Tag Archives: Shanghai

Chinese bullet train returns to normal

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Helen Li| Leave a comment

China’s high speed bullet train service is expected to return back to normal this week, according to reports.

State media sources in China revealed that the flagship Beijing to Shanghai train service will be restored on Wednesday November 16th, with 53 CRH380BL trains back in operation.

The Chinese railway ministry said in a statement that the trains have been put back on the track because they have been fully tested and approved by experts and deemed safe and suitable for use.

All 53 trains have been given the go ahead for service in time for “Chunyun” – the massive migration that takes place before and after the Chinese New Year.

An official from the Chinese ministry of railways was quoted in the Xinhua News Agency as saying: “After a three-month process of modifications and repeated tests, previously reported problems with the CRH 380BL trains have all been fixed.

“Operations will gradually resume starting from Wednesday.”

It is thought that just six of the 54 trains that run from Beijing to Shanghai will recommence services on Wednesday, while the rest are scheduled to be up and running by December 6th.

The resumption of the service could provide a boost to the number of foreign tourists that embark on China holidays and facilitate easier transportation to China tourist attractions such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the National Grand Theatre and the Temple of Heaven, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

According to the World Travel Market 2011 Industry Report, almost half (46 per cent) of UK holidaymakers said they were interested in taking a trip to China, while a further eight per cent said they had already visited.

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Air China unveils new in-flight Wi-Fi service

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Helen Li| Leave a comment

China’s largest airline Air China has announced plans to introduce an in-flight internet Wi-Fi service for passengers travelling on its planes.

The airline has received approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China to provide a Wi-Fi service completely free of charge after it completed a successful test flight using China’s very first Wi-Fi enabled aircraft on Friday November 11th.

The move is expected to boost the number of foreign tourists that take holidays to China and book flights on the airline.

Air China confirmed that it plans to begin the in-flight Wi-Fi service on Tuesday November 15th on its Boeing 737-800 Beijing to Chengdu service before being gradually introduced to other flights.

Passengers will be able to surf the internet using their laptops and tablet computers to connect to the local area network on the plane.

The airline said that passengers will have their internet searching limited to a selection of entertainment and tourist-related services, such as online shopping, reserving hotel rooms across China and car rentals.

Passengers will also be able to play online games and take part in chat sessions with other passengers on the aircraft.

However, mobile phones, especially the iPhone, will not be able to take advantage of the in-flight Wi-Fi service – users will have to keep their phones switched off for the duration of the flight.

Air China said it will strive to make land to air communications available through the Wi-Fi network in the future in order to allow every passenger to benefit from the Wi-Fi service and be able to contact friends and family on the ground.

Meanwhile, China’s railway ministry recently announced in a statement that 53 CRH380BL bullet trains on the flagship high-speed Beijing to Shanghai service will resume operation on Wednesday November 16th after they were deemed safe for use by experts.

The service is expected to increase the popularity of tours to China.

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China opens up flights to the Philippines

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Helen Li| Leave a comment

Those planning a tour of Asia and looking to go on holidays to China may be interested to hear that Cebu Pacific has announced a bargain seat-sale with tickets as cheap as 228 yuan (£22).

Including flights from Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai to Manila, the deal hopes to open China up to the Philippines’ largest national carrier.

The expansion comes after a 30 per cent growth in mainland China passengers in the third quarter of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010.

Manila to Beijing flights will increase from three to four times weekly from January 7th 2012, while the airline will also be flying thrice weekly from Guangzhou and daily to Shanghai.

The new seat-sale offers tickets between Manila and Beijing as well as Guangzhou and Shanghai at 288 yuan from December 1st to 30th and then continuing again in the new year from January 1st to March 31st 2012.

“China is the next growth area for [Cebu Pacific],” commented the company’s vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog.

“Additional connectivity between our two countries will only benefit tourism and trade. The Philippines is the nearest tropical destination to China, evident in the influx of tourists to Boracay and our top beach getaways.”

