The time solar eclipse happens, the occurrence and its observation mean a great thing for the astronomy. Recently, Professor Jay M. Pasachoff has surveyed Jinshan near Shanghai, Mogan Mountain and the reservoir of Tianhuangpin Pumped Storage Power Plant and Hangzhou City in order to choose the best location in the world to observe the astronomic spectacle, accompanied by chief scientist of National Astronomical Observatory Dr. Yan Yihua and Curator of Beijing Astronomical Observatory Dr. Zhujin.

Read more: Solar Eclipse in China

Longhua Temple is situated in the southwest part of the city. It is a major attraction in Shanghai. Though its popularity spread only after 1900s, this biggest and oldest temple in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Delta is very familiar indeed. Legend has it that it was the first built in 242 during the Three Kingdoms period when Sun Quan, King of Wu, had it built to show filial love to his mother.

The Longhua Pagoda and Temple area has been open to the public as Longhua Park. In late spring when peaches are in full blossom and willows in full green, large numbers of tourists and pilgrims will come and Longhua becomes a place of great hustle and bustle. Still today, the temple, visited by large numbers of monks and laymen each day, is flourishing. At night on every New Years Eve the ceremony of "Striking the Longhua Evening Bell" is conducted here and is well known at home and abroad. Each time, a large number of people, Chinese as well as foreign, come to listen to the ringing of the temple bell.

Longhua Temple is the oldest and largest Buddhist structure in the Shanghai area. It was built during the Five Dynasties (907-960A.D). There stands an octagonal, seven-story and 40-meter-high pagoda built in the Song Dynasty. Each story of the pagoda features upturned eaves and winding balustrades. The temple, the pagoda, the temple fair and the evening bell chiming constitute a religious tourist attraction. It houses many Buddhist scriptures, gold seals and statues from the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties, the Ming Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty. Longhua Temple had been destroyed several times and today's temple was rebuilt during the Daoguang Reign of the Qing Dynasty. Longhua Temple occupies an area of over 20,000 square meters and the architectural proportion is about 5,000 square meters. Along the 194 meters long axis are the Maitreya Hall (Miledian), Devajara Hall (Tianwangdian), Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian), Three Sages Hall (Sanshengdian), Abbot's Hall (Fangzhangshi) and the Sutras Keeping Hall (Cangjinglou), which keeps the three treasures of the temple including the Dazang sutras, the gold seals and the Buddhist statues. Its main hall and all other halls are stately and splendidly structured.

The Longhua Pagoda is located next to the Longhua Temple. Driving southeastwards from the city center, one can see the Longhua Pagoda in the distance the moment one reaches the city’s eastern suburb. Bronze bells are hung on each corner of the eaves; when the wind blows, the bells yield a pleasant sound. the brick body and the wooden staircases make up the main structure of the Longhua Pagoda.　
 

At 76 Xingye Road, a small street near Fuxing Park, stands a beautiful, restored, gray brick house with a stone-framed gate and glittering copper hoops on the black-lacquered front door where, in July 1921, the Chinese Communist Party was born. The house, situated in what was formerly in the old French Concession, was home to the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

This house has been a museum since 1952, attracting millions of visitors. Relics from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are shown, alongside texts and TV documentaries that detail the kinds of oppression that inspired the Communist movement in the first place, taking a clear approach to the obscure history of the Party’s rise to power.

Today, an exhibition room is set up as it might have been in those meetings; it has been restored to its modest 1921 condition. Two adjoining rooms serve as a museum for the illustrated history of the Communist Party of China and an account of the lives of the 13 delegates, in addition to some photos and a model of the boat.

Close to the Site of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, situated on Xingye Road, is the Xintiandi recreational area. Echoing with Shanghai’s historical and cultural legacies, Xintiandi is a creation born out of the sprawl of Shikumen residential blocks into a multifunctional business and entertainment center; it is now awash in trendy restaurants, elegant boutiques, fine café-bars and smart shops.

Just like the Oriental Pearl TV Tower or the Mag-lev train, Xintiandi is a landmark attraction for its nightlife, wines, cuisines, and bands intermingled with western and eastern flavors in this metropolitan city.

Xintiandi is known for its graceful style, exquisite fashion and, most importantly, the history and culture. People like Xintiandi for the international cuisines, the eclectic offerings among shops and boutiques, the endless first-rate service, and the sublime beauty attached to every modern and historical detail of the compound.

Xintiandi has created a lifestyle favored by visitors because it is a place where “yesterday meets tomorrow and east meets west.” Local Shanghainese like Xintiandi because it arouses a nostalgic mood, with the gray-brick Shikumen façade and the stone gate, which used to be the architectural symbol of Shanghai.

It is divided into the North and South Blocks. In the South Block, modern architecture is the motif while Shikumen is an accompaniment. In the north, preserved Shikumen sets a nostalgic tone, forming a splendid contrast with the modernity to the south.

Modern amenities are available everywhere in Xintiandi, such as automatic escalators, central air-conditioning, and broadband Internet access.

Today, Shanghai Xintiandi has undoubtedly become the icon of this fashionable metropolis and is a “must” for visitors from home and overseas who long to sample this glorious city’s past and its dramatic metamorphosis into a land booming with international promises
 

Shanghai, one of the great metropolitan cities of the world, has two international airports-Pudong and Hongqiao. Pudong International Airport is located on the southern bank of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River at its outlet to the sea, occupying an area of 32 sq.km. The airport is 30 kilometers from downtown and 40 kilometers from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.

The 3 express trunk highways in Pudong link with the inner-ring road and the outer-ring road. It is easily accessible. Pudong Airport and Hongqiao Airport will be the terminals of No.2 subway, which cuts through Shanghai downtown to connect No.1 subway. Nowadays, the Pudong International Airport is available for all kinds of large-size, long-distance, and broad-bodied passenger planes to land and take off. It spreads out like a seagull under heaven.