Construction of Fisherman's Wharf started this morning on the west bank of the Huangpu River in Yangpu District.
The wharf will host a cluster of entertainment and commercial outlets along with office space.
Construction of the wharf's two main buildings also started today. One resembles the shape of a leaping fish and the other a regular fish to commemorate the city's history.
Shanghai evolved from a small fishing village about 1,500 years ago. The short name of Shanghai is "Hu," which is an ancient fishing tool.
The leaping fish building will be 179-meters tall, will have 37 stories and will open in May 2010, along with the wharf.
The other building will be 42-meters tall and built on a waterfront area of 200 meters along the Huangpu. It will house entertainment facilities, a five-star hotel and a fishing museum.
The "fish's mouth" will face the Huangpu and be a sightseeing platform for tourists.
Project managers hope that the wharf will become a major tourist attraction for visitors to World Expo 2010. Two ferry terminals are also planned for the wharf by that time.
(Shanghai Daily January 11, 2008)
