Tour of Far East’s only Jewish ghetto reveals the hidden Jewish history of Shanghai

Tour of Shanghai's Jewish history tells story of WWII refugees, crowded ghetto.

Not far from the Bund district in Shanghai, with its hordes of tourists and view of the city’s famous skyscrapers across the Huangpu River, is a quiet neighborhood called Hongkou.

Walk here along Zhoushan Road and you’ll stumble on a sign that signifies an otherwise unremarkable building at No. 59 as a landmark.

Michael Blumenthal, a Jewish refugee whose family settled in Shanghai with thousands of other Jews fleeing the Nazis, spent part of his youth at 59 Zhoushan Rd. in Shanghai 舟山路59号，美国原财政部长布鲁门塞尔的旧居

“During the World War II,” the sign reads in imperfect English, “a number of Jewish refugees lived in this house, among whom is Michael Blumenthal, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury of the Carter Government.”

The marker offers a clue to the hidden Jewish history of Shanghai and the incredible story of thousands of Jews who fled the Nazis and found refuge here in what was the Far East’s only Jewish ghetto. Among them was Blumenthal, who fled Europe with his family, spent part of his youth in Shanghai, then moved to the U.S. and served in the late 1970s under U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Israeli journalist and photojournalist Dvir Bar-Gal has been leading popular tours of the historic Hongkou district in Shanghai since 2002 犹太遗迹之旅:在上海居住的以色列记者迪夫都会带一个参观团到大街小巷寻找当年犹太人的记忆

The best way to learn about this unusual slice of Jewish and Shanghai history is on a tour with an Israeli expat named Dvir Bar-Gal. But be warned: This is no superficial glance at the highlights; this is a five-hour, $60 mini-course with Bar-Gal as professor. With his encyclopedic knowledge and intense passion, he brings to life a vanished world, attracting visitors from every continent, many of them descended from the Jews who only survived the Second World War because they found refuge in Shanghai.

“No other place in the whole world saved so many Jewish lives,” Bar-Gal said, adding that “there is no anti-Semitism in China.”

Bar-Gal begins the tour on the bustling Bund, explaining how Jewish merchants from Baghdad helped build Nanjing Road into the neighborhood’s commercial centre in the 19th century. The landmark Peace Hotel, now owned by the Fairmont chain, was built in the 1920s by Victor Sassoon, part of a famous and wealthy Sephardic Jewish family.

The landmark Peace Hotel was built in the 1920s by Victor Sassoon, part of a famous and wealthy Sephardic Jewish family 上海外灘和平饭店北楼(原华懋饭店、沙逊大厦)是英国犹太大商人维克多·沙逊在上海建造的第一座高层建筑

Among the community’s rags-to-riches tales was that of Silas Hardoon, who started as a night watchman for the Sassoons and became a powerful real estate developer, helping to turn Nanjing Road into the “Fifth Avenue of China” in the early 20th century.

“Eventually he became the richest Jew in Asia, the real estate king of Shanghai,” Bar-Gal said.

The Kadoorie family, which founded the China Light & Power Company and today owns the Peninsula Hotel Group, is also descended from Sephardic Jews who got their start with the Sassoons.

Many Jews fleeing persecution at the turn of the 20th century settled in Shanghai's French Concession district and opened small businesses

A second layer was added to Shanghai’s Jewish community when several thousand Jews fleeing persecution in Czarist Russia arrived here at the turn of the 20th century. Many settled in Shanghai’s French Concession district and opened small businesses.

The third layer of Shanghai’s Jews consisted of European refugees fleeing the Nazis in the 1930s. Walking past small shops and tenements in Hongkou today, past street vendors and bicyclists, all of them Chinese, Bar-Gal said: “Imagine here a deli, a bakery, a grocery, a restaurant, a pharmacy,” run by Jews trying to recreate familiar rhythms of European life in their new city.

So many of the residents were Austrian that the area was known as Little Vienna. A Chinese diplomat who worked in Austria during the Second World War, Feng Shan Ho, is part of the story. Defying orders from his superiors, Ho issued lifesaving visas that allowed Jews to leave, most of them traveling by boat from Italy to Shanghai.

In the late 1930s, Shanghai was the only option for Jewish refugees

“Everyone else rejected them,” Bar-Gal said, referring to the limits other countries — including the U.S. — placed on admitting Jewish refugees. “In the late 1930s, Shanghai was the only option.”

Shanghai was open to Jewish arrivals despite the fact that the city was under control of the Japanese, who were Nazi allies. A Japanese diplomat in Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, also issued thousands of visas that allowed Jews to escape Europe for Japan or China.

Some 20,000 Jews were crammed into the neighborhood, living as many as 30 to a room

But eventually Japanese officials forced all “stateless” people living in Shanghai to move to Hongkou, and turned it into a ghetto. Some 20,000 Jews were crammed into the neighborhood, living as many as 30 to a room, Bar-Gal said. Disease and starvation were rampant, though the Jews tried to help themselves by setting up clinics, soup kitchens, schools and shelters.

“Where we walk today, we are in the heart of the ghetto,” Bar-Gal said.

A stone monument in Huoshan Park in Shanghai describes the neighborhood as a "designated area for stateless refugees" during World War II. Thousands of Jewish refugees fled Nazi-occupied Europe for Shanghai, where they were crammed into a ghetto in the Hongkou district. 霍山公园里竖立着一块纪念碑，用中、英和希伯来文介绍了当时 “犹太隔离区”的具体位置

A stone monument in Huoshan Park, a peaceful place with trees and benches, offers a description of the neighbourhood in Chinese, Hebrew and English as a “designated area for stateless refugees” bordered by Gongping, Tongbei, Huimin and Zhoujiazui roads. But many buildings that once housed the refugees have been torn down, and more are slated for demolition. (Chinese: 霍山公园，原名汇山公园，仅二千平方米不到，是犹太难民主要的游憩地，1947年4月22日，八千名犹太人曾在这里举行集会，抗议英国当局将四名“伊尔贡”（犹太复国主义军事组织）成员处死，是当时上海犹太人组织的规模最大的一次政治活动。现在霍山公园里竖立着一块纪念碑，用中、英和希伯来文介绍了当时 “犹太隔离区”的具体位置).

Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum 上海犹太难民纪念馆

Ohel Moshe synagogue 摩西会堂

Bar-Gal’s tour also stops at the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum (Chinese: 上海犹太难民纪念馆) and Ohel Moshe synagogue (Moxi Huitang, Chinese: 摩西会堂), where artifacts like passports, photos and a newspaper produced by the refugees are on display. The tour ends inside a tiny, dark apartment that once housed Jews and is now inhabited by several Chinese families. Here Bar-Gal, who is writing a book, describes another of his projects — an effort to find “the lost Jewish cemeteries of Shanghai” and create a memorial. He has found tombstones from the destroyed graveyards in towns and villages, in one case being used as a washboard.

A menorah at the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum - The menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple, is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith 犹太教的另一标志：七星烛台

His tour attracts visitors from around the world — Europe, Australia, North America — many of whom had family members living in Shanghai during the war. “They talked about the poverty, the starvation, the sickness,” said Chaya Medalie of Johannesburg, South Africa, who took Bar-Gal’s tour last year. “When you stand in it, you see it from a different perspective. It’s unbelievable.”

___

If You Go…

SHANGHAI TOUR OF JEWISH HISTORY: http://www.shanghai-jews.com. Four to five hours, usually starting at 9:30 a.m., $61 (400 RMB), offered daily depending on demand. Reservations: Dvir Bar-Gal, 011-86-1300-214-6702, or contact via email through the website.

SHANGHAI JEWISH REFUGEES MUSEUM: 62 Changyang Road, Shanghai; open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, $7.60 (50 RMB). Admission to the museum and the Ohel Moshe synagogue onsite is included in Bar-Gal’s tour.

HUOSHAN PARK: Located in Hongkou neighbourhood of Shanghai, on Huoshan Road. Stone monument commemorates the area’s history as a Jewish ghetto for refugees fleeing the Nazis in Europe during the Second World War.

