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Dubious honor for Nanjing Rd.
By Lu Feiran |
August 28, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI'S Nanjing Road E. and Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars were listed among the "world's 12 worst tourist traps" by cnngo.com, a travel guide website under the US-based television news network CNN.
Nanjing Road E. was No. 4 on the list. The website said the road, which bills itself as the "best shopping street in China," is in reality far from that.
The road, whose history can be traced back 150 years, was once known as the "Number One Commercial Street in China." Most guidebooks recommend tourists check it out for its history.
"Apart from a handful of old shops, any sense of history is largely gone," said the website. It added: "Locals are a rare sight. Ubiquitous brands that can be found on any major shopping street in Shanghai, however, are all too common."
As expected, the list provoked a rapid response by Chinese readers online.
"Foreigners are not be able to appreciate the beauty of Nanjing Road E.," said a Shanghai woman on weibo.com. "Nanjing Road E. after sunset is like a shut-up amusement park, which is both romantic and tranquil."
Meanwhile, the Avenue of Stars, ranked No. 2. The website said it was built in 2004 and was designed with Chinese mainland tourists in mind.
Mainland tourists here are led by flag-toting tour guides as they stumble toward the promenade's highlight, a statue of Bruce Lee in kung fu pose.
"A lack of comfortable resting areas and focus on souvenir photo booths makes the whole experience about as satisfying as a sneeze that doesn't quite come out," according to the website.
The worst tourist trap in the world, according to the website, is Dunn's River Falls, Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
New York City's Times Square was No. 3 while Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience in London, United Kingdom was No. 5. The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy was No. 8.
The heavily advertised attractions were described as "bland misrepresentations" or "expensive time eaters," and that they often leave a bad taste in your mouth, kind of like "burnt coffee."
Nanjing Road E. was No. 4 on the list. The website said the road, which bills itself as the "best shopping street in China," is in reality far from that.
The road, whose history can be traced back 150 years, was once known as the "Number One Commercial Street in China." Most guidebooks recommend tourists check it out for its history.
"Apart from a handful of old shops, any sense of history is largely gone," said the website. It added: "Locals are a rare sight. Ubiquitous brands that can be found on any major shopping street in Shanghai, however, are all too common."
As expected, the list provoked a rapid response by Chinese readers online.
"Foreigners are not be able to appreciate the beauty of Nanjing Road E.," said a Shanghai woman on weibo.com. "Nanjing Road E. after sunset is like a shut-up amusement park, which is both romantic and tranquil."
Meanwhile, the Avenue of Stars, ranked No. 2. The website said it was built in 2004 and was designed with Chinese mainland tourists in mind.
Mainland tourists here are led by flag-toting tour guides as they stumble toward the promenade's highlight, a statue of Bruce Lee in kung fu pose.
"A lack of comfortable resting areas and focus on souvenir photo booths makes the whole experience about as satisfying as a sneeze that doesn't quite come out," according to the website.
The worst tourist trap in the world, according to the website, is Dunn's River Falls, Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
New York City's Times Square was No. 3 while Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience in London, United Kingdom was No. 5. The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy was No. 8.
The heavily advertised attractions were described as "bland misrepresentations" or "expensive time eaters," and that they often leave a bad taste in your mouth, kind of like "burnt coffee."
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