Travelore Breaking News: 35 killed, 42 injured in Shanghai stampede during New Year's celebration

 

SHANGHAI (AP) - Thirty-five people have been killed in a stampede s in downtown Shanghai, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency is reporting.

The report early Thursday cites the Shanghai government in saying that another 42 people were injured.

The deaths and injuries occurred at Shanghai's popular riverfront Bund area, which can be jammed with spectators for major events.

One Xinhua photo from the scene showed at least one person doing chest compressions on a shirtless man while several other people lay on the ground nearby, amid debris. Another photo showed the area ringed by police.

The cause of the stampede remained under investigation, the Xinhua report said.

Shanghai's historic Bund riverfront runs along an area of often narrow streets amid restored old buildings, shops and tourist attractions. The China Daily newspaper in February reported that the city's population was more than 24 million at the end of 2013.

Travelore Tips: New Year's Eve Transportation in Las Vegas, London, Paris, And Sydney

Photo by Ira Block/Getty Images

Nothing ruins a good New Year's Eve like traffic jams and price-surging taxi apps (ahem, Uber). Here, a primer on navigating some of our favorite festive cities on that last night of the year.

LAS VEGAS

Taxi

The good news: Hotels can book taxis and limousines in advance. The bad news: The Strip closes to automobile traffic from about 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Best to steer clear of the roads altogether.

Public Transportation

Hit the monorail. It runs north and south between the MGM Grand and the SLS Hotel & Casino until 3 a.m., with multiple stops along the way (unlimited day pass, $12).

Walking

Sounds good in theory—just remember that the Strip is four miles long. Know how far you’re venturing before you set out.

Photo by Goffredo di Crollalanza/Getty Images

LONDON

Taxi

Patience and deep pockets are required: Black cabs are scarce, and fares are pricier than usual on New Year’s Eve (same goes for taxi-hailing apps like Hailo and Drivr, which impose minimum fares for the night).

Public Transportation

The Underground is by far the best way to get around, and it’s free from 11:45 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.

Walking

Great if you’re staying in Central London—with one big caveat: Crowds and bridge closures make crossing the Thames a challenge from roughly 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Photo by Bertrand Langlois

PARIS

Taxi

This is the one city where you shouldn’t even try to hail a cab—and the apps will be astronomically expensive. They’re hard to find on a normal night and nearly impossible to land on one like this, especially around the Champs-Élysées or Montmartre, where much of the action is centered.

Public Transportation

If you’re near a Métro station, hop on. In fact, from 5 p.m. on December 31 until noon on January 1, the Métro, the bus, and the trains (including the RER) are free and run all night.

Walking

No question about it, walking is the way to go. It’s convenient and infinitely more romantic than the Métro.

Photo by Christian Kober/Getty Images

SYDNEY

Taxi

A taxi stand on Elizabeth Street between Liverpool Street and Nithsdale Lane will be staffed and managed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. They may charge premiums, and brace yourself for road closures around Sydney Harbor vantage points.

Public Transportation

Extra trains will run in and out of the city—in an effort to cope with the increased demand—while the light-rail will operate regular weekday service to the city every 15 minutes.

Taxi

Stroll back to the hotel if you’re staying near the harbor. Remember that it’s summertime Down Under, so count on temperatures of around 60 degrees even after midnight.

Contributed by Calder Quinn, www.cntraveler.com

Follow us on Twitter: @TraveloreReport

“What’s New in London” December 2014

The year may be coming to a close, but there is plenty of time to book a trip to London this December to enjoy unique exhibitions and events while staying at new hotel properties.

 

Among the unique offerings are “Small Stories: At Home in a Dolls’ House” at the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood opening December 13that takes you on a journey of the history of each home and the dolls who lived there.

 

History buffs will appreciate “The First World War in the Air” at the Royal Air Force Museum in North London.  The Museum site has a rich history and played an important role in the early development of British aviation.  See how pilots, ground crews and even factory workers come together at this birthplace of aerial power.

 

Theater season is in full swing with new productions of beloved children’s classics including “The Wind in the Willows” opening December 2 at the Vaudeville Theater; “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” at the Royal Opera House beginning December 6; and “The Little Match Girl” at Sadler’s Wells on December 13. Also highly anticipated is the Young Vic’s production of “Golem” -- a stunning blend of original animation with entrancing music and live performance exploring the theme of what happens when mankind and machines become inextricably intertwined.

 

Don’t miss the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display.  This year 100,000 tickets will be available to the public atwww.london.gov.uk/nye.

 

London offers a wide variety of accommodations.  New hotels include The Beaumont Hotel, the first of noted restaurateurs Jeremy King and Chris Corbin and M by Montcalm, one of two new hotels from the Montcalm Group.  The 200-room hotel is part of a 23-story tower development which fuses large scale art, sculpture and architecture in a futuristic tower.  

 

Additional information about all these attractions opening in December is below.  For more on what’s new in London, go to visitlondon.com.  You can also follow the London & Partners Media and Public Relations team for more London news at @London_PR. 

