Shanghai, China’s largest city, is an exciting metropolitan city with an intriguing cultural diversity in architecture, history, food and people.
With its large influx of Europeans who made their home here in the early part of the 20th century, Shanghai became known by the 1930s as one of the most exciting, sophisticated cities in the world. Today, some parts of Shanghai (such as Old Town) are distinctly Chinese, while other parts (such as the French Concession) feel like a Parisian Boulevard.
East meets West in the Bund
In the French area, The Bund is well known for its exciting fusion of Eastern and Western styles and culture. At the centre of the Bund-China’s most sought after waterfront estate-stands Bund18, a fashionable mixed-use entertainment complex, housed in a stunning 1923 neo-classical building that won a UNESCO award of distinction.
Here you will find some of the city’s top boutiques restaurants, lounges, nightclubs and exhibition spaces with unparalleled panoramic views of the Huangpu River and financial mecca of Shanghai’s financial centre in Pudong.
If shopping’s your thing, merchants include Cartier, Patek Phillipe and Zegna.
Dining options are innovative and diverse, from Sibilla Cafe for lunch to Tan Wai Lou’s nouveau-Chinese dishes, and the modern French cuisine of Mr & Mrs Bund. Chef Paul Pairet creates imaginative dishes in a chic environment – at my visit, I was blown away by the prawn steamed in a mason jar with lemongrass dish, and the lemon tart cooked whole inside the lemon for three days, and served inside the lemon rind!
Once the night is underway party in style at L18, where trendy lounge music plays in an artistic environment; or head upstairs to Bar Rouge, a rooftop lounge with the hottest DJs in town against the incredible Shanghai skyline backdrop.
Looking to book a trip to China? Check out the tripatlas.com/new Trip Builder where you can request a quote local travel agents who are waiting to offer you custom prices on your trip.
Shelley Seale is a professional freelance writer who has written for National Geographic and Andrew Harper Traveler, among others. Her new book, The Weight of Silence, follows the true stories of children in India. She can be reached at www.shelleyseale.com.