Credit: Paul Hoppe
With its missile-shaped skyscrapers and the Jetsons-esque magenta Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai looks like the set of a sci-fi movie. This spring it may actually become one as Kung Fu Hustle director Stephen Chow plans to film a movie about a relationship between an astronaut and an alien.
In the meantime, Shanghainese will celebrate Science Week, from May 14th through the 21st, with fanfare worthy of a Cultural Revolution-era propaganda display. Science-themed plays, exhibitions and television programming will touch on current events (in 2003 the festival revolved around the science behind fighting SARS), as well as tap into the cultural zeitgeist. Previous lineups have included an exhibition on the intersections between science and art and a presentation by China’s leading space scientist. With additional events staged locally, it will be difficult to miss the celebration—but state-owned television will be broadcasting special programming just in case.
Shanghainese looking for a more tranquil setting can hop on one of the 10 fuel cell buses the city now operates, then take a ferry to vast Chongming Island, where hooded cranes and 180 other bird species inhabit a wetlands reserve. This is also a good site from which to view the progress on a sprawling eco-city under construction at the eastern edge of the island.
For those who prefer an imported breed of science, the British consulate sponsors a monthly Café Scientifique where Shanghainese listen to a variety of speakers and debate the issues while sipping java—or, as is more likely the case, tea.
Originally published April 21, 2006