 

Exhibitions The First World War in the AirRoyal Air Force Museum, to open in December 2014 A brand new permanent exhibition will open in December 2014 in the museum’s historic Grahame-White Factory: this Grade II listed building was an active aircraft factory during the First World War. The Museum site in North London has a rich history and played an important role in the early development of British aviation. English aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White described the area as ‘the birthplace of aerial power.’ The exhibition will explore what it was like to be involved in the earliest days of military aviation through the story of Britain’s air services, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. These two organizations merged on 1 April 1918 to become the world’s first independent air force, the Royal Air Force. This story will incorporate the experiences of pilots, ground crews and factory workers as well as the local North London community.  For more information contact the RAF Museum press office on 020 8358 6410 / media@rafmuseum.org  Small Stories: At Home in a Dolls’ HouseV&A Museum of Childhood, 13 Dec 2014 - 6 Sept 2015  This exhibition will reveal the fascinating stories behind some of the UK's best-loved dolls' houses, taking you on a journey through the history of the home, everyday lives and changing family relationships. The small stories of 12 dolls' houses from the past 300 years will be brought to life by the characters that live or work there. Come and meet the residents, and discover tales of marriages and parties, politics and crime. The exhibition encompasses country mansions, the Georgian town house, suburban villas, newly-built council estates and high-rise apartments. The houses will also show developments in architecture and design. For more information contact Rebecca Ward on 020 7613 3306 / rebecca@rebeccaward.co.uk Events Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display The London Eye, 31 Dec 2014 At midnight, Big Ben's famous "bongs" will ring out, followed by the UK's largest annual fireworks display. London’s hugely popular and internationally acclaimed New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations, organized by the Mayor of London, have become so successful that the organizers have taken the decision to ticket the event in order to reduce the number of people attending. This year 100,000 tickets will be available to the public, which will guarantee good views of the fantastic pyrotechnic display and a better visitor experience. People, from anywhere in the UK or abroad, will be able to book up to four tickets from Friday 26 September at 12 noon (UK time), by going tolondon.gov.uk/nye. If you miss out on a ticket, you can still enjoy the full show from the comfort of your own home live on BBC1. Theatre and Music   The Wind in the Willows Vaudeville Theatre, 2 Dec 2014 - 17 Jan 2015, This joyful production brings to life Kenneth Grahame's classic tale of four unlikely anthropomorphic friends - a mole, a rat, a badger, and of course, a toad - who join up to save the latter's ancestral home from being overrun. When Toad's taste of the high life sees him steal a luxury motor car and end up in prison, his hubris doesn't win him any friends. But the good-hearted Mole, dashing Ratty and gruff Badger take pity on his increasingly sorry plight behind bars and work together to spring him and save Toad Hall from a pack of dastardly weasels, which are intent on destroying it. A parable that stresses the importance of friendships, despite differences, this will be a fantastic treat for theatre fans, young or old. For more information contact general@nimaxtheatres.com Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Royal Opera House, 6 Dec 2014 – 16 Jan 2015 Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland arrived on the stage in 2011 with a burst of color, theatrical magic and inventive choreography. It was The Royal Ballet’s first new full-length work since 1995 and was greeted with delight by audiences. Joby Talbot’s score combines contemporary soundworlds with sweeping melodies that gesture to ballet scores of the 19th century. Bob Crowley’s wildly imaginative sets and costumes draw on puppetry, projections and masks to make Wonderland wonderfully real. Alice encounters a cast of extraordinary characters, from the highly-strung Queen of Hearts, who performs a hilarious send-up of The Sleeping Beauty's famous Rose Adage, to dancing playing cards, a sinuous caterpillar and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter. Alice and the Knave of Hearts dance a tender, loving pas de deux of delicate beauty. But the ballet does not avoid the darker undercurrents of Lewis Carroll’s story – a nightmarish kitchen, an eerily disembodied Cheshire Cat and the unhinged tea party are all created in vivid detail. For more information contact Kate Davis on 020 7212 9241 /kate.davis@roh.org.uk The Little Match Girl Sadler’s Wells, 13 Dec 2014 - 4 Jan 2015 Celebrated choreographer Arthur Pita brings his magical dance theatre show The Little Match Girl to the Lilian Baylis Studio this Christmas. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic story, this touching tale of a young street girl's hopes and dreams is beautifully told through dance, song and original live music. A snowy stage sets the scene for an icy cold Christmas eve, where the little match girl paces the emptying streets, trying to sell her matches. Cold, hungry and with just one final match flame to keep her warm, she sees a vision of her beloved grandmother. Leaving her troubled life behind, she is guided up into the night sky by her grandmother who takes her to the moon. Now, on a clear night, if you look closely, you might see the light of a shooting star, or is it a match burning brightly? For more information contact contact@arthurpita.com   Golem Young Vic, 9 Dec 2014 – 21 Jan 2015 The danger lies not in machine becoming more like man but in man becoming more like machine. Following the smash hit The Animals and Children took to the Streets, this UK premiere from 1927 is one of the most anticipated new shows of 2014. Blending stunningly original animation with entrancing music and live performance, Golem explores one of the great questions of the modern world - what happens when mankind and machines become inextricably intertwined? For more information contact Charlotte Bayley on 020 7922 2979 / charlottebayley@youngvic.org Hotels The Beaumont Hotel Mayfair, opening autumn 2014 Restaurateurs Jeremy King and Chris Corbin are to open their first hotel overlooking Brown Hart Gardens in Mayfair. The 75-room hotel will feature an inhabitable sculpture of a crouching man, called Room, by artist Antony Gormley which is predicted to become a landmark for the area. King and Corbin, who have made their name with top restaurants such as The Wolseley, The Ivy and Le Caprice have developed the project in partnership with property firm Grosvenor to a design by ReardonSmith architects who have previously worked on the Four Seasons on Park Lane, The Savoy, and Claridge's. The Beaumont will also comprise a Presidential suite, a 100-seater classic New York-style restaurant, a private dining room, spa and leisure facilities. For more information contact Martine de Geus on martine.degeus@CorbinKing.com M by Montcalm Shoreditch London Tech City, opening autumn 2014 One of two new hotels from the Montcalm group set to open in 2014, the M by Montcalm is part of a cluster of towers beginning to form on City Road. The new build 200-room hotel is part of a 23-storey tower development which fuses large scale art, sculpture and architecture in a futuristic looking tower. The building will include retail and bars, self-storage, business centre, fitness centre and the hotel which has an exceptional roof top bar overlooking London. The pioneering new building which tapers and twists to allow daylight penetration at street level has been created by architect Will Alsop. He has described the project as "an artwork" which includes a striking 15-storey work by artist Bruce McLean. For more information visit mbymontcalm.co.uk

