Shiliupu made to shine like new as 'old'

• Source: Global Times
• [10:18 August 30 2010]
• Comments

A visitor walks by an unopened store at the underground shopping center of "16 Pu" Sunday. Photo: Cai Xianmin

By Craig Curtis

After nearly three years of renovation, the 140-year-old underground Shiliupu port area south of the Bund reopened to the public in a half-ready state over the weekend.

A modern glass sculpture jutting out of Shiliupu Shopping Center gave the area a slight touch of modernity, but the majority of the area, also known as "16 Pu," was revamped to maintain the flavor of Shanghai's heyday from the 1930s.

"Our goal was to restore the Old Shanghai atmosphere at this site, and we hope that tourists from all over the world will come," an official from the Shenjiang Property Management and Operations Company, which is overseeing the new port site.

But with more than half of the shopping and dining attractions still closed Sunday, with only "Opening Soon" signs adorned above their shop, visitors were left disappointed at all the fuss.

A German tourist who gave his name as only Manfred said that he was hoping to see the place a little more alive and kicking.

"Opening soon, opening soon; it's like a lot of places that I've seen here in Shanghai," he told the Global Times Sunday. "I guess business just can't keep up with the rapid pace of development."

Among the open stores Sunday were an officially licensed Expo store, a Burger King, a tea shop, a couple of fruit stands and a convenient store, all of which rested above a 700-car parking lot that remained largely empty.

The developer declined to comment on when all the attractions would be up and run-ning, while local media said Sunday that the remainder of the businesses would open over the next couple of months as the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai ends.