But don't despair! As any seasoned expat will tell you, Shanghai buzzes with activity in the summer months. Garden parties, barbecues, summer cocktails, sun dresses - there's plenty to celebrate! Before air conditioning becomes your only denominator for "fun", now is the time to remember all that there is to do in Shanghai. So wring out your sweat rag, pack a bottle of water and check out your options:
1. Get Wet!
Like big dusty elephants in the sub-Sahara, when the heat arrives, we're all just looking for the nearest watering hole.
Dino Beach is Shanghai's biggest water park, boasting Asia's largest wave pool (two acres), a river with rapids, water slides, kiddie pools, and a state-of-the-art filtration system. Thrills for adults and kids alike!
- 78 Xin Zhen Rd, Minhang District; 6478-3333
- Admission ¥120 Mon-Fri; ¥150 Sat-Sun; children under 1.5m half-price; toddlers under .8m free
Swimming is an excellent and comfortable way to stay healthy in the hot months. Many of the nicer hotels maintain beautiful and seldom-used pools, offering day passes for use of the facilities. Prices fall somewhere between ¥50 - ¥120 per session; take your bathing suit and swimming cap (some places require that swimmers wear them). Be sure to enjoy the free cotton buds in the locker room!
For those interested in a more plebian experience, the Pudong Natatorium is an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool and gymnasium open to the public. Natatorium originates from the Latin natare, to swim. There you go, a cheap swimming hole and a new word!
- 3669 Pudong South Rd. (021) 5889-0101
- Admission ¥15 - ¥30 per 90 minute session
- M-F 3:30 - 9PM, Weekend 9AM - 9PM; Summer Hours 9AM - 9:30 PM
Water sports - the real ones, cheeky - are another great way to find a cool thrill. Oriental Green Boat Park (Dong Fang Lv Zhou / 东方绿舟), or "Oriental Land" as it is referred to on the website, is a vast park with several large expanses of water for boating. Rent a dragonboat, paddle boat, waverunner, or sailboat with some friends and enjoy a day out on the water. They also have those big clear balls you can seal yourself into and play with on the water's surface - awesome! The park also offers overnight accomodations, BBQ pits, sports fields and walking trails, for those interesting in making a weekend of it.
- 6888 Huqingping Road, (021) 5923-3000
- The park offers buses to and from Shanghai Indoor Stadium.
2. Ice: Nature's Refrigerant
For a bit of sporty and anachronistic fun, get out of the house and get to where it's always freezing. Indoor ice skating and even indoor skiing are just a sweaty cab ride away - bring layers!
- Super Rink in Pudong Superband Mall: an 840 square meter indoor ice skating rink
- 68 Lujiazui Road in the Superbrand Mall, 021 5047-1711
- 10am - 10pm
- Admission 65 CNY for two hours, 50 CNY for two hours on Mondays
- Yinqixing Indoor Skiing Site: an enormous indoor skiing center with real (but relatively gentle) slopes.
- 1835 Qixin Road near Gudai Rd in Xinzhuang; 021-64788666
- 9:30am - 10:30pm; Fri and Sat until midnight
Admission 100 CNY/1hr; 138 CNY/2hrs; 158 CNY for 7pm-midnight
3. See a Movie!
Air conditioning, sugary refreshments, and passive entertainment. It really is the way to spend a sticky summer afternoon or evening.
The UME International Cineplex at Shanghai Xintiandi will have the most recent Hollywood and Chinese blockbusters (though I should say, the Hollywood flicks may be heavily edited for content).
The Shanghai Film Art Center plays the big features and some smaller productions as well. It's also the main hosting theater of the Shanghai International Film Festival, showing new and old movies from all over the globe!
- 160 Xinhua Rd near Fanyu Rd; 021-6280-4088
- Shanghai International Film Festival, June 14-June 22, http://www.siff.com
You want DVD? Then go buy one, or ten! Movies can be found on the cheap all over the place. Look for Movie World and Even Better Than Movie World on Dagu Road, and answer the question that every Shanghai ren asks herself at one point or another - which store is better, and how do I qualify that?
4. Sit, Sip, and watch the wheels go round.
A cool drink and a wide umbrella are all some folks need to beat the heat, and people-watching is often the best distraction.