上海犹太遗迹地图

上海犹太难民纪念馆(摩西会堂旧址)
地址：长阳路62号
这是犹太人在上海居住的最完整的标志，由俄罗斯犹太人始建于1927年，是目前保存较完整的犹太会堂旧址之一。1933—1941年，上海总共接纳了近三万名为逃离纳粹的屠杀和迫害而从欧洲来沪的犹太难民，为他们撑起了一艘“诺亚方舟”。在虹口提篮桥地区的“无国籍难民限定居住区”中，曾生活着近两万名犹太难民，他们与当地居民和谐相处、共渡难关。至 1945年战争结束，大多数犹太难民得以幸存。“提篮桥历史文化风貌区”现仍较为完好地保存着当时作为犹太人居住区时的风貌，是中国境内唯一一个能够反映二战时期犹太难民生活的历史遗迹。

犹太人收容所
地址：长阳路138号
收容的意味如今看来触目惊心，而当时从船上一船一船只揣了10美金就上岸的犹太人来说，收容所是他们在上海的第一个家吧。

中欧犹太艺术家联盟
地址：长阳路24弄9号
综观世界上著名的音乐家，犹太人比例之高令人惊讶，难怪有人说犹太人的艺术细胞格外多，这里就曾是犹太难民艺术家们聚集的地方。也是小维也纳的一个中心。

柯满第剧团
地址：唐山路818弄90号

德国籍犹太人区
地址：唐山路818弄
这些德国籍犹太人，喜欢德彪西，同样也喜欢贝多芬，尽管德国人正在迫害他们。

犹太公墓
地址：周家嘴路
死在上海了，可以睡在同胞中间安息，还可以在墓碑的正中间刻一个六角的犹太星星。墓地虽然小，可不必像布拉格的那个一样三层四层地将棺材堆上去。

大西洋咖啡馆CAF ATLANTIC
地址：海门路
犹太音乐家们在逃难时期几乎都不能再演奏了——就如同《钢琴师》里的皮尔斯曼，在他逃难的那么多年里，他只在最后为那个德国军官演奏了肖邦的《第一叙述曲》。大西洋咖啡馆曾聘请多名犹太音乐演奏家演奏，让那些犹太人既不至于荒废了琴艺，还能赚一些生活费。

卡特政府财政部长的故居
地址：舟山路59号
当时谁会想到，那个曾在此地居住的犹太男孩，最终去了美国，最终当上了卡特政府的财政部长呢？如今再看舟山路一侧哥特风格的楼房，真得感叹人生如梦啊。谁也不知道下一站会如何。

犹太小提琴家故居
地址：长阳路24弄9号
犹太人小提琴家维腾贝格一直到去世都生活在这里，虽然去世时寂寞一人，可是多少让他安慰的是，解放以后，他终于到上海音乐学院当上了提琴教授。

维也纳鞋店
地址：舟山路
本来离这里不远处还有一家维也纳咖啡店，不过现在不在了。但是维也纳皮鞋店还在，前几年，墙上的幌子还是原来的样子，写着“维也纳的鞋”，画着一个世纪初的欧洲鞋，可是现在，那只欧洲鞋子不见了。

沙逊家族与和平饭店
沙逊家族是英籍犹太人，祖居巴格达，1532年大卫.沙逊在印度孟买设立沙逊洋行，以后将英国的棉纺品和印度的鸦片运销中国，成为印度地区的首富加入英国国籍。鸦片战争后，其后代定居伦敦。沙逊家族可称是上海最早、最大、最久的帝国主义冒险家。通过几代人的经营，企业遍布远东各地，组后掌权的维克多.沙逊，他在第一次世界大战负伤致残。上海人给特起个外号“跷脚沙逊”。中山东一路20号（原华懋饭店，华懋公司是新沙逊洋行下属房地产公司，沙逊家族是华懋饭店的投资者，故又名沙逊大厦。）－－现为和平饭店北楼于1926年4月动工建造，请英商公和洋行设计，华商新仁记营造厂承建，总造价土建费为 248万两银元，装修费为312万两银元，1928年9月5日建成。大厦占地面积为4622平方米，建筑面积为36317平方米。钢框架结构，钢材采用英国伦敦道门钢厂产品。建筑平面呈A字形，前部13层，后部9层，其中地下1层。建筑造型具有美国芝加哥学派高层建筑风格，建筑外部用花岗石饰面，通过建筑线条显示简洁明朗的特点，建筑重点处理面向黄浦江的屋顶19余米高的墨绿色方锥体，其表面覆盖的材料为瓦楞紫铜皮（这就是十分著名的金字塔尖顶）。大厦建成后，底层和一、二层辟为出租商场，三层为沙逊洋行写字间，四至九层为华懋饭店客房、餐厅和舞厅，十层以上沙逊家族自用。六至七层华懋饭店客房分三等，其中一等客房9套，分别以中国式、英国式、美国式、法国式、意大利式、西班牙式、德国式、印度式和日本式等不同国家风格的装潢和家具布置。繁华的南京路建成豪华的大厦，吸引着上海滩的地主富商、政客、军阀，使沙逊“身价百倍”。维克多.沙逊是个“跷脚”，有些英国绅士歧视他，大厦落成后他成了上海滩炙手可热的“红人”，沙逊大厦被誉为”远东第一楼“，从此，沙逊将房地产作为赚钱的又一条路子，陆续盖起了汉弥尔顿大厦（今福州大楼）、都城饭店（今新城饭店）、河滨大楼和华懋公寓（今锦江饭店）等，在旧上海38幢十层以上高楼大厦中，沙逊就占了6幢。沙逊的房地产业拥有大小房屋1900幢，占地40多万平方米，仅这些房地产租金，沙逊每年即可收入350万元，成为上海滩房地产巨头。（注意屋顶上两只狮子的图案即为沙逊家族的Coat of arms）

6SENS – Maison Pourcel – 2010 Shanghai Expo French Pavilion’s culinary treat

Bonjour, Shanghai! Ni hao Laurent and Jacques Pourcel!

Twin-Michelin-starred chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel are back in Shanghai and the power houses behind 6SENS, the French Pavilion’s culinary treat. After closing their last Shanghainese project Sens & Bund, the Pourcel brothers are hitting the city again with 6sens, a temporary restaurant inside the French Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, and permanent Maison Pourcel opening in June at the historic Hong Fangzi (Red House), which was, fittingly, once home to one of Shanghai’s first French restos.

The Sixth Sense: French fine-dining from Jacques and Laurent Pourcel

The Pourcel brothers, who run le Jardin des Sens à Montpellier in the south of France,  are on a constant quest through the world of the senses for new concepts. They use produce from both the land and the sea but their trademark is their savoir-faire in contrasting tastes: hot-cold, soft-crispy, savory-sweet, mild-bitter, etcetera,” according to Laure de Carrière, Press Attachée for Groupe Pourcel.

The restaurant will offer a bistro menu on the terrace (seats 160) and a gastronomic menu in the indoor dining room (seats 120). The gastronomic menu theme is Mediterranean cuisine with dishes like sea scallops carpaccio with warm clementine vinaigrette and baby leek salad or compression of Maine lobster with duck Ham and melon. Bills for the bistro will average RMB 300, while the restaurant will put you back about RMB 500 per person.

The kitchen hopes not only to impress with its menu but also with its state of the art design, which all pavilion visitors can gape at, not just restaurant diners. “The pavilion is conceived somewhat similar to the Guggenheim in New York City,” says Gilles Bihi-Zenou, executive director of 6SENS, “so you start at the top on the fourth floor and you continue going down to the ground level. At the top, the first thing you see is our kitchen which is designed like a show: we have cameras all over the kitchen and you’ll see it on plasma screens, including one nine-square meter screen. It’s a multi-million yuan kitchen and only to be used for a few months! Basically it’s made to be part of the exhibition.”

We are going to be serving non-stop from 11am to 11pm and we are expecting very high traffic, especially with the price we have set which is going to be affordable to a lot of visitors,” says Bihi-Zenou.

