Things you forgot happened in Shanghai in 2016

Ah, 2016. You were a cruel mistress – capricious and unpredictable. However, as we wave goodbye to this annus horriblis it seems fitting to muse on long gone quirky news items from Shanghai and beyond.  

2017, the gauntlet has been thrown – do better, and we'll see you for another one of these appraisals this time next year.

Shanghai Disneyland finally got an opening date

After months of hype and delay, it was announced at the beginning of the year that Shanghai Disneyland would finally open its hallowed gates to the public in June. Presale tickets for the opening were sold out within ten minutes.

In a string of social media 'beauty challenges', Weibo was overrun with breasts holding pens

Back in January, Chinese women took on the ‘underboob pen challenge’ – if they could grip a pen solely using the underside of the breasts, they were considered an enviable pair of assets. Originally, this test was given in an advice column in the Chicago Sun-Times as a way to see if women needed more support for their boobs, but became an internet craze involving lots of topless selfies on Weibo. Guys even got in on the act by squeezing pens between their pecs.

Star Wars broke China box office records

The Force Awakens took 53 million USD in ticket sales on its first weekend in China, awarding the intergalactic adventure the award for the highest ever sales on an opening weekend. 

Boiler Room China was also a record breaker

After two very sweaty sessions in Beijing and Shanghai, Boiler Room's much-heralded entrance into China was a big success, with the online TV show breaking its own viewing records. If you needed any proof that dance music is on the ascendant in China, here it is.

The sun set on Yongkang Lu

Xuhui authorities finally called time on Shanghai's infamous bar street, with the district's governor Bao Bingzhang declaring that bars and restaurants on the former French Concession street would be closed. The clean-up left the notorious street a shadow of its former self. 

Some mad geniuses put a traffic-straddling bus on the road in Hebei

Unfortunately, it seems to have now been abandoned in a car park to gather dust and lament what could have been.

These 1RMB public bikes changed the way you move around Shanghai

We were super-excited about the advent of Mobike, until Ofo came along.

Pandas screwed themselves back from the brink

They're iconic, they don't look like real animals and according to a report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) back in September, they're no longer classed as 'Endangered'.

It was announced that ID cards and a 'talent ranking' system for foreigners was going to be introduced

In an effort to attract more foreign talent, keep out the undesirables and make everything a bit simpler (supposedly), Chinese authorities announced a new streamlined work permit system involving foreigners being ranked according to 'talent'.

Michelin Guide brought its stars to Shanghai

The result? One restaurant (T'ang Court) was awarded three stars; seven restaurants with two stars; 18 with one; and 25 noted in the Bib Gourmand listings. For the first Michelin selection, Shanghai bagged a total of 35 stars.

And then, Speak Low made it onto the World's 50 Best Bars 2016 list

The Shanghai speakeasy was the first bar in Mainland China to be honoured, placing 15th on the globally recognised list.

The Shelter got the axe

As if we could forget. Co-founder of the iconic Shanghai club Gareth 'Gaz' Williams announced in October that The Shelter will be closing at the end of the year 'for a simple and boring reason: We couldn't get our licence renewed.' The club will be going out with a bang on December 31.

Ikea got strict with senior citizens looking for love

Ikea Shanghai's Xuhui store introduced a 'no food, no seating' policy in its restaurant in response to retirees – believed to be part of a weekly matchmaking group – mingling at the restaurant for hours without purchasing any food.