Start with a bang

The eight-day holiday that combines the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day golden week is close at hand. Have you made plans for the first night of the holiday - the Mid-Autumn Festival? If not, the Global Times has found a selection of events around the city that are good options for those who want to start the holiday in a festive mood.

Spectacular display

The Shanghai International Music Fireworks Festival, which was inaugurated in 2000, was the first one of its kind in China and in Asia. Each year, six domestic and foreign firework companies participate in the event, presenting a splendid show that integrates music and fireworks. Three fireworks shows will be held this year on September 30, October 3 and October 6 in Pudong New Area's Century Park.

Apogée Fireworks, a Canadian company, will work with a domestic company, Liuyang Dongxin Fireworks Group, to present a visual feast on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The part of the show Apogée has organized will feature a depiction of the aurora borealis, a display of moving natural light that is sometimes seen in Arctic regions. Dongxin, on the other hand, will present fireworks that re-tell the Chang'e Flying to the Moon story, a legendary Chinese folktale that is associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Date: September 30, 7:30 pm to 8:45 pm

Venue: Century Park

世纪公园

Address: 1001 Jinxiu Road

锦绣路1001号

Tickets: 260 yuan ($41) for seats, 70 yuan for standing-only

Call 3876-0588 or 5833-5621 for details

Jazz night

JZ Club, which organizes the popular JZ Festival Shanghai, will host Chinese Jazz vocalist Jasmine Chen for an evening of music on September 30. Chen will perform with Israeli pianist Oleg Roschin, American Bassist EJ Parker and American drummer Ronnie Williams.

Born into a family of folk artists in Liaoning Province, Chen showed musical talent from an early age. She started taking piano lessons when she was 4 years old and started performing live when she was 8. Chen graduated from the Leeds College of Music in 2004 and has been working as a vocalist, lyricist and songwriter in Shanghai since then. Chen has performed at some of city's major Jazz events such as the Shanghai Jazz Festival and international Jazz festivals such as the Leeds FUSE Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. Chen released her first album The Color of Love in August 2008. The album features old Chinese songs, Chen's own songs and Western Jazz classics.

Date: September 30, 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm

Venue: JZ Club 爵士酒吧

Address: 46 Fuxing Road West

复兴西路46号

Admission: Free

Call 6431-0269 for details

Festive Rouge

Bar Rouge, which is located in the Bund area and boasts terrace views and a classy interior, has long been considered one of the high-end bars in the city. To celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, the bar will be decorated with bright lanterns and will feature performances by dragon dances. The dress code for the night is traditional Chinese attire and red.

Date: September 30, 6 pm to 3 am

Venue: Bar Rouge

Address: 7/F, 18 Zhongshandongyi Road

中山东一路18号7楼

Cover: 100 yuan

Call 6339-1199 for details

Scented moonlight

The chrysanthemum exhibition at the Shanghai Botanical Garden is another must-see event, with its tens of thousands of chrysanthemums for view. The greenhouse of the garden will open to visitors for the first time on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The garden will offer visitors a package that includes mooncakes, chrysanthemum tea and osmanthus-flavored wine on the night of the festival. The garden will also offer visitors a chance to participate in puzzles, for which prizes will be given.

Date: September 30

Venue: Shanghai Botanical Garden

上海植物园

Address: 1111 Longwu Road

龙吴路1111号

Admission: 15 yuan

Call 5435-5125 for details

The Voice of China

The Voice of China, a domestic version of the Dutch television program The Voice, will host the final round of its singing competition at the Shanghai Stadium during the evening on September 30. The Voice of China, which is produced by Zhejiang Satellite TV, has been one of the most popular reality television shows this year.

Four famous artists - Liu Huan, Na Ying, Harlem Yu and Yang Kun - will judge the competition, while a number of other well-known singers, such as Karen Mok, René Liu, Kris Phillips and Coco Lee, will also be present.

Date: September 30, 7:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai Stadium

上海体育场

Address: 666 Tianyaoqiao Road

天钥桥路666号

Tickets: 280 yuan to 2,000 yuan

Call 6213-2377 for details