If the thought of waiting in line for hours on a scorching hot day surrounded by the white cement of the Expo site doesn’t whet your appetite, even for a Jacques and Laurent Pourcel menu, you’re still in luck. The brothers will open a plush new restaurant this summer, Maison Pourcel, in the previous HFZ restaurant location in the French Concession.

6SENS

Address: Zone C, French Pavilion, Shanghai Expo Site
OPEN: 11:30am-10pm
Time Period: May.1st – Oct.31st 2010
Price: Y300-Y399
Contact: booking.6sens@gmail.com
Website: www.pavillon-france.fr

Maison Pourcel

ADDRESS: 8/F, 845 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市淮海中路845号8楼, 近茂名南路
AREA: French Concession
METRO: 4 mins. walk from Shanxi Rd (S)

法式“第六感”

在Timeout的世博园区最佳餐厅中，法国馆的“第六感”餐厅榜上有名。米其林三星大厨劳伦·普塞尔推荐这样一份菜单——点一份含有西红柿、橄榄 油、沙丁鱼、甜椒或蕨菜的食物，配上普罗旺斯特有的香料和酱汁.

法国馆第六感餐厅提供的橙香醋汁调味超薄生牛肉配瑶柱、嫩葱色拉

“当你游历完整个法国馆，坐电梯上五楼的餐厅，会从视觉和味觉上体验到另一种法式文化。”说这话时，米其林三星大厨劳伦·普塞尔 （Laurent Pourcel）正靠在白色椅背中，端着一杯法国普吉奥酒庄的羊头干红。他身后是法国馆顶层的巨大露台，阳光透过屋顶栽种的绿色植被，星星点点落在木质地 板上。

劳伦·普塞尔说得没错。在人头攒动的法国馆欣赏完那些名画名作，穿过密集的人群，越过一座水桥，踏进电梯，升上五楼的“第六感”餐厅，你会觉得 立刻挪移到另一个世界——全球跨度最大的钢结构拱桥卢浦大桥近在眼前，黄浦江安静地铺陈于眼底，而那些密密麻麻的排队人群，则在无声无息地流动。喧闹、疲 惫和拥挤是上一秒的事情，法国馆顶层此刻是绿洲般的宁静风景。

景色当然只是这家餐厅吸引人的一部分。作为法国馆设计和布景的重要组成部分，“第六感”餐厅从建设之初，就肩负向人们宣扬法国美食精神和法式生 活的责任。每一位走进法国馆的观众，都会看到一堵奇怪的艺术墙，远看是几幅不规则的“画”，走近了才发现有人在“画”中移动忙碌。等你靠近这墙，才看清是 一些厨师，像真人秀节目中的参赛选手一样在你面前洗菜、切菜、烹饪、摆盘。他们在厨房中忙碌的每一个动作，都被摄像头从各个角度拍摄下来，作为法国馆文化 展示的一部分呈现给观众。如果你问起他们在做什么，法国馆的工作人员会告诉你，不妨到顶楼的餐厅去试试，这些大厨正在为“第六感”餐厅的顾客服务。

法国馆第六感餐厅提供的炉火慢烤糖渍柠檬鱼排

这真是一个绝妙的、只有法国人才想得出来的广告。相比日本产业馆中人均3000元/份怀石料理套餐的高贵与神秘，法国馆用了最直观、最诱人的方 式。日本产业馆“紫MURASAKI”餐厅的料理是世博会餐饮中最贵的，9道菜3000元，每天限20套。“第六感”餐厅则热情开明得多，这里人均消费只 有300元，且每天可接待500人次。

“这几年，我们在上海培养起人们享受法国餐的习惯。这次到世博会开餐厅，吸引了很多中国客人。”劳伦·普塞尔说。2004年11月在外滩18号 开出SENS & BUND餐厅以来，普塞尔双胞胎兄弟（Jacques & Laurent Pourcel）的名字，就成为上海法式大餐的代名词——而这对兄弟，是法国米其林三星大厨中最年轻的，由此，他们每道菜肴都创意十足。冷与热、软与硬、 酸与甜等不同口味的交错与冲突，是他们热衷的独特味觉体验。

驻足于法国馆展厅，摄像头实时拍摄大厨们的动态，彷如一部充满趣味的“法式大餐”纪录片。事实上，用美食来讲故事，也是普塞尔兄弟一直坚持的。

法国馆第六感餐厅提供的巧克力卡普奇诺冰沙

“我们希望在餐厅里给客人创造一种氛围，讲述一个故事。”劳伦·普塞尔认为，世博会的意义在于将全世界的科技、文化和未来生活理念聚焦在一起， 而美食则是其中必不可少的环节。“在世博会上，各个国家的厨师都把他们最好的手艺带来，实际上也是用美食来讲述他们国家的故事。”

“我走遍了世界各地。每到一个国家，我所做的第一件事就是去当地的菜市场——只有食物能最生动地体现一个国家的生活和文化细节。”劳伦·普塞尔 说。作为一对在法国普罗旺斯出生的兄弟，他们一直将当地美食风味视为他们创作的核心，“地中海风格是我们的主题，但我们的创新也受到加泰罗尼亚、意大利、 西班牙、黎巴嫩等地美食的启发。”

在中国生活多年，普塞尔兄弟同样也受到了中国菜的影响。“我喜欢中国的大米。大米在日本菜里运用得最多的就是寿司，但这种材料被中国人运用得非 常巧妙。”劳伦·普塞尔认为中国菜与法国菜有很多相似之处，比如，地域性非常强、不同地区的差异极大、各有特色又都充满历史感。

专门为法国馆第六感餐厅设计的抹茶掼奶、Givara 脆心巧克力配榛仁饼干

“我喜欢粤菜。中国菜给我最深的启发就是色香味俱全。”劳伦·普塞尔笑称，他的餐厅每一件原材料都来自中国，“但它们在我的手中组合出来的，就 是地道的法国菜。”

在Timeout推荐的世博园区最佳餐厅中，“第六感”餐厅榜上有名。但是要让劳伦·普塞尔本人推荐一款最具餐厅特色的菜仍然是件困难的事， “我们的餐厅菜单每天都在更换，我们需要为客人们营造新鲜感。”

他唯一能确定的是这样一份菜单——点一份含有西红柿、橄榄油、沙丁鱼、甜椒或蕨菜的食物，配上普罗旺斯特有的香料和酱汁。这就是普罗旺斯最标志 性的食物。“这些食材都是地中海菜肴的基本特色。另外，法国普吉奥酒庄的羊头干红也是专供世博会的葡萄酒。”劳伦·普塞尔摇晃着酒瓶，在这款限量佳酿上， 清晰地印着世博会法国馆的标志性图案。拥有了这些，再叫上一份牛排或烟熏鸭腿肉，一份专属于世博会的法式大餐，就可以饕餮开动了。

Le 6SENS: restaurant du Pavillon France de L’Exposition Universelle à Shanghai

À l’Exposition universelle 2010 de Shanghai, les frères Pourcel, ambassadeurs de la gastronomie française

Le restaurant 6SENS de Jacques & Laurent Pourcel, chefs étoilés, fait partie intégrante du Pavillon France. Dans le cadre exceptionnel du dernier étage du Pavillon et de son jardin de buis à la française, raffinement, luxe et volupté seront au programme. 6SENS servira une cuisine d’essence méditerranéenne, aux parfums de safran, de vanille, de fleur d’oranger, de gelée de rose, d’huile d’olive, aux notes terrestres et marines… conforme en tous points aux racines des Frères Pourcel.

Le pavillon français pour l'exposition universelle de Shanghai 2010 (Jacques Ferrier Architectures)

L’empreinte des Frères Pourcel qui se déploie déjà à Bangkok, Tokyo, Casablanca, Genève, Marrakech, Alger sera ainsi présente à Shanghai, en plein cœur de l’Exposition Universelle 2010. De la gastronomie au snacking en passant par la brasserie traditionnelle française, 6SENS pourra également être privatisé pour les déjeuners d’affaires ou l’organisation de cocktails.