With its courtyard tables, wide umbrellas, cold drinks and delicious foods, Shanghai Xintiandi is an excellent place to spend a lazy afternoon watching the international passers-by. The laid-back retreat Afternoon Tea is offering a "Summer Beach Special" menu, including delicate treats like white peach compote, Cassis iced tea, and that perennial summer favorite, shortcake with mango and strawberries. Bring a book and savor the slow passage of time.
5. Visit that Museum you've been meaning to explore.
Air-conditioned education, what could be better to stimulate those melted synapses! People's Square has a number of museums that actually offer an excellent education in the long history of Chinese art and the relatively shorter history of the city's structure.
- Shanghai Museum: A nice collection of Classical Chinese art. Dim lights offer a cooling effect.
- 9am - 4pm; Free admission; 021-96968686
- Museum of Contemporary Art: Great open spaces filled with interactive art and fun installations. Next to Barba Rossa in People's Park.
- Shanghai (Modern) Art Museum: Several floors of modern Chinese and international art. Look for the clock tower. Bar restaurant on the fifth floor offers lovely views of the city.
- Urban Planning Museum: Features a "walk" through the streets of old Shanghai and a complete small-scale model of the city. Find your apartment building!
- M-Th 9am - 5pm F - Sun 9am - 6pm; 021 6318-4477
- Admission 15 - 30 CNY
6. Shopping: Shanghai's Favorite Pasttime
Summertime means wardrobe changes. Sheer tops, itty bitty shorts, linen pants, sandals, larger umbrellas... and one can always stock up on more handkerchiefs at Hot Wind! Yes, summer shopping is essential to keeping cool. Check out the new shoe arrivals at American brand Nine West in the mall at Shanghai Xintiandi; it's an essential collection for discerning expat women struggling to find pretty sandals for larger feet.
7. Go Nocturnal
Sleep through the heat and prowl around Shanghai at night. Find a bar with a terrace for beautiful views of the city at night (try the upscale Vue Bar at the top of the Hyatt on the Bund, or the considerably cheaper bar at the top of the Captain Hostel), or any number of Karaoke joints for a night of singing.
- Vue Bar / Hyatt on the Bund: stunning views with day beds and a whirlpool on the terrace. 199 Huangpu Rd; (021) 6393-1234
- Captain Hostel: great views, fair pizza, with a campy pirate theme. 37 Fuzhou Rd; (021) 6323-5053
- Cashbox KTV: offers a buffet and nice rooms for large and small groups.
- Fuxing Park: 109 Yandang Rd; (021) 5306-3888
- Jing'an Temple area: 457 Wulumuqi North Rd; (021) 6249-0300
8. Eat Cooling Foods (and foods that are Cold)
In China, there is a difference between cooling foods and foods that are actually cold. As defined by traditional Chinese medicine, "cooling foods" are inherently "Yin" (as opposed to "hot or heaty foods", which bring out more "Yang"). Yin is represented by the moon; it is a negative, dark, and cool energy. Yang is represented by the sun; it is a positive, bright, and hot or fiery energy. For a variety of mystifying reasons, foods fall into either the Yin, Yang, or neutral category. A healthy individual's diet depends on finding the right balance between hot and cooling foods. Cooling foods that are great in summer dishes include watermelon, cucumber, seaweed, tomatoes, green / mung beans, tea, and seafoods like crabs and clams. But don't overdo it... according to tradition, too many cooling foods can leave one feeling lethargic.
Foods that are actually cold... well, they'll help lower your body temperature, which is what you want in summer, right? Coldstone Creamery has locations in Shanghai Xintiandi, Cloud Nine Shopping mall and Raffles City mall, and there are plenty of smoothie and iced tea shops throughout the city. Be sure to ask for more ice (jia1 bing1 kuai4, 加冰块)!
For a cooling food that's ALSO cold in temperature, look in those ice cream freezers for a Green Bean Popsicle(绿豆冰棒). The package has green beans all over it. A cooling food, a food that's cold, low in fat, low in sugar... it's perfect! And they're only ¥1!
For more information, please visit their website: www.xintiandi.com.
