Shanghai

Shanghai is the city that best embodies modern China's contradictions and ambitions. Stand on the Bund at night and the tableau tells the story: on the west bank, the grand European neoclassical facades of banks, trading houses, and hotels built during the International Settlement era — elegant monuments to the city's colonial past. On the east bank across the Huangpu River, the Pudong skyline erupts in glass and steel, a dozen supertall towers that simply didn't exist 30 years ago. Nowhere on earth illustrates China's economic transformation more vividly.

The city's cultural depth runs far beneath its glossy surface. The French Concession — a network of plane tree-lined lanes in the former French colonial district — remains one of Asia's most charming neighbourhoods, its shikumen townhouses now home to boutique cafés, independent bookshops, wine bars, and innovative restaurants. Tianzifang's labyrinthine arts alleys reward an afternoon of wandering. The Old Town's Yu Garden — a surviving Ming-dynasty scholar's garden surrounded by the Yuyuan Bazaar — transports visitors back five centuries. The Shanghai Museum on People's Square houses one of China's finest collections of bronzes, ceramics, and ancient art.

Shanghai eats exceptionally well. Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) from Din Tai Fung or local dumpling shops, crispy Shanghainese eel, and braised pork belly are city signatures. The restaurant scene ranges from humble lane-house diners to world-ranked fine dining — Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, one of the world's most exclusive restaurants (12 diners per night), calls Shanghai home. The cocktail bars of the Bund have become some of Asia's best, with rooftop bars offering those famous skyline views. Take the Maglev train from the airport on arrival — travelling at 431km/h is itself a statement of intent.