A city of 28 million people, where the the Yangtze River meets the Yellow Sea, Shanghai is one of the busiest port cities in the world. Although the creation of the financial Pudong district, which now houses the world’s second-tallest tower and a host of other monumental skyscrapers, Shanghai has a different side to it. The city’s greatest cosmopolitan excess – the 1920s and 1930s, left the city with splendid examples of art deco buildings, including Buddhist temples, Jewish synagogues, Jesuit cathedrals, traditional “shikumen” housing, French colonial architecture and many more which gives Shanghai an extremely diverse architectural heritage like no other city on earth.
Beijing often hogs the limelight as China’s cultural nexus, but Shanghai shows a more contemporary side of China. Many art galleries, pop-up boutiques, cool vintage shops offer a window into modern China, while nightlife options have exploded. Shanghai’s music and club scenes are vibrant; from unpretentious jazz bars, indie venues or even electro-dance rave. Options are aplenty for dining with a whole list of international cuisine to satisfy any palette.