Experience New Year’s Eve At The iconic Sydney Opera House

Experience one of the world’s most glamorous and magical evenings with passionate performances and a front row seat to the world’s best fireworks

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Opera Australia has announced details of a truly memorable evening full of glitz, glamour and excitement on New Year’s Eve at the stunning Sydney Opera House.

There are two spectacular performances to choose from, in addition to pre-show drinks, fine dining and a midnight party. The only way to experience NYE at the Sydney Opera House – complete with show, fireworks and unforgettable memories - is with a special package from Opera Australia.

Set against the backdrop of the magnificent Sydney Harbour, this unforgettable event incorporates everything you need to see in the New Year with style, from wonderful performances the world-famous Midnight Party.

In the Concert Hall the annual Opera Gala (a favourite for young couples proposing!) will feature a remarkable line-up of Australian and international singers together with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. They perform popular hits of opera like “Nessun Dorma” (from Turandot), the “Pearl Fishers Duet”, the “Lakme Duet”, the “Brindisi” (from La Traviata) and “I Could have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady).

In the other sail of the Sydney Opera House - in the Joan Sutherland Opera Theatre - is a stunning production of La bohème. This award-winning production is renowned for its glamorous staging, including a magnificent party scene, a fully rotating set with two-tiered balconies and a glorious painted backdrop.

"Any performance at Sydney Opera House is an exciting event. But the combination of one of my favourite roles, in one of my favourite operas, on such a special night is extraordinary!" Nicole Car, OA soprano – ‘Mimi’ in La bohème

Performances are timed perfectly for you to take in the spectacle of not one but two incredible fireworks shows from the Sydney Opera House’s exclusive harbourside vantage point while enjoying a glass of champagne with someone special. And at the end, audiences from both performances join with the singers to toast the New Year, at the stylish Midnight Party, held in the northern foyer overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. There is simply no better place to see in 2016!

“A night at Sydney Opera House is the best way to experience Sydney on New Year’s Eve,” says Lyndon Terracini, Artistic Director of Opera Australia.

“Not only are guests be treated to the glamour and romance of Opera Australia’s spectacular opera La bohème and the Opera Gala, but they will also have the city’s best view point for the famous fireworks on the harbour – without a doubt the best in the world.

“Everyone should do this at least once in their lifetime,” he said.

“Spent New Year's Eve watching La Bohème and enjoying dinner at the Sydney Opera House beforehand, champagne reception at the interval and midnight fireworks party... definitely worth every penny!” UK tourist review, Trip Advisor.

This must-experience evening at Sydney Opera House is best enjoyed with the Platinum Package – the gold standard - including pre-performance dinner, the very best seats at the Gala Concert and entry to the Midnight Party.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Opera Australia

Opera Australia is Australia's national opera company – the country's largest and busiest performing arts organization. Each year the company presents more than 600 performances of the world’s most-loved operas and musicals. Opera Australia's opera experiences are tailored to suit everyone. As one of the world’s most successful opera companies, visitors travelling from overseas make up a large proportion of Opera Australia’s regular audience members. Travellers from China, Germany, the UK and the US are frequent attendees thanks to a diverse, popular program that features world-class performers, spectacular sets and costumes. A visit to Sydney Opera House is not complete without going inside the famous sails and experiencing the magic of live opera!