Escalope de loup minute au four, kumquats et pomelo, asperges vertes

Le restaurant proposera une carte brasserie sur les terrasses (160 places assises) et une carte gastronomique dans la salle intérieure (120 places assises). La gastronomie représentera la cuisine signature des frères Pourcel : la Méditerranée. Le terroir des régions françaises ainsi que les produits made in France seront mis en avant. Un dessert à l’image du Pavillon France a été spécialement conçu par le chef pâtissier du restaurant Le Jardin des Sens : Jean-Christian Chevalier (Crème de thé vert Matcha, cœur croustillant de chocolat Givara sur un biscuit noisette.) Parmi la sélection de vins qui sera proposée aux clients du 6SENS, Gérard Bru fidèle ami vigneron des frères Pourcel, a réalisé une cuvée spéciale Château & Pourcel en l’honneur du trio Montpelliérain. Le vin Château & Pourcel de Puech Haut sera bien évidemment proposé au sein du 6SENS et est déjà en vente dans toute la Chine. C’est un Coteaux du Languedoc, région d’origine des jumeaux situé dans le Sud Est de la France.

Côtes de porc laquées, croustillant de gambas, sauce BBQ

Le pavillon des frères Pourcel à Shanghai

Les jumeaux de Montpellier s’apprêtent à incarner le prestige culinaire français lors de l’Exposition universelle.

Impossible de les confondre. Laurent est pudique, un peu casanier, corseté dans sa veste tablier derrière les fourneaux du Jardin des sens, le restaurant gastronomique de Montpellier où il officie quotidiennement. Jacques est son miroir déformant : du bagou, un côté presque hâbleur, une bougeotte long-courrier et un dress-code très Dolce & Gabbana. Au-delà des apparences, les jumeaux fusionnent autour du même dessein: battre pavillon Pourcel jusqu’au bout du monde. Ils pilotent 18 restaurants en France et à l’étranger. Avec une prédilection pour l’Asie: Tokyo, Bangkok et, bien sûr, Shanghai où, non contents de dresser le couvert dans le pavillon France de l’Exposition universelle, ils s’apprêtent à poser leur nom dans l’ancien quartier de la concession française.

Sur quels critères avez-vous remporté ce marché?

Laurent Pourcel: Le comité de sélection voulait un nom fédérateur capable d’incarner tous les traditions et les terroirs français. Au restaurant gastronomique, nous avons misé, pour une addition autour de 60 A, sur les plats-signatures du Jardin des sens [le restaurant gastronomique de Montpellier] comme le pressé de homard ou le filet de loup au citron confit, et le côté brasserie. Nous rendrons hommage aux grands classiques français -hachis parmentier, sole meunière, blanquette de veau… pour 25 euros par personne. De plus, tous les vignobles français seront représentés à travers plus de 400 références.

Shanghai et les Pourcel, c’est une vieille histoire…

J. P.: Nous sommes arrivés dans cette ville en 2004, aux sixième et septième étages d’une ancienne banque du quartier du Bund, avec une vue exceptionnelle sur le panorama de gratte-ciel de Pudong. Notre restaurant et notre bar étaient l’une des adresses les plus prisées de la ville pour sa cuisine matinée d’influences chinoises: nous faisions des magrets de canard fumés au thé Oolong. A l’époque nous avions découvert la ciboule, le bok choy (chou chinois), le tofu, le poivre du Sichuan, les crevettes séchées. Mais nous nous sommes heurtés à des partenaires chinois trop gourmands et l’aventure s’est arrêtée…

L. P.: Comme nous ne voulions pas rester sur un échec dans cette ville bouillonnante, nous allons inaugurer, le 20 mai prochain, en parallèle de l’expo, la Maison Pourcel, un nouvel établissement en haut d’un bel immeuble en briques rouges dans l’ancien quartier de la concession française, avec un restaurant gastronomique, des salons privés, un bar à vins et tapas et une terrasse panoramique. Nous avons imaginé une cuisine très Pourcel avec de nombreuses influences asiatiques et un écrin néoclassique revisitant des éléments de décor très français comme les lambris, le parquet, les cheminées ou les coiffeuses Louis XV.

Le 6SENS, pavillon France, Exposition universelle de Shanghai, du 1er mai au 31 octobre, www.pavillon-france.com. La Maison Pourcel, HFZ – 35 Shan Xi Nan Road, 6-7-8F à l’angle de Changle Road, Shanghai. L’Asie des frères Pourcel, éd. Agnès Viénot, 2005, 38 euros.

Crème cuite de citron vert et gingembre, caramel coulant

Best of Shanghai in a nutshell: A Visitor’s Guide to World Expo City

Shanghai was the largest and most prosperous city in the Far East during the 1930′s  and has remained the most developed city in mainland China. In the past 20 years Shanghai has again become an attractive city for tourists from all over the world. The world will once again have its eyes on the city when it is hosting the 2010 World’s Fair, where nearly 200 countries and 70 million visitors are expected.

Leave it to Shanghai to pull out all the stops for this year’s “Better City, Better Life” Expo, the largest fair the world has ever seen.

What to SEE & DO

Shanghai icons
For many it’s the symbol of modern Shanghai. The 468-metre, red-bulbed Oriental Pearl Tower is a spectacular sight from any angle and can be scaled (by lift) for some sensational panoramic views (100-150 yuan, 1 Century Avenue, Pudong, 5879 8888, 8am-9.30pm daily). The Yuyuan Gardens (40 yuan adults/10 children, 132 Anren Street, Nanshi, 6360 0830, 8.30am-5pm daily) is a Ming-era dynasty site with liberal sprinklings of flowers, carp-filled pools and pretty pagodas, while the Jade Buddha temple is delightfully serene (20 yuan, 170 Anyuan Road, Jing’an, 6266 2668, 8am-4.30pm daily). Shanghai’s much-hyped Expo runs until October 31 and although queues can be maddening — the event is expected to draw 70 million visitors — it’s worth going just to see the quirky pavilion designs. (www.en.expo2010.cn).

Culture
More than a millennium of Chinese history is crammed into the Shanghai Museum (free, 201 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu, 6372 3500, 9am-5pm).  For top-notch opera, book a seat at the Grand Theatre (300 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu, 6386 8686, www.shgtheatre.com), or go to nearby Yifu Theatre for performances of China’s myriad regional dance styles (701 Fuzhou Road, 6322 5294, tianchan.com. Contemporary art galleries are sprinkled across Shanghai; try Hongkou’s Duolun Road Cultural Street, an area of restored old houses once home to some of China’s leading literary figures.

Foot work
Avoid it at weekends, unless you want to rub shoulders with what seems like half of China, yet a stroll along the Bund is unmissable. The kilometre-long stretch fringing the muddy Huangpu River is lined with art deco and neoclassical-style bank and consulate buildings that date back to the city’s glory days before World War II. Another fabulous place for a wander is the former French Concession district. Navigating its wide, leafy avenues, you’ll appreciate why Shanghai’s nicknamed the Paris of the East. For an insight into how most Shanghainese live, hit the ungentrified backstreets of the Old Town.

Follow the leader
Scores of tour companies offer boat trips on the Huangpu. Head down to East Jinling Road dock on the Bund, or the Pearl Dock in Pudong but consider a night cruise — when buildings on both sides of the river are lit up. For hop-on-hop-off tours, Shanghai Sightseeing Buses ply 50 routes, taking in top attractions (ticket office and station, Shanghai Stadium, 666 Tianyaoqiao Road, Xihui, 6426 5555). Shanghai’s Jewish history can be explored on a half-day guided tour (400 yuan a person, 6283 9235, www.shanghai-jews.com).

Taikang Lu Art Centre, a treasure trove filled with boutiques, art galleries, wi-fi cafes, restaurants and bar, is a perfect antidote to Shanghai's oversized malls and intimidating skyscrapers.

