Page Text Content
The essence of cosmopolitan China, from the elegant `Paris of the East' to futuristic towering skyscrapers. China's past, present and future in one amazing metropolis.
shanghai
ancient & modern
Combine the sophistication of China's most populous city with revealing elements of its historic past to enjoy great contrasts of pace, scenery, beauty and atmosphere. As China powers into the 21st Century, nowhere is its future more evident than in Shanghai. Yet beneath the shadows of the elaborate corporate skyscrapers and around the corner from the up-market restaurants and designer boutiques one stills finds pockets of delightful resistance, where narrow back streets bustle with lively markets and old traditions still survive.
in a word
Shanghai offers an eclectic contrasting mix of historic splendour and progressive modernism. With no central ancient sites to be discovered, it is very much a city to be enjoyed at your own leisurely pace. Shanghai is essentially split into two sections by the Huangpu River. The western 'Puxi' area is very much the `traditional' Shanghai, once formed of separate `concession' areas which have bequeathed modern day Shanghai a lasting legacy of differing architectural styles and designs. Stroll along the riverside Bund in the former British concession, where the colonial style buildings dominate the riverfront setting and enjoy a boat trip on the Huangpu River, a highlight of any visit. The leafy French Concession area delights with 78 innumerable boutiques, quaint delis and tempting restaurants. A variety of bars and restaurants abound along the Bund and in the recently renovated entertainment area of Xintiandi, where traditional `shikumen' buildings have been lovingly restored to their former glory. Across the river in Pudong, the fast developing financial district is flourishing with each new skyscraper more impressive than the last. On both sides of the Huangpu River, up-scale restaurants, chic bars and über-trendy clubs are attracting a new sophisticated crowd, drawn from the ranks of China's new monied classes and the ever increasing number of ex-patriots helping power Shanghai as the driving force of China's economic resurgence.
|
inbro