Moon FestivalOne of China's most beloved cultural celebrations is the Moon Festival in autumn, marking the end of the harvest season. Main symbol of the festival is the baking and eating of Moon Cakes: round pastries with sweet fillings. In Shanghai the favorite filling is red bean paste. Houses are decorated with colored animal-shaped paper lanterns and altars are piled with round fruits to symbolise the shape of the moon. The evening is spent moon-gazing and enjoying the company of family, before enjoying a feast at midnight.
Date: 3 October 2009
China Shanghai International
Arts FestivalShanghai becomes the focus of arts fundis during the month-long festival hosted by the Ministry of Culture annually since 1999. The varied program features more than 150 performances covering everything from symphony orchestras, dance, and opera to acrobatics, magic and drama. Allied events are an international piano competition, magic festival and contest, an Asia music festival and an arts and crafts fair.
Venue: Various throughout the city
Date: 18 October to 18 November 2008
Website: www.artsbird.com
Shanghai Tourism FestivalThe massive Shanghai Tourism Festival showcases not only all the city has to offer visitors, but is the perfect event for locals and foreigners to discover the fascinating Chinese culture and history. The opening ceremony takes the form of a grand-scale parade of floats and international performance troupes telecast live to the whole country. Millions of locals and visitors participate in the hundreds of events and activities presented at the festival ranging from Chinese cooking classes and bicycle tours to fireworks displays.
Venue: Various
Date: September to October 2009
Chinese New YearNew Year starts with a bang in Shanghai, where exuberant and exceedingly loud fireworks displays rock the city all night long on this, China's most merry of celebrations. Not everyone appreciates the scale of the fireworks, but traditionally the noise is necessary to frighten off evil spirits for the coming year. During the national holiday the Bund and clubs throughout the city are thronged with revelers, making for a city-wide party. In 2008 the Year of the Rat begins.
Venue: Throughout the city
Date: 14 February 2010
Chinese F1 Grand PrixA new circuit in the Formula One Grand Prix, Shanghai's International Circuit welcomes the deafening noise, prestige, speed and the very best in motor racing that comes with such a spectacle.
Venue: Shanghai International Circuit
Date: 17 -19 April 2009
Website: www.icsh.sh.cn
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