Where to EAT & DRINK

Cafe culture
A cool place for latte and brunch is in the warren-like lanes of the Taikang Road Art Centre (also known as Tianzifang) — a little community of cafes, restaurants, boutiques and galleries housed in uniquely Shanghainese shikumen buildings (ostensibly late 19th-century and early 20th-century blocks fused with Western and Asian-type architecture). The Kommune Cafe is a hive for an creative, artsy crowd (210 Taikang Road, Luwan, 6466 2416). If you’d prefer tea, frequent one of Shanghai’s 4500 teahouses. De He serves sublimely sweet Golden Osmanthus, a honey-shaded green tea scented with the fragrant yellow flower that usually blooms in autumnal Shanghai (135 West Jianguo Road, Luwan, 5468 1117).

Snack attack
A clutch of steaming, sizzling cheap eats are hawked in and around Yunnan Road, a short walk from Renmin Square. Gorge on skewered chicken, mutton and beef, fluffy pork and vegie buns, juicy meat dumplings and hand-pulled noodle soups before checking out sugar-coated pastries and cakes in the neighborhood’s many bakeries. Rather more high-brow, Peruvian chef Eduardo Vargas’s Azul Viva lounge gets rave reviews for its mouth-watering Spanish tapas with a South American twist (8 Dongping Road, Xuhui, 6433 1172). Issimo serves stylish Italian-themed dishes at the boutique hotel JIA (931 West Nanjing Road, 6217 9000 www.jiashanghai.com).

Top of the town
Touted as the world’s highest restaurant, the Grand Hyatt’s 100 Century Avenue stretches from the 91st to the 93rd floor of the Shanghai World Financial Centre and serves up a sophisticated selection of Chinese, Japanese and Western dishes (100 Century Avenue, Pudong, 6888 1234, www.shanghai.park.hyatt.com). Celebrated Shanghainese fare such as hairy crab and drunken chicken, so called because it’s marinated in local Shaoxing wine, are on the menu at Fu 1039, an intimate Chinese place set in a restored 1930s villa (1039 Yu Yuan Road, Changning, 5237 1878). The newest of many French eateries in Shanghai is Allure, on the 11th floor of Le Meridien Hotel. Bargain set lunches — rustled up by chef Michael Wendling — from 128 yuan, dinners 488 yuan (789 Nanjing East Road, Huangpu, 3318 9999). Classy outdoor restaurants fill the revamped shikumen area of Xintiandi (corner Taicang and Madang Roads, Luwan, www.xintiandi.com).

By the glass
The bars along the Bund are prime places for fine wine and cocktails and attract a suitably sharp-dressed crowd. Take your pick from Glamour (6F, 5 The Bund, 6322 0099, www.m-theglamourbar.com), New Heights (7F, 3 the Bund, 6321 0909, www.threeonthebund.com), Bar Rouge (7F, 18 The Bund, 6339 1199, www.bar-rouge-shanghai.com) or, for the best views of all, Vue (33F, Hyatt Hotel, 199 Huangpu Road, 6393 1234, www.shanghai.bund.hyatt.com). O’Malley’s (42 Tao Jiang Road, 6474 4533, www.omalleys-shanghai.com) is the place to kick-start a night on Hengshan Road, while the Windows bars enjoy cult status (www.windowsbars.com).

Obama Club: Bringing change to Shanghai's nightlife or just more of the same?

Where to Play

Live music
Once derided for its lamentable live music scene, Shanghai now attracts some top performers — those who pass China’s strict censorship rules, anyway. Shanghai Grand Stage (Shanghai Gymnasium, 1111 Caoxi Road, Xuhui, 6217 2426) has hosted the Rolling Stones, Christina Aguilera, Eric Clapton and Michael Bolton rolls into town on June 3. Top DJs hit the decks at M2 Club; John Digweed and Ferry Corsten recently performed sets (4F, 283 Huaihai Road, Luwan, museshanghai.cn). For live punk and alternative music, dive into Logo (13 Xingfu Road, 6281 5646, www.logoshanghai.net). Sax appeal slithers through the smoky House of Blues & Jazz (60 Fuzhou Road, Huangpu, 6323 2779).

Nightclubs
Shanghai’s clubbing scene is in a state of permanent flux, with venues forever coming and going. One veteran still luring night owls is Club Bonbon (2F, 1329/1331 Central Huaihai Road, 2193 9299, www.clubbonbon.com), while the it-crowd flocks to Baby Face (No. 101, 138 Huaihai Road, Huangpu, 6375 6667, www.babyface.com.cn). Revellers hunting Latin exuberance, salsa-themed parties and table dancing should try Zapata’s (5 Hengshan Road, 6474 6166 or 6433 4104, www.zapatas-shanghai.com). A stylish newcomer, the 2000-capacity Obama launched in April with a theme night dedicated to the US president (The Garden Plaza, 2088 West Yan’an Road, Gubei, 6082 5511).

Shanghai's top street to shop has always been Nanjing Lu, where the most modern and the most traditional modes of retailing commingle.

Where to SHOP

To market
For a vibrant, ramshackle slice of Shanghai, head to Dongtai Road Antique Market and nose through dusty, second-hand memorabilia from the Mao era, opium pipes and eye-catching porcelain. Don’t bank on everything being top quality but do expect a raffish atmosphere and plenty of haggling (Luwan, 9am-6pm daily). At the Shiliupu Fabrics Market, talented tailors can conjure up made-to-measure clothing from silk, cashmere, linen and cotton. A business suit should set you back about 500 yuan ($84), (168 Dongmen Road, Huangpu, 10am-6pm daily). Cha lovers should seek out Tianshan Tea Market (520 Zhongshan Xi Road, Changning, 10am-6pm daily).

Go shop
Shiny new malls, overflowing with the latest Gucci and Armani fashions, seem to sprout almost every month in Shanghai. The flashiest is Super Brand in the Pudong district’s ever-growing forest of gleaming high-rises (168 Lujiazui Xi Road, www.superbrandmall.com). Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road are the city’s tried and trusted shopping arteries. If you can handle the crowds, don’t miss the Yuyuan Bazaar, which is chock-a-block with souvenir stores selling teapots, woodcuts, lacquerware, pearls and calligraphy (19 Wenchan Road, Nanshi). Nifty boutique shops are all the rage in Shanghai, with Suzhou Cobblers renowned for its lovely hand-sewn silk slippers (17 Fuzhou Road, 6321 7087, www.suzhou-cobblers.com).

A revamped classic, the Fairmont Peace Hotel, reopens this winter after a three-year hiatus.

WHERE TO STAY

Budget
China’s new wave of youth hostels are great value, with one of the cosiest, the Mingtown Hiker, just a five-minute walk from Shanghai’s People’s Square; dorms are 60 yuan ($10) and doubles only 200 yuan (450 Jiangxi Road, Huangpu, 6329 7889, www.yhachina.com). Bargain alert: Motel 168 has branches all over Shanghai; one in the former French Concession offers rooms from 208 yuan (1119 West Yan’an Road, Changning, 5117 7777, www.en.motel168.com). Fairly frill-less but clean, functional and easy on the wallet, Home Inn has 25 chains in Shanghai; rooms from 169 yuan (400 820 3333).

Mid-range
The towering art deco-style Park Hotel is a relic of Shanghai’s 1930s glamour days; from 1005 yuan for a double (170 Nanjing Road, Huangpu, 6327 5225, www.parkhotelshanghai.cn). Another venerable old-timer sporting a 21st-century facelift, the Astor House Hotel is a stone’s throw from the famous Bund and counts Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell among past guests; online B&B specials from about 700 yuan (15 Huangpu Road, Huangpu, 6324 6388, www.astorhousehotel.com). Hedged by some of Shanghai’s coolest shopping and dining spots, the sleek Yun’s Paradise Hotel has doubles from 675 yuan (789 East Fuxing Road, Huangpu, 6335 6666, www.hotelyun.com).

