Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Plenty of cunning stunts (and no animals).
Performances start daily at 7.30pm and
finish at 9pm; tickets ¥100-200.
Shanghai Circus World
上海马戏城
shàng h
im
xì chéng
2266 Gonghe Xi Lu
T
66527750,
W
www
.era-shanghai.com. Shanghai Circus World
metro (line #1).
Avoid the beast house, which
hosts wince-inducing animal turns, and
head for the gold-coloured central dome,
which hosts “ERA, the Intersection of Time”.
Never mind the daft name, the shows here
are good old-fashioned spectaculars, with
audiovisual trickery enhancing the awe-
inspiring acrobatic cavortings. Performances
daily at 7.30pm; tickets ¥50-580.
Acrobats at the Shanghai Centre Theatre
Live music
Shanghai's music scene is not yet the rival to Beijing's but it's only a matter of
time as more venues open, new talent is trained in the impressive music schools,
more international artists make appearances - and more disaffected kids buy
electric guitars.
For
classical music
, in addition to the venues listed below, there's a classical
concert on the first Sunday of every month in the
Jinjiang
hotel at 2pm (¥50).
g
Concerts are also held at the Shanghai Grand Theatre - check the website.
Jazz
devotees should avoid the septuagenarians at the
Peace Hotel
and head up
l
to Fuxing Xi Lu for the
JZ Club
or nearby
Cotton Club
(both p.125). There's
plenty of
hip-hop
around, but it's all about fashion and posing and the scene
has yet to produce any music of note.
The
indie music
scene is not nearly as good as Beijing's, but it's there, and it
is worth dipping a toe into. Try and catch indie popsters Flying Fruit or folk-
punk rockers Top Floor Circus, who play regularly at
4live
(see p.132). The best
underground venue, though, s howcasing the latest live acts for the delectation
of the Converse-and-black-nail-varnish crowd, is
Yuyintang (
育音堂
;
y
ù y
n
táng
). Thanks to disapproving authorities, it's always having to change venue;
g
check
W
www.yuyintang.com for the latest.
superb acoustics, though despite hosting a
little bit of everything it's struggling to fill its
schedule. At night the ceiling sparkles and
changes colour according to the tunes
being played.
Shanghai Concert Hall
上海音乐厅
shàng h
i yīn yuè tīng
523 Yan'an Zhong Lu near Xizang Zhong Lu
T
Classical music
Jinmao Concert Hall
金茂音乐厅
jīn mào yīn yuè tīng
1st Floor, annex of Jinmao Tower, 88 Shiji Dadao
T
50472612.
Small venue for recitals, with
reasonably priced tickets (from ¥60).
Oriental Arts Centre
上海东方艺术中心
shàng h
i dōng fāng yì shù zhōng xīn
425 Dingxiang Lu, near Shiji Dadao
63862836.
This lovely old building was
moved at tremendous cost sixty metres
east in 2003, in order to get it away from
the din of Yan'an Lu. Today it's the city's
premier venue for classical music. Tickets
from ¥80.
68541234.
There's no doubt that this fantastic 40,000-
square-metre behemoth (see p.92) is one of
Asia's most important concert venues, with
T
131
