Jiangwan Stadium Station

By Sun Shuangjie Source:Global Times Published: 2014-8-19 17:53:01

Area is right on target for sports, art and entertainment


Editor's note

This year is the 21st anniversary of the opening of the Shanghai metro. The subway has facilitated more than 13 billion journeys during its 21 years, and half of Shanghai citizens cite the metro as their favored mode of transport. To commemorate the anniversary, each week the Global Times will take an in-depth look at one metro station and its surroundings. In the case of downtown stations, we will focus on points of interest within walking distance; while for suburban areas, we will cast our net a little wider.

Back in the 1920s, the government tried to foster a new economic and cultural center in Yangpu district that would rival the center cultivated by foreigners in Huangpu district. To this end, it planned to construct a number of buildings and streets at what is now called Wujiaochang. Despite the original plan failing due to the onset of war, Wujiaochang still emerged as a center of commerce, and continues to thrive nowadays as one of the city's major economic and cultural hubs.

Jiangwan Stadium Station on metro Line 10 is the ideal jumping-off point to explore this up-and-coming area.

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Sporting spirit

Jiangwan Stadium, built in 1935, offers a wide selection of sports, including football, swimming, golf and archery.

Jingying Archery Club (2/F, 346 Guohe Road, 5580-7525) is one of the few downtown archery venues.

Although the décor is a little rough-and-ready, with narrow walls and chipped paint, the facilities and coaches are quite professional.

The club, which has been running for more than a year, is accommodating toward amateurs. Archers can choose from a range of wooden bows that feature different draw weights, which are chosen depending on strength and skill level. It is recommended that beginner-level women choose between 14- and 16-pound draw weights, while males usually start from 22 pounds.

 



The venue offers targets at distances of 10 to 30 meters, with a round of 12 arrows costing 20 yuan ($3.26). A 100 yuan deposit is required.

The club also offers memberships which entitle holders to special training courses and discounts. The venue is open from 1 pm to 10 pm every day, and no reservation is needed.

A slow lifestyle 

Daxue Road to the northwest of the metro station offers a string of venues where you can slow down and relax.

Oil painting studio Shiry's (Room 101, No.11, Lane 63 Daxue Road, 186-1676-2436) is a favorite among painting enthusiasts. The studio is owned by a former video game animator called Zhou Zhou, whose English name is Shiry. Zhou is a Wuhan native who has a degree in oil painting.

A large number of oil painting studios have sprung up across the city in recent years. They usually charge around 150 yuan per person for materials and guidance to complete a painting in three to five hours. However, at Shiry's, painters are allowed to spend as much time as they like completing a painting.

"Most of the customers here are people who have no painting experience. But since they are coming here to paint, I think a piece of satisfactory oil work is the greatest reward for them," said Zhou.

Zhou Zhou, the owner of Shiry's oil painting studio, adjusts a customer's painting. Photos: Sun Shuangjie/GT



The venue looks more like the personal home-style studio of Zhou than a place open to the public. Works by Zhou and her customers are on display, while several easels and palettes are set up in the cozy space.

Many customers will spend at least two or three sessions on a single piece. Zhou offers advice on composition and color mixing.

"I don't want to make the painting experience dull by telling customers how they should achieve the so-called perfect visual effect. I think each customer has their own distinctive idea of beauty," said Zhou.

Fees for painting at Shiry's start from 220 yuan, and depend on the size of the canvas. Reservations are required at least one day in advance. The studio is closed Wednesdays.

Cinema and theater

Afternoon Time (Room 302, 272 Daxue Road, 150-0077-7190) is a cinema that offers screenings in small rooms for groups of friends. It has become a favorite of students from the surrounding universities.

 



The venue has five different-themed screening rooms, including a pink Hello Kitty room, and one themed after Japanese cartoon series One Piece. Each room has a projector, a big screen and a set of loudspeakers, as well as comfortable sofas and plush toys.

The cinema charges 50 yuan to 80 yuan per hour. Customers can choose from numerous films, including the latest DVD releases and Internet streams.

Jiangwan Stadium



Customers are also welcome to bring their own films to screen at the venue, for example to celebrate a birthday or even make a marriage proposal.

For stage entertainment, try the M-Box Theatre (125-128, 1/F, inside the corridor of Jiangwan Stadium, 189-6451-8128).

The theater has recently been putting on plays for children, such as Mini Ocean (until August 30), which follows an adventure in the aquatic world.

During the daytime, the theater turns into a café that offers not only drinks but also a selection of books about theater.



Posted in: Metro Shanghai, About Town

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