Luxe
Next to the lovely Fuxing Park, the Pudi Boutique Hotel has 52 rooms with dark-hued furniture and funky artwork; from 1577 yuan, if booking online (99 Yandang Road, Luwan, 5158 5888, www.boutiquehotel.cn). Getting high is compulsory at the Grand Hyatt; it occupies the 53rd to 87th floors of the shimmering shard-like Jin Mao Tower, while its Cloud 9 bar has stunning 360-degree views of Shanghai; from 2000 yuan for a double (88 Century Avenue, Pudong, 5049 1234, www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com). A short taxi ride from Shanghai’s extravagant Expo site, the luxuriant St Regis has doubles from 2070 yuan (889 Dong Fang Road, Pudong, 5050 4567, www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis).

Lash out
A long-time favorite for Westerners and affluent Chinese, the swish, centrally located Portman Ritz-Carlton has doubles from 2000 yuan a night (1376 West Nanjing Road, Huangpu, 6279 8888, www.ritzcarlton.com). The 235 rooms at the new, five-star Peninsula have art deco and Oriental flourishes, while an in-house spa promises extreme pampering. From 3200yuan for a double; the ultra-lavish Peninsula suite — with two bedrooms, an enclosed balcony, private gym and whirlpool — is yours for a mere 85,000 yuan (32 The Bund, Huangpu, 2327 2888, www.peninsula.com). A revamped classic, the Fairmont Peace Hotel, reopens this winter after a three-year hiatus. Taking reservations for stays from September onward, the refurbished rooms start at 2300 yuan (20 Nanjing Rd, 6321 6888, www.fairmonthotel.com/peacehotel).

Business

Etiquette
* Business in China is all about ‘guanxi,’ which, loosely translated, means relationship building. If you build the relationship, the business will come.
* Business attire consists of Western-style shirts and ties. Women should wear conservative suits or dresses.
* Offer and accept business cards with both hands. Cards should be exchanged one by one. Do not deal your business cards to several people at a time, as this is considered extremely rude.
* Address people by their family names only. For example, Mr. Yang or Ms. Wu. Don’t try to inject casualness by insisting that your Chinese counterparts address you by your first name.
* In China, it is assumed that the first person to enter the room is the head of the group.
* It is appropriate to bring a wrapped gift to a business meeting to show you are interested in building a relationship.
* The concept of “losing face” is still alive and well in China, so make sure that no one ever has to in your business dealings.
* Part of business is a large banquet dinner (or lunch) — and many rounds of toasts with baijiu. Do not refuse a toast of a (potential) business partner.

Internet access
* There are four wireless internet service providers in Shanghai: China Telecom’s Tianyitong, China Unicom’s CDMA 1X, China Netcom’s Mobile Office and China Mobile’s E-Traveler.
* Pre-paid wireless Internet cards can be purchased at the business centers of most four- and five-star hotels.
* While several large chains have either axed their WiFi services or have started charging for them, there are numerous cafes, restaurants and malls that still offer free wireless.

Money

* The Chinese currency is the yuan (Y), and is also known as renminbi (RMB, literally ‘the people’s money’). In Shanghai, you may also hear it referred to as ‘kuai,’ an informal term similar to ‘buck.’
* The largest bill denomination is RMB 100.
* Exchange rates in China are fixed by the government daily, so they will be the same at branches of the Bank of China and hotel exchange desks. Other rates are illegal.
* ATMs all accept Union Pay, the local banking system.
* Some ICBC and China Construction Bank ATMs now take Cirrus and MasterCard. All Bank of China ATMs accept the Visa/Plus card system.
* Counterfeit bills counterfeit bills are still abundant in China. Although not foolproof, one easy test is the collar rub. Rub Chairman Mao’s collar and, if the bill is legit, you should feel a raised pattern.

Emergency info

In event of emergency dial one of the following numbers:
* Ambulance: +86 21 120
* Police (emergency): +86 21 110
* Police (traffic): +86 21 5631 7000
* Fire: +86 21 119
* International SOS (24-hour service): +86 21 6295 0099
* ParkwayHealth (expat hospital): +86 21 6445 5999
* Public Security Bureau Division for Foreigners: +86 21 6357 6666
* Shanghai Call Centre (information hotline in English): +86 21 96 2288
* LifeLine Shanghai (free confidential and anonymous counseling, crisis intervention): +86 21 6279 8990

Hot Tips

* Weather-wise, spring (April to mid-May) and fall (late September to mid-November) are the best times to visit. Summers are hot and humid; winters are cold, misty and gray.
* Tipping in China is tricky. Once frowned upon, the practice is becoming more commonplace. Tour guides and bellhops expect tips. Waiters and taxi drivers still do not.
* Shanghai (along with the rest of China) is on Beijing time, which is eight hours ahead of GMT.
* Tap water throughout China is not safe for drinking. Drink only bottled water, which is widely available in stores and provided in most hotel rooms.
* Shanghai’s main varieties of dumplings are xiaolongbao (steamed round sacks with a nob on top), guotie (fried crescent shaped dumpling) and shengjianbao (fried, round balls with a flat bottom). If you get meat (rou) dumplings, be careful when you bite into them, there’s hot oil from the meat inside.
* Restaurants will not serve ice water (bing shui) unless you ask for it.
* The international country code for China is 86. The city code for Shanghai is 21.
* Most public restrooms have squat toilets. Many restrooms do not have toilet paper, so carry around some of your own.
* The electrical current in China is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC), so most American appliances cannot be used without a transformer. A universal adapter is useful as wall outlets come in a variety of configurations.
* Call 962288 to reach the Shanghai Call Center, a 24-hour hotline that will answer almost any question you have about the city — in English.

Getting There

By air
All international flights arrive at the ultramodern Pudong International Airport, located about 45 km east of downtown Shanghai. The airport is easy to navigate, with departures on the upper level and arrivals on the lower level.
Taxis, lined just outside the arrival hall, are cheap and convenient. A ride to the Puxi side of downtown Shanghai takes about an hour and costs RMB 140-190. Getting to the Pudong side takes about 40 minutes and costs RMB 100-130.
The are now also two economical way to get to the airport. You can transfer from Pudong is via the official airport bus (+86 21 6834 6612). There are numerous routes to other transportation stops, including the Hongqiao International Airport, which is used primarily for flights within China. Additionally the Pudong and Hongqiao airports are now connected by Metro Line 2 (the green line). It takes a bit more than 90 minutes to travel between the two.
Another way to get into town is Shanghai’s jet-like magnetic levitation (MagLev) train. It’s the fastest railway system in commercial operation in the world, with a designed speed of more than 500 km. Although it’s much faster than taking a taxi, the Metro or the bus, dragging luggage in and out of the station can be a hassle and you’ll likely have to transfer to a subway (Metro Line 2) or hail a taxi to get to your final destination.
To get info on either the Pudong or Hongqiao airports go to www.shairport.com

Getting around

Taxis
For short distances, taxis are a good option. They are reasonably priced staring at RMB 12 and easy to find (except during rainstorms, when flagging one down is nearly impossible). Few taxis have rear seat belts, so sit up front as locals do if you’re alone.
To pay with a transportation card (bought in Metro stations), say “yong ka” before the driver stops the meter at the end of the ride. Say “fa piao” to get a receipt, which has the phone number of the taxi company and ID number of the driver. Taxi drivers do not expect tips.
The color of a taxi indicates which company it belongs to. The most reputable colors to look for are:
* Teal/Expo taxis: +86 21 96822
* Yellow: +86 21 6258000
* Light green: +86 21 96840
* Royal blue: +86 21 96333
* White +86 21 96961

Subways
If you’re in Shanghai for long enough, buy a transportation card from a booth in the subway station. Give them RMB 100, say “mai ka” and they’ll give you a card with RMB 70 on it. Before you leave the city, return the card to the booth in subway station and you should receive your RMB 30 back.
For longer distances, the subway can save time and money. There are currently 11 subway lines in Shanghai, and all major tourist sights are accessible from the first four. Determine your fare by finding selecting you starting and final location on the map at the ticket-vending kiosks. Don’t lose your ticket — you’ll need it to exit.

Buses
Public buses may be the most economical way to get around town, but they are usually hot, cramped and can be difficult for non-Chinese speakers to use. Drivers do not give change so it is good to have a Transportation Card. Some buses have you pay at the driver while others will have a fare collector who sits by the back door.
Pay close attention to your belongings to prevent pickpocketing.

