Today's Shanghai | News(1997)

1997---January

Shanghai will host the '97 International Fashion Culture Festival in September, a spokesman for the Shanghai Municipal Government said in Hong Kong recently.

The 1997 Shanghai Tennis Open, a leg of the ATP Tour, will be held at the Shanghai Luwan Stadium on Jan. 29. It will last till Feb. 1.

'97 Yunnan Tulip Exhibition will be held at Shanghai Exhibition Center from January 24 to February 2. The exhibition also includes dancing performances and exhibition of natural scenes in Yunnan.

Shanghai's high-tech industry has become one of the city's most fast-growing industries. In the past year, the total output reached 53.52 billion yuan(about US$6.45 billion). There are 496 high-tech enterprises that have been registered.

The city's textile industry has recovered from a downturn in recent years, reporting a total profit of 10 million yuan ($1.2 million) in 1996.

The Minhang Economic and Technological Development Zone in south-western Shanghai, the only industrial park in China created especially for foreign-invested projects, reported a total industrial output of 13 billion yuan (about US$1.57 billion) in 1996.

After more than two years of construction, the Xinqiao Industrial Zone in the Caohejing High-Tech Park, an extension of Shanghai's "silicon valley" in Songjiang County, has started its operation.

The rumour that Shanghai might be greatly affected by a larger earthquake is proven to be false.

The design plan for Pudong Airport, one of this year's major municipal project, was completed. The design was done by a Japanese company called JICA.

The Eighth National Sports Games will be held in Shanghai on October 5. The 12-day games will include 28 major items.

This year's graduate school entrance examination started on Jan. 24 and last till Jan. 26. In Shanghai about 25,500 students will sit in for it.

Putuo and Changning have recently announced to adopt a new system for high school education. There will be no prep schools and all primary schools students will study in junior middle schools without having to attending examinations.

The Peking opera The Red Lantern was staged again in Shanghai on Jan. 24. The enthusiasm of the audience was enough in showing the success of the opera. The famous actor Liu Changyu was asked to perform even after the show is over.

The TV series Shanghai has begun its first shooting. The series will fully reflect the ups and downs of the city starting from the end of last century.

Thousands of students volunteered to collect donations from local citizens and tourists on Jan.25 at the city's major tourist spots and public places. The donations will be used to help the poor.

Heavy fog hit Shanghai and the Yangtze region again on Jan.20. Many flights were delayed and some even cancelled. Nevertheless, it only lasted for one day.

The shopping centers located at Nanjing Road are beginning to offer things other than commodities. Facilities catering to the leisured such as roller-skating rings, bars and disco halls have appeared.

There will be about 5,300 graduate students and 39,000 university graduates leaving campus this July.

Shanghai will continue its efforts in developing large-scale housing catering to low- or middle-income families in the next five years.

Shanghai New World City becomes the fourth commercial center in total sales in Shanghai after only one-year business operation.

Shanghai is to enhance resistance against floods by building and reinforcing embankments in the next four years.

Microsoft announced in Shanghai the launch of the Chinese version of Windows NT Server 4.0 and Workstation 4.0 on Jan.7.

There are about 80,000 female workers here in Shanghai who are absent from home on weekends. The reason is that they are attending job-training courses.

The city now has 12,000 hectares of vegetable plots to provide more than 1.2 million tons of vegetables every year for urban residents, according to a local agricultural official.

Students and book-lovers will have more book stores to go to and more books to pick from. About 49 new books stores were opened last year.

Manufacturing enterprises plan to develop 85 billion yuan ($10.3 billion) worth of new products this year, a 20-percent increase from last year.

Five major infrastructural projects will be completed this way as a result of Pudong New Area's continuing efforts in its infrastructural expansion. The five projects include the Shanghai Stock Exchange Building and the Yuangdong Road.

University students in Shanghai now take pride in being volunteers in social activities. More than ten thousand students from the 28 colleges and universities have formed close relationships with the local needy families.

Shanghai will pay greater attention to the promotion of ten flagship products in the next three years. These products include refrigerators, color TV sets, motorcycles, microwaves, washing machines, elevators, etc.

Shanghai's Chinese Classics Bookstore, located in Shanghai's Fuzhou Road, is drawing large crowds of students and literature enthusiasts. The reopened bookstore now uses computers to help buyers to pick their favorite classics .

Shanghai police handled about 18,188 criminal cases last year, a 6.9-percent increase over 1995, according to a report issued by the Shanghai Municipal Police Bureau.

