12th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
ON TUBULAR
STRUCTURES
October 8 to 10 , 2008. Shanghai , China
Cities |
>>Shanghai
Shanghai, "Hu"or "Shen" in short, is situated on the estuary of Yangtze River in the southeast China, boarded by the East China Sea to the east, Jiangsu province to the northwest, and Zhejiang province to the southwest. It covers the south portion of the Yangtze Delta. Covering an area of 5,800 square kilometers (2,239 square miles), Shanghai has a population of 18.7 million, including 2 million floating population.
As the largest and most prosperous city in the nation, Shanghai is the economic, financial and cultural center of China, while Beijing is the political heart. This is a city poised on the cutting edge of the past- and of the future. Relics of the days when it was Asia’s most modern city are woven between 21st-century Shanghai’s glittering towers of power. Layers of old and new, East and West converge and mingle: Starbucks lattes are sipped in the shadow of the city’s oldest teahouse.
In the past two decades, tremendous changes have taken place in the fact of Shanghai. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the highest TV tower in Asia. One of the tallest high-rise buildings in the world, Jin Mao Mansion and Shanghai World Financial Centre, display to the world the skyline of Shanghai; and another 580-metre-high skyscraper, Shanghai Centre, is under construction. Several large-span bridges, including the Nanpu Bridge, Yangpu Bridge, Xupu Bridge, and the Lupu Bridge connect the two areas along the Huangpu River. The Cultural and sport venues, such as Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Library, Shanghai Circus City, Shanghai Old Street, Shanghai Stadium, and the deployable Shanghai International Tennis Center enrich the material and spiritual life of Shanghainese. The elevated expressway, the metro lines, the two airports of Shanghai Hongqiao and Shanghai Pudong International airport, greatly facilitate people’s go-off.
Shanghai is a modern and fast paced city, rich in history and culture and with a wealth of areas and sites just waiting to be explored.
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>>Beijing |
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As the capital city of the People's Republic of China, and with a 3,000-year history and 16-million people, Beijing is one of the world's most splendid cities. Covering 16,800 square kilometers in area, it is the political, cultural, educational and economic center of China. And it's also the most important international trade and communication center in China and East Asia.
Beijing is bestowed with large amount of China' s imperial remnant because of its position as capital for several dynasties, more than 800 years dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. These vestiges nowadays serve as valued travel resources for the city, which have drew million of visitors worldwide yearly over the past decades.
Standing side by side with old Beijing's crimsoned palace complexes are the city's impressive skylines. Beijing is a fine example of the great transformation China has undergone as it burst into the 21st century. The city boasts the most modern facilities and is able to provide all the comfort and enjoyment imaginable to visitors who travel to Beijing. Traveling around Beijing, one is struck by the city's impressive skyline, the modern Olympic Village, ocean world and International Park.
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>>Suzhou |
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Popular Chinese legend states that, "In heaven there is paradise, and on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou". Suzhou (population 5.7 million) has been praised as a "paradise on earth" since ancient times. Being only two hours driving from Shanghai, Suzhou has enjoyed great prosperity and recognition over the years and this is an extraordinarily delicate and elegant city in parts.
Suzhou is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze basin, founded in about 600 BC but really making it's fame one thousand years later when the Grand Canal was up and running. The great location that the city affords helped Suzhou become a prosperous trading area and the silk industry especially boomed here. Artists, scholars and painters all retreated to this "Venice of the East" to seek inspiration and to relax.
Gardens are the most famous attraction in the city. They embody the harmonious principles of Chinese construction, which dictate that gardens should attempt to create a microcosm of the universe in a confined space. Among the classical Chinese gardens are Humble Administrator's Garden and Master-of-Nets Garden. As a symbol of Suzhou, Tiger Hill Pagoda is located in the city's northwest suburbs.
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>>Hangzhou
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Described by Marco Polo as the “most beautiful and magnificent city in the world”, Hangzhou has always been a famous tourist attraction. Hangzhou has a population of 6.11 million and 2-hour train from Shanghai.
Standing at the city’s famous West Lake, where arched bridges span softly shirred waters that melt into a blurred landscape of mountains, is like being inside a Chinese landscape painting. The air and the water feel refreshingly clean here, and a day or two spent walking around the lake, the tea plantations and the surrounding hills should blow away any cobwebs, leaving you feeling refreshed and recharged.
Despite the inevitable changes of dynasties and capitals, Hangzhou has remained a place where the noble arts of leisure were cherished among classical gardens and the lake.
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