A Shopping and dining area will open in the metro interchange hall at People's Square next month, the Shanghai Morning Post reported today.

Perhaps the highlight of the area will be a soccer-themed bar, the report said.

Shanghai Shentong Metro Group Co, operator of the city's subway lines, said it is the first time that a soccer-themed bar has been set up at a metro station. If the bar scores high with commuters, the company is considering opening more at other large subway stations in the city.

The interchange hall under People's Square is 800 square meters and will be divided into three sections. Section A is a transparent glass box area where passengers can have drinks and snacks. The bar is in Section B. In Section C, there are more than 20 stalls, 10 of which are chains such as ice cream-treat maker DQ or the bakery Christine.

Similar shopping and dining areas will be built at other metro stations around the city. An underground shopping mall at Hongkou Football Stadium Station on Line 3 will open in September.

By the end of this year, such malls will have been set up at Tangqiao Station on Line 4 in Pudong New Area, Huangxing Road and Nenjiang Road stations on Line 8 in Yangpu District and Yishan Road Station on Line 4 in Xuhui District.

(Shanghai Daily July 17, 2008)