high and encrusted by the agate and the emerald, portraying the Buddha at the moment of his meditation and enlightenment. The Recumbent Buddha is 96 centimeters long, lying on the right side with the right hand supporting the head and the left hand placing on the left leg, this shape is called the ‘lucky repose’. The sedate face shows the peaceful mood of Sakyamuni when he left this world. In the temple there is also another Recumbent Buddha which is four meters long and was brought from Singapore by the tenth abbot of the temple in 1989. Furthermore there are many other ancient paintings and Buddhist scriptures distributed in the different halls of the temple.

Although the history of the Jade Buddha Temple is not very long, the old-time and classical architectural style makes the temple unique and inimitable in this modern city. Devajara Hall, Mahavira Hall and the Jade Buddha Tower make up the main structure of the temple and at sides are the Kwan-yin Dian Hall, the Amitabha Dian Hall, the Zen Tang Hall, the Dining-Room and the Recumbent Buddha Hall.

Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings – The Chamber of Four Heavenly Kings contains the statues of Maitreya, Wei Tuo Bodhisattva and the Four Heavenly Kings, who represent favorable circumstance. The chamber is located on the southern-edge, or ‘front’ of the temple.

Grand Hall – Also called the Great Hall, this hall contains many statues.
* Three Golden Buddhas. The central sculpture is of Gautama Buddha, the left Amitabha and the right Bhaisajyaguru.
* Gods of the Twenty Heavens. The Gods of the Twenty Heavens, covered in gold, line the eastern and western sides of the Grand Hall.
* 18 Arhats. 18 unique golden Arhats stand in two groups of nine.
* Guanyin, Shen Cai and his 53 teachers. A large golden statue of Guanyin stands on at northern entrance to the Great Hall, with Shen Cai at her side and sculptures representing the 53 teachers of his life above.

Jade Buddha Chamber – The Jade Buddha Chamber is in the northern section of the temple, on the second floor. A fee of 10 yuan is charged to ascend to it. Some additional Buddhist sculptures are also viewable in the antechamber.

Public restaurant – The public restaurant is located on level two at the eastern edge of the temple and equipped with its own street entrance. Open daily, it serves a range of noodle dishes for five yuan per bowl, the most popular of which is ‘double mushroom noodles’ . Other dishes are served at moderate prices. Tickets are sold by color and this ticket is turned in inside the main eating room and your soup is then delivered to your table which you might share with others. Upstairs is a much more upscale restaurant at much higher prices.

Other – The temple also contains a private restaurant for the use of monks and temple volunteers, which is at the western edge of the temple complex. There is a visitor services office adjacent to the southern entrance, and a Buddhist library is also on the premises.

The Jade Buddha Temple is a good place to go whether you are a Buddhist or not, the peaceful and transcendent atmosphere adds a kind of richness to our busy modern society. Be aware that there is an admission fee of CNY 15, which is about $1.88, and it works from 8:30 to 17:00. Here is a Google Earth Placemark of the temple