On the Horizon

Shanghai changes almost daily. Go away for a holiday and your favorite café might have been completely renovated or your neighborhood convenience store torn down to accommodate yet more apartment blocks. The Pudong skyline was changed from rural to sci-fi in a mere decade. The future will bring even more developments and delights. So what's in the works now? Here's a taste:

The Shanghai World Financial Center being built in Pudong across the street from the Jinmao Tower is almost complete. Although it resembles a giant bottle opener in shape, at a planned 101 stories high, it's going to be one of the tallest buildings in the world. However, it may not loom large for long; next door a 1,903 foot tall, 118-story building is already going up.

The cultural behemoth that is the World Expo will hit Shanghai in 2010. Construction has been going crazy to clear and prepare the site in time for the event, and tickets are already on sale. Shanghai's slogan for the event—which showcases cultures from all over the world—is "Better City, Better Life." The blue mascot, Haibao, who looks like Gumby and Smurfette's rockabilly love child, is popping up everywhere. Shanghai's transport will soon improve dramatically as construction on the Shanghai Metro continues to expand with eight lines in action and a planned 11 lines to be built and in service by 2010. The Shanghai-Beijing high-speed rail link, reducing the journey from 14 hours to five, is set to be passenger-ready by 2010.

On Chongming Island in the Yangzi, the Dongtan Eco-City and areas for ecological tourism are being developed. By 2010, the demonstrator phase of Dongtan Eco-City is projected to have a population of 10,000 and be the world's first purpose-built ecologically sustainable city.

Rumors are still rife that Shanghai will get its own Disneyland, but this isn't due to happen until at least 2012. In the meantime, there's rumor of a Universal Studios to pave the way, although nothing much has happened since the government signed an agreement in 2002.