• What to See & Do in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Shanghai Must-See Attractions

Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark

Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai

Exploring the Water Villages – Excursions from Shanghai

• Where to Eat and Drink in Shanghai
  

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

Shanghai Nightlife and Drinking Guide: Best Bars & Clubs

• Where to Shop in Shanghai

Shop till you drop – Shanghai Shopping Guide

• Where to Stay in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Ritziest Hotels in Shanghai

Shanghai unveils ‘stronger’ version of Wall Street charging bull

Italian-US artist Arturo Di Modica's Charging Bull statue is seen at the Bund after its unveiling in Shanghai

Shanghai unveiled a new landmark on its Bund waterfront over the weekend, a bronze bull sculpture inspired by Wall Street’s “Charging Bull” representing China’s rising financial ambitions.

American artist Arturo Di Modica — the sculptor behind the New York bull who also created its Shanghai sibling — was at the unveiling on Saturday.

The "Charging Bull" statue, sometimes called the Wall Street Bull by Arturo Di Modica in New York

At 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall and 2.5 tons (2.7 tons), the Shanghai sculpture was the same size as the Wall Street version, but “redder, younger and stronger, It’s a mixture of Western and Chinese cultures,” said Di Modica, adding he was inspired by both the “Charging Bull” and the Chinese Zodiac’s ox.

The animal’s confident stance represented a bullish and prosperous future for the rising financial center, he said.

The Shanghai officials who commissioned the sculpture had previously said they wanted their bull to weigh twice as much the one on Wall Street.

The city requested a bull that was younger and stronger than New York City’s bull to symbolize “the energy of Shanghai’s economy, that’s why the head of the Bund’s bull looks up while the Wall Street Bull looks downward,”said the head of Huangpu district

In the early 20th century, the neo-classical buildings along the Bund were known as the “Wall Street of Asia” and giants born there include the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp., or HSBC, and insurers American International Group, or AIG.

Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark

“金融牛” 现身上海滩

5月15日，有着“远东华尔街”比喻的上海外滩，迎来一位特殊的“客人”――高2．5米的铜雕“外滩金融牛”。这头牛略呈红铜色，尾巴高高翘起，线条深 邃、肌肉结实，年轻、健壮，且活力四溢，体重达2.5吨。由国际著名雕塑大师阿图罗・迪・莫迪卡设计 的这尊铜牛，成了建设中的外滩金融集聚带的一个新“符号”。莫迪卡说，他特意选用了红色作为作品的基调，因为在他眼中，红色象征着中国拥有的无穷力量。莫迪卡也是著名的“华尔街公牛”的设计者。伫立在华尔街中 心的那座铜牛，20多年来默默见证着国际金融市场的风云变幻。

金融牛“扎根”于面积近5000平方米的上海外滩金融广场，在这里，除了新添“金融牛”这一文化符号外，未来还 将设立金融信息屏，发布世界各地主要金融市场的信息。此外，周围2.6平方公里区域正发起新一轮吸“金”攻势，打造外滩“金融集聚带”，以重塑外滩金融功 能、再现昔日“远东第一金融街”风采。

One not to miss – Italian Pavilion at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo

Italian Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010

The hype may be all around the China pavilion, but the Italian has got plenty in store for the 2010 World Expo, and there really is something for everyone.

Designed by Giampaolo Imbrighi and his associates at Iodice Architett, the Italian pavilion embodies a mini Italian city with the architectural structure of the Chinese construction game called “Shanghai”. Strolling in the pavilion, visitors may feel like walking in a city boasting narrow streets, plazas, courtyards and lanes with an Italian flavor. Luxury cars, fashion and famous paintings are featured.

Here’s our comprehensive guide why this one is going to be worth standing in line for.

The uniforms worn by the Italian pavilion staff at the Shanghai Expo were designed by Prada

For the ladies

… and budding fashionistas, this really is the one for you. Because not only will your favorite top designers be there showcasing their latest designs on regular catwalks (Prada and Salvatore Ferragamo having confirmed their participation), but there will also be the opportunity to win designer goods by top names such as Bulgari, in regular draws.

An eye-catching red dress by Versace at the Italian Pavilion

A huge black Dolce & Gabbana gown in the exhibition hall of Italian pavilion

Dresses of leading Italian brands are dispalyed on the background wall

At the main square of Italian Pavilion, the four 3.5-meter-high plastic models were dressed in Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Zegna and other large dress; 18 m high background wall hanging displays  more than 10 well-known Italian brand of evening dresses.

One giant red shoe at the Italian Pavilion

Two giant high heels striking the same — a muffin sandals, gold shoe soles accompanied by colorful stripes; the other is only a meter high red shoes. Even the pavilion reception staff uniforms, all from Prada (Prada) hands. “Good luxury clothing.”

For the gents

… be on the lookout for the ‘motion’ exhibition room, which is showcasing a rare and luxurious ‘90s Isotta Fraschini with a value of 5 million Euros, as well as Ferrari’s latest hybrid model 599 HY-KERS soon to be on the road.

Isotta Fraschini - the most luxurious car in history

Ferrari HY-KERS Hybrid at the Italian pavilion in Shanghai Expo – This green Ferrari concept is already an automotive icon. Not just for the symbolism around environmental responsibility, but for the knowledge that green is good.

For the kids

… there’s an indoor play area sponsored by chocolate company Ferrero, where children can indulge in their two favorite pastimes: watching cartoons and eating chocolate!

For art and music lovers

… it’ll be a first-time opportunity to see two masterpieces by Renaissance painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, “Basket of Fruit” and “The Boy with the Basket of Fruit”. You can also expect classical performances of Puccini’s classic opera La Boheme performed by Turin Royal Theatre, music scores by Oscar winner composer Ennio Morricone, pop singer Giorgia Fumanti, Roberto Bolle ballet and Piazza Vittorio Orchestra.

On loan from Galleria Borghese in Rome, "Boy with a Basket of Fruit" by Caravaggio Will be displayed at Italian Pavilion during the Shanghai World Expo. c. 1593. Oil on canvas, 67 cm × 53 cm (26 in × 21 in).

On loan from Biblioteca Ambrosiana(Ambrosian Library) in Milan, Still life painting of "Basket of Fruit" (c. 1599) by Carvaggio will make their debut in China to mark the 400th anniversary of the artist's death.

For food connoisseurs

… expect great things, there’ll be a different fortnightly menu by Florentine company Relais Le Jardin in restaurant Caravaggio, in sync with rotating exhibitions on Italy’s different regions, as well as regular food and wine tasting.

For football fans

… We haven’t forgotten about the World Cup in all the Expo excitement, and neither has Italy. In late July, First Division teams Inter Milan and Totti are set to come out to the World Expo site to sign autographs, and we don’t need to tell you that they’re kind of a big deal.

Italian football champion Inter Milan will arrive at the Italy pavilion in Shanghai in August and friendly matches against local Chinese teams will be organized.

Shanghai Nightlife and Drinking Guide: Best Bars & Clubs

Being a busy commercial center during day time, Shanghai transforms into a sparkling seductress after dark. Welcome to Shanghai, Pearl of Orient and Paris of the East .

Shanghai has the reputation as the city that never sleeps, as mainland China’s nightlife capital, Shanghai transforms after dark into a sparkling seductress. This is a party town from way back. Yesterday’s opium joints and gambling dens are today’s private members clubs and Giorgio Armani’s. Shanghai has returned to its rightful place as one of the world’s great sin cities – and one gets the feeling that the party has only just begun. Barflies now have a choice of everything from glamorous Art Deco lounges to the seediest watering hole; live rock and jazz can be heard into the wee hours and the dance club scene now employs DJs , foreign and local, to keeping the younger set raving. Welcome to Shanghai by night.