Shanghai's large-and medium-sized State-owned enterprises must be revitalized, said Vice-Premier Zou Jiahua. Shanghai has been successful in State-run enterprise reform program, but more should be done to build a market economy.

Volkswagen Santana, the best-selling sedan in China, is expected to keep its brisk sales this year, according to the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.

A Sino-French food joint venture in Caohejing High -Tech Park will go into production this month. The $24-million venture will compete in the local markets with a daily production capacity of 64 tons of bean milk and 320,000 boxes of bean yogurt.

Shanghai's domestic retail market will keep its growth momentum this year. The total retail sales are expected to jump by 16%.

Women in Shanghai who breathe too much smoke produced by cigarettes or cooking oil run a greater risk of contracting lung cancer, according to recent study.

The 10 downtown districts in Shanghai are making plans for the economic growth this year.

Jing'an has become the city's first district in completing the removal of its shabby and dilapidated dwelling which totaled 390,000 square meters.

The city has established 68 foreign-funded chemical ventures with a combined investment of $720 million including contractual overseas funds of $480 million.

Shanghai's domestic housing market had great potential, but high development costs and the traditional social welfare system have curbed the market's development, local analysts says.

Thick fog was lifted on Jan. 2, while a cold spell toke its place. The lowest temperature has reached zero degree Centigrade.

Four foreign banks have recently got the go-ahead from Chinese financial authorities to begin to offer reminbi services in Pudong New Area.

The first phase of the 98-kilometer outer-ring road has begun construction. Its aim is to improve traffic flow between urban area and the suburbs.

1997, the tourism year in Shanghai, welcomed its first group of foreign tourists on Jan. 1. 94 tourists from Frankfurt were warmly welcomed by groups of locals.

College graduates placement market will be held at New Continent Square of New Shanghai Commercial City in Pudong. It will last for two days. About 100,000 undergraduates and graduate students are expected to be present.

The No.1 subway line began to open to public use for a trial basis on January 1. It is expected to alleviate the jammed traffic situation in the southwest section of the city.

On the first day of 1997, '97 New Year's Day Body Exercising Long- Distance Run was held. About 6,000 local people including students, workers, soldiers, participated in the traditional activity.

The TV documentary Deng Xiaoping will be shown starting from Jan. 1 by CCTV Channel 1. It comprises 12 parts, each of which presents a truthful picture of the great leader.

Promising youths of Yueju will have the chance to show their performing art at Yifu Theater on Jan. 4. The performance is sponsored by Shanghai Drama School.

College students are found to be working really hard in the cold season, according to a survey conducted by reporters with the Wenhui Daily. Students usually go back from self-study from big classrooms at around ten o'clock at night.

1996 is a fruitful year in Shanghai for the use of foreign investment. About 2,106 projects were consummated. The contracted amount of investment is $11 billion.

Baoshan Steel Group, one of the major producers of steel, invested $114 million in its technology reform last year.

Shanghai Public Library Management Act, the first of its kind around the nation, is officially promulgated on Jan.1.

Computer-craze is still hot. In the recent examination for computer application, more than 116,000 people sat in for it.

Economic cooperation between Shanghai and Taiwan continues to develop at a stable pace. In 1996, there were about 270 enterprises invested by Taiwan businessmen. The total investment reached $660 million.

Shanghai Social Aid Act goes into effect on Jan. 1. It is similar to Social Security in the U.S.

The year 1996 witnessed the flourishing domestic real estate industry. The total investment amounted to more 10 billion yuan (about $1.2 billion) and construction area 30 million square meters.

Shanghai Municipality has been successful in the past year in calling on the major service industries and the masses at large to up-grade the education of professional ethics.

Huaihai Park, located in the booming commercial section of the city, will become an open park next year. The 40-mu park will be re-structured around a "green" theme.

The first bargain price market on Nanjing Road has been recently opened. It will become the largest market of its kind in down town Shanghai.

Preparations for the Eight National Sports Games are underway. The Shanghai team has set its target during the events. It is reported that there are 12 enterprises at home and abroad have donated about 12 million yuan (about US$1.44 million) to the organizing committee here in Shanghai.

Chinese athletes have set 22 world records in national and international competitions in the year of 1996, according to the national sports committee.

'96 Orient New Year Concert is held at Shanghai Exhibition Center on the first day of 1997. About 1,200 guests from all walks of life participated in the event.

The award-giving ceremony of '96 China MTV Contest was held at the Shanghai Stadium. About 500 songs were sent from all the provinces and municipalities. Among them, 25 songs were gold winner, 42 silver and 80 bronze.

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