Shanghai diners will soon get a new haunt where they can tuck into seafood, fresh out of the fishing nets.

The Oriental International Fisheries Market, an aquatic products wholesale market on the banks of Huangpu River, is now being reconstructed into a seafood night market, complete with restaurants and a huge parking area. The night market is expected to be ready by the end of next month.

The market is being reconstructed across 7,000 square meters and will have 32 restaurants and 180 parking slots. The night market is being carved out of a 13,000-square-meter parking lot within the wholesale fisheries hub.

"Less than 50 percent of the parking lots were being used," said Wang Decai, office director of the Oriental International Fisheries Market.

"We then worked out a plan to turn the wholesale market into a seafood night market."

The night market is located at No. 2866 Jungong Road in Yangpu District. Several restaurants from the nearby Tongchuan Road, which are popular for their seafood, will move into the newly built market. Owners will be provided with cooking ranges and disposable tableware.

"Customers can get the freshest possible catch for 50 yuan (US$7.3)," Wang said.

Seafood lovers can order at the restaurants or buy their selections raw from the wholesale market. They can get one of the restaurants to cook it for them.

(Shanghai Daily August 26, 2008)