Art in the Park

If you travel to Shanghai and you want to see a little more than just skyscrapers and the modern and fancy aspect of the city, you should check out some of Shanghai's parks. The Jing'an Sculpture Park, stretching over an area of 30,000 square meters, is a great place where you can see that the huge city still has some comparably quiet places. It was opened in 2007 and it is one of the biggest parks of its kind in the region, located in Jing'an district which is west of the center and only a five to ten minute walk from Metro line 2, West Nanjing Road station. It is a good recommendation for the more relaxed part of your Shanghai Tours.   The exhibited pieces of art which are integrated in the surroundings add to the atmosphere of this park offering interesting sculptures and statues of different sizes, colors and materials from various artists from all over the world. No matter if you're interested in art and see the sculptures from that perspective or if you just think they are nice decoration, the park offers great scenery for all visitors. Not only kids will love the huge lying bulls in the south west of the park. A group of bull sculptures is scattered over the lawn just like a herd resting in the afternoon heat. In the contrast to this stands the dynamic complex wooden structure behind it which is weaving through the treetops. The 'Red Beacon' is the artwork of the famous Belgian artist, sculptor and designer Arne Quinze.   Many sculptures in the park were introduced as part of the Jing'an International Sculpture Project about two years ago during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. This large-scale cultural and art activity was created for the public mainly in the non-core areas of the Expo. Apart from the exhibits numerous fountains throughout the park make it a great place for hot summer days. They are not only great to look at; the view and the quiet sound of splashing water always have a calming effect and when it's windy it refreshes the air a little.   In the mornings this park is a popular place for sports activities especially among the older generation, doing Tai chi, jogging, dancing etc. On the weekends you can see moms with their kids or whole families meeting to spend some time together. Almost every park offers visitors the opportunity to see a little bit of the locals' life with their customs and habits. Very often you'll see on journeys that in big cities parks offer an opportunity to get away from the busy city life for locals and visitors just the same. Walking through a park surrounded by trees and seeing the skyscrapers around it will always feel special; the contrast makes it look unnatural and exciting at the same time.   In June 2009 another big project started in the Sculpture Park. The Shanghai Natural History Museum will be moved to this new location in late 2012 where a new building is currently being constructed offering a much more convenient location and more modern display space. Numerous exhibits will be moved to the new location which is in many ways more convenient than the existing Natural History Museum. The Jing'an Sculpture Park itself is already worth a visit (there is not even an entrance fee) but with the museum moving there it will be a must see for families coming to Shanghai. Many Shanghai Hotels are located in this area, so if you're staying close by, don't miss out on this nice place on your city tours. from China Travel Blog http://blog.chinatraveldepot.com

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