As the old Joni Mitchell song goes, 'they paved paradise and put up a parking lot'. Such sentiment could soon be applied to Chongming Island, a remote county under the jurisdiction of Shanghai scheduled for big changes in the near future.
The island, China's third-largest after Taiwan and Hainan, is a remote wilderness made up largely of small farms, an enormous bird sanctuary and some excellent attractions offering the opportunity to commune with nature - a difficult task in the concrete expanses of Shanghai.
Next year will be a milestone for what is also the world's largest alluvial island (at 1,942 square kilometres) with the completion of a 17km tunnel, which will open up Chongming and end its relative isolation.
With the connection to the mainland, the plan is to reposition it as a so-called green island, with - the authorities promise - the utmost attention paid to ecological planning. New communities will spring up as part of an extensive development plan being implemented in the run- up to the 2010 World Expo.
Today, you can take a 90-yuan taxi ride to Chongming from Baoyang Port in Shanghai's northern Baoshan District. Ferries (28 yuan one way) run every hour. After a 45-minute ride across the water, disembarking in Chongming's relatively car-free centre is like arriving on a day trip to Shek O or Tai Mei Tuk.
The main street, the pedestrianised Bayi Road, with its sea of bicycle taxis, is lined with restaurants and shops. It's a good idea to stock up on supplies or sit down for lunch before venturing out across the island. Spicy Muslim soups and other treats from the vendors are highly recommended. So too is the fare from the numerous seafood eateries. Of particular note is the Boss' Wife restaurant, a widely lauded Ningbo establishment.