He added that a lot of enterprises in the Philippines also source materials in China, so the new deal may pave the way for increased commerce.

Greater China operations have also been extended to six daily flights to Hong Kong from Manila and 11 weekly flights to Macau from Manilla and Clark.

The company currently runs a feet of 37 aircraft to the country, with an average age of less than 3.5 years, making it one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world.

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China sees tourism spike

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Helen Li| Leave a comment

Travellers planning to book a China tour package may be interested to hear that they’re not alone in visiting the country, as local tourism experts say more travellers are arriving than ever before.

The emerging superpower has reported strong developments in its domestic and outbound tourism sector during the first nine months of 2011, according to the China Tourism Academy.

While the number of people visiting the country is increasing, China is becoming a global leader in outbound tourism at a faster rate.

The total number of trips in the first three quarters is expected to be 2.08 billion, up by 12 per cent year on year, reports Breaking Travel News.

Additionally, the country saw a total travel income of 1.66 trillion yuan (£163 million), which represents an increase of nearly 20 per cent when compared to 2010.

There has also been improvement recorded on the country’s national tourists’ satisfaction index, with domestic travellers’ index also showing an improvement in most cities.

“In the third quarter, the comprehensive tourists’ satisfaction index is 80.48, which means ‘satisfied’,” the group explained.

“The gap between the tourism economy of each region, classed as eastern, central and westerly China, is small; all stand at ‘relative prosperity’ in the first three quarters.”

High-speed rail travel, summer holidays, “red tourism” and the recent horticultural exhibition in Xi’an have boosted the tourism market in the three regions.

Further tourism was generated by special events, such as short-tern fairs, however, the industry is relying more on local environmental attractions as well as social development.

Shanghai plans to attract thousands of tourist to its International Arts Fair which kicks off on November 13th.

The event is known for opening with a home-grown act and closing with a foreign performance highlight.

“We have chosen the ballet, The Taming of the Shrew, from Bavaria for the closing performance this year,” revealed Liu Wenguo, the festival’s art director.

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Shanghai International Arts Festival

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Helen Li| Leave a comment

Globetrotters looking for places to go in China may want to consider taking in the sights and sounds of the currently ongoing Shanghai International Arts Festival.

Jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture and the local authorities in the city, the 13th annual event will run until November 18th.

Visitors can take in a variety of performers, such as martial arts demonstrations and dance acts from around the world.

Taking place in the Shanghai Culture Square, the festival is known for kicking off with a home-grown project and closing with a performance from abroad.

“We have chosen the ballet, The Taming of the Shrew, from Bavaria for the closing performance this year,” revealed Liu Wenguo, the festival’s art director.

Over 50 events will take place, 27 of which are foreign acts compared to 23 Chinese groups, and performances will include some of the world’s top orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

Additionally, visitors may enjoy the eZurich Tonhalle Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra conducted by Italian Ricardo Muti as well as a recital by violinist Itzhak Perlman.

“The festival is a feast of all forms of domestic and foreign arts, such as music, dance, drama, etc,” commented organisers.

“Many masters and superstars have presented their excellent programs on the stage including the great conductors Zubin Mehta, Christopher Eschenbach and Simon Rattle, the tenors Placido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli, the singers Mariah Carey and Beyonce Knowles, the flute soloist James Galway, the cellists Mischa Maisky and Yo-Yo Ma as well as the dancers Aida Gomez and Sara Baras.”

Among the most anticipated acts at this years festival is Bejar Ballet Lausanne’s world premiere of the modern dance performance La ou sont les oiseaux.

Hopeful attendees have been warned to try and get their tickets to shows as soon as possible through 38 box offices in the local community.

“More than 60 per cent of all tickets have been sold for the first half of the festival. The most popular shows, 11 in total, are already 90 per cent sold-out,” Mr Wenguo added.

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