• The Bund and the beautiful

After a half-century of neglect, Shanghai’s iconic Bund waterfront is being dug up and transformed into a luxurious after hours destination. Shanghai nightlife mavens can trawl posh restaurants, cocktail lounges, jazz clubs, boutique hotels, day spas and the fashion flagships dotted between old banking headquarters along the main stretch of Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, as well as in the atmospheric backstreets. More dilapidated heritage gems are set to be gussied up by top global brands in the years to come. The thoroughfare itself is undergoing renovation for the 2010 World Expo that will see traffic diverted underground and new landscaping along the famed riverbank.

It’s a far cry from a decade ago when restaurateur Michelle Garnaut opened Shanghai’s first independent international restaurant in the old Nissin Shipping Building on the waterfront. Back then, the Bund was a long shot – but M on the Bund proved to be a very popular pioneer. This eminently stylish institution is still one of the Bund’s best, serving contemporary European fare such as its signature slow-baked, salt-encased leg of lamb, accompanied by an excellent seasonal wine list. Downstairs, the pink-tinged Glamour Bar has a sophisticated 1930s vibe and excellent straight-up martinis. It also plays host to a diverse collection of artists, panel discussions, musical recitals and an annual writers’ festival (tel: [86-21] 6350-9988, 7/F, 20 Guangdong Lu).

Five years after M, Three on the Bund opened right across the alley (tel: 6323-3355, www.threeonthebund.com, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu). The Michael Graves-designed beauty is home to some of the city’s top tables, an Armani flagship boutique and the first Evian spa outside France. This building is where the local cognoscenti start or, perhaps end, their Shanghai nightlife carouse, casually tousled yet immaculately chic. On the top floor, New Heights (tel: 6321-0909) serves Western food with a nod to Southeast Asia. It’s the most casual and affordable option and boasts the best view in the house from the wraparound terrace.

On the fourth floor, Jean Georges (tel: 6321-7733) is the three-star Michelin chef’s only signature restaurant outside New York. Inspired by old Shanghai grandeur, the moody lounge is filled with pony-hair club chairs and eel-skin benches leading through to a luxurious burnished copper and cobalt blue dining room. If you’re not dining on an expense account, try the Nougatine experience nightly from 6-11pm. Seated at white-clothed tables in the more relaxed bar area, you can sample a selection of JG favourites starting at just Rmb58. We recommend the black truffle and fontina pizza. This is Shanghai dining at its best.

The Gothic castle at 6 Bund (6 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu) is also home to several upscale restaurants and a couple of fun lounges. Our pick is Japanese Sun with Aqua on the second floor (tel: 6339-2779), which is remarkably good value for the Bund. Its adjoining Aquarium Bar has a cool underwater vibe, curtained beds – and sharks. The bijou Dolce & Gabbana Martini Bar (tel: 6323-2277) between the men’s and women’s D&G boutiques on the ground floor is a fashionable spot for a restorative espresso or ‘tini between shopping.

Bund 18 (tel: 6323-7066, www.bund18.com, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu), in the powder-grey neoclassical former Macquarie Bank Tower, features Hong Kong chef To Chi Hoi’s trendy Cantonese cuisine at Tai Wan Lou (tel: 6339-1188) on the fifth floor.One floor up, Mr and Mrs Bund (tel: 6323-9898) is a show-stopping Shanghai restaurant. Taking a break from the molecular cuisine that made his name at Shangri-La’s Jade on 36, French chefs Paul Pairet returns to his roots offering modern French bistro fare – some rustic, some glammed-up – with over 200 dishes meant for sharing. It is open for dinner nightly and continues as a supperclub until 4am five nights a week. Be sure to book a window seat and save room for the excellent desserts.

Bund 18’s top-floor Bar Rouge (tel: 6339-1199) is party – and promiscuity – central. Designed by Imaad Rahmouni, a protege of Starck, the bar features 33 hand-blown Venetian chandeliers, Sino sirens splashed across the walls and a scenic terrace. Between show-off bottle juggling and setting fire to the bar, the bartenders may deign to make you one of their signature ginger melon martinis. Downstairs, Lounge 18 (tel: 6323-8399) attracts a similar crowd.

M1NT Club’s venues in Hong Kong, Cannes and Shanghai are owned by shareholding members and come with an exclusive members-only door policy. The macho Shanghai club sprawls across a 2,000sqm, 24th-floor penthouse, offering 360-degree views from behind the Bund. It also features a 17-metre shark tank, raunchy pop art murals and shareholders-only hot tubs on the rooftop terrace. A good concierge should be able to get you in. (tel: 6391-3191, 24/F, 318 Fuzhou Lu) an

LAN Club (tel: 6323-8029, 102 Guangdong Lu), which occupies an entire four-storey neoclassical mansion near the Westin hotel, is another highly ambitious mega-venue offering Chinese, French and seafood restaurants, multiple lounges and a small nightclub. Down the road, at the glorious intersection of Fuzhou and Jiangxi Lu, Hamilton House (tel: 6321-0586, 137 Fuzhou Lu) is a trendy French brasserie and cocktail lounge in a soaring 1934 Art Deco mansion. Their marmalade-laced Breakfast Martini is a good choice – at any time of the day.

Just past the Bund, in the historic Hongkou district formerly home to the Japanese concession and Jewish Ghetto, Gosney & Kallman’s Chinatown (tel: 6258-2078, 471 Zhapu Lu) brilliantly references Shanghai’s 1930s “Sin City” days. The burlesque club transforms a heritage Shinto shrine with theatre boxes, hard-hitting cocktails and high-kicking show girls. Open Wednesdays to Saturdays, it’s a bit off the beaten track but there is no cover charge and shows feature New York crooner Frank Brae, Shanghai acrobats and a six-strong chorus line. Good fun.

• Highs and lows in Pudong

Pudong has perked up considerably and some of the Shanghai nightlife throb has moved here. It is steadily becoming a viable option for a good night out. Park Hyatt’s 100 Century Avenue (tel: 6888-1234, 91-93F, Shanghai World Financial Centre, 100 Century Ave, Pudong) is the highest restaurant and bar on the planet, stretching from the 91^st to 93^rd floors of the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Centre. Despite its high profile, it’s not the least bit highfaluting. Filling the 91^st floor is a very cool and convivial tavern with Western, Chinese and Japanese show kitchens and a 750-label cellar. The à la carte menu here allows you to mix-and-match different cuisines, and highlights top quality produce including seven types of US oysters, Australian Wagyu beef and fresh fish from Tokyo’s Tsujiki Market. The 92^nd floor hosts a jazz bar and quieter Oriental lounge with a small dance floor and ballroom dancing four nights a week, while the uppermost level is a private dining space for 100 people adorned in mod-Nordic style and lorded over by mischievous ceramic mooseheads.

In the basement of the Shanghai World Financial Centre (2/B, 100 Century Ave, Pudong), celebrity chef Salvatore Cuomo’s 3,000sqm upmarket food hall incorporates eight different restaurants including an Italian Restaurant and Grill, Japanese Yakiniku, Crystal Jade dim sum counter and a relaxing lounge bar. Gourmet European grocer Bottega is a great place to pick up picnic supplies.

Perched on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao Tower, Cloud 9, the Grand Hyatt’s hotel bar, offers one of the best views in Asia. Make sure you get a table facing west for views of the Bund, Pearl Tower, and the lights of Puxi; windowscapes of its new, taller neighbor, the Shanghai World Financial Center, are to the southeast. Drinks at Cloud 9 aren’t as expensive as you might think, with prices starting at around ¥75 for a small draught Tiger, while cocktails start at about ¥90. There’s a two drink minimum after 8pm and a 15% service charge.

Tucked away by the riverside behind the Oriental Pearl Tower is Salvatore Cuomo’s original Pudong location, The Kitchen (tel: 5054-1265, Unit D, 2967 Lujiazui Xi Lu), another Shanghai dining favorite. The airy Italian is a great place for sundowner drinks looking across the water to Puxi, and its woodfired oven turns out arguably the city’s best pizza.

Jade on 36 is a restaurant that must be experienced to be believed. Perched on the 36th floor of the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel tower, the Jade lounge/restaurant is simply beautiful. Drinks don’t come cