The topping-out ceremony for the Gensler-designed Shanghai Tower, the world's second-tallest building, took place in Shanghai on August 3. The 632 meter-high tower has now reached its full height and is second only to the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, which measures 828 meters. The tower’s cleverly designed facade reduces wind load by 24 percent during typhoons, and sky gardens at the apex mimic traditional open courtyards. Gensler's local engineering and design team had to devise several unique components to accommodate the 121 story tower located in an emerging financial district in Pudong. The clay soil would have been insufficient to carry the tower's heavy load, so a system of 831 reinforced concrete bore piles had to be poured in 60 straight hours as a solid foundation. Also, China is subject to powerful typhoons that can destabilize a tower of such heights, so it was important to reduce the project's wind load. The twisting form reduces the load by 24 percent during typhoons, and also slashed construction costs by a whopping US$ 58 million. The building is organized in nine vertical zones that distribute heating, cooling and water more efficiently than a standard tower, thereby reducing these loads, as well as the costs of maintaining interior comfort. Sky gardens crown the mammoth building alongside observation decks and cultural facilities, while retail facilities are located at the base. Offices are spread out between. The tower will open in 2014.

According to news agency Xinhuanet, Shanghai, China's economic center, plans to build a super-sized exhibition center that is likely to become the world's largest, announced a municipal official Sha Hailin. The Shanghai municipal government has set up a headquarters to command construction of ancillary facilities to the China Expo Center, which will be located at the Shanghai Hongqiao Central Business District, said Sha Hailin, deputy secretary general of the Shanghai municipal government, at a press briefing. The center, composed of a main exhibition hall and ancillary facilities, will cover an area of about 104 hectares, with an indoor area of 400 thousand square meters and 100 thousand square meters of outdoor exhibition areas. The project will cost US$ 3.6 billion, and the first-phase investment has been secured, without elaborating on the amount.

A $33 billion high-speed rail line connecting two of the world's largest cities made its debut on 30 June. The Beijing-to-Shanghai high-speed train has been operating on a trial basis since May, and is finally ready to open to the general public, reported constructiondigital.com. This line is expected to help improve China's overloaded transportation system. The country has been pursuing several large-scale infrastructure projects to help cut down on airport delays and cancellations. However, the entrance of the new high speed rail line has led some airlines to slash ticket prices by as much as 65 percent amidst concerns that the new rail line could cause a negative effect on the air travel industry. One-way tickets prices will range from US$ 63-270 compared to about US$ 200 for a flight on an airplane between Beijing and Shanghai. This new high-speed rail line is opening a full year ahead of schedule despite delays in construction as a result of safety concerns. Construction began in April 18, 2008. Once operational, the new Shanghai-to-Beijing line will cut the travel time between the two cities in half to under five hours. The rail line will be capable of carrying about 80 million passengers a year, twice the current capacity for the 1,318 kilometre route. The line carries 90 pairs of trains every day, including 63 pairs that run at 300 kilometers per hour, which can reach the terminal in 4 hours and 48 minutes, and 27 pairs that travel at 250 kilometers per hour, which can reach the terminal in 7 hours and 56 minutes.

The construction of the sixth Disney theme park has started today, on April 8 in Shanghai. As previously reported, the Walt Disney Company has clinched deal with China's Shanghai Shendi Group Co. Ltd. to build Disney amusement park in Shanghai last year. Shanghai's Disneyland will include 2 hotels, a lake, restaurant and commercial complex. According to the head of Disney's parks and resorts division Tom Staggs, it will take five years to complete this project. Shanghai's mayor has estimated the amusement park will cost $3.7 billion, which would make it one of the largest foreign investments in China.

The American media holding The Walt Disney Company has clinched deal with China's Shanghai Shendi Group Co. Ltd. to build Disney theme park in China's largest city- Shanghai. Project approval was received by local authorities in November last year and the State Company Shanghai Shendi Group Co. Ltd was formed in August especially for the construction of amusement park. The Disney Land will be located in Shanghai's new part, in Pudong It was expected to cover a relatively small 4 square kilometers, at a cost of 25 billion yuan (3.6 billion U.S. dollars) and construction works are expected to be completed by 2015. Note, that in September 12, 2005 China has already one Disneyland, which is located in Hong Kong. The very first Disneyland Park in the world was opened on July 17, 1955 in Anaheim, California. Then, Walt Disney Magic Kingdom located near Orlando, Florida. Later opened Tokyo's Disneyland in 1983 and Disneyland in Paris in 1992.