With the summer sweat in full swing, people looking to escape the heat have two refreshing choices.

The City Beach in Fengxian District, opening on July 20, is the first public sand beach in Shanghai.

The 50,000-square meter beach is admission free and tourism officials say that the water, taken from the East China Sea has been filtered and is safe for swimming.

Life guards will also patrol the beach.

The beach has a 1.6-kilometer coast line and the resort area also includes golf courses, hotels and a parking lot.

Construction on the beach started last year.

But if a summer splash isn't enough to cool you down, two month-long grape festivals starting on July 10 can help quench thirsts.

The festivals will be held at the Malu vineyard, Jiading District, and Shipu vineyard, Jinshan District.

The best time to visit is in mid-July, said Shan Chuanlun, director of the Jiading Malu Grapes Research Center, as the grapes will be fully grown at their juiciest.

(Shanghai Daily July 3, 2006)