Xintiandi teams up this year with the Shanghai World Expo to present its annual New Year's Eve countdown show and party, "City Lights Life," on its manmade lake, writes Fei Lai.

Xintiandi, a dining, shopping and entertain-ment magnet, calls itself "Shanghai's living room" where both expats and locals can enjoy the city's flavor all year round.

And of course, on New Year's Eve.

The annual countdown party on December 31 will be held, as usual, on the "shore" of artificial Taipingqiao Lake. It's becoming a tradition. Pop singers including Taiwanese band S.H.E. will perform.

Themed "City Lights Life," the show this year marks the first time that Xintiandi cooperates with the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The 2010 Expo theme is "Better City, Better Life" and the Xintiandi show will incorporate "city" elements in the stage design and program.

The green concept of "advocating civilization and taking away garbage" will run throughout the event.

The trendy venue of rebuilt shikumen (stone-gated) houses showcases the city's embrace of different cultures. Traditional and modern, local and expat, Chinese and international - all merge in the Xintiandi complex.

Xintiandi extends a creative and cozy living style. Its historic feeling and fusion of the East and the West make it an open trend-setting venue in an open city.

To underscore the distinctiveness of the metropolis, the countdown party will have a distinctive design. Glamorous lights will spotlight the main stage on the lake. More stages and platforms will be added on the lake's surface to shorten the distance between audience and performers to only three meters.

As usual, top performers will sing, dance and play their way into the new year.

The warm-up program will be "Nanta," a music art from South Korea that uses pots, pans and kitchen plates as instruments - a kimchi kitchen comedy.

Then, three select World Expo theme songs will be played. Taiwanese singer Emil Chau and girl band S.H.E will light the flame for the new year.

The joyful atmosphere and memorable songs will greet the new year and begin the 2008 countdown to the 2010 World Expo.

(Shanghai Daily December 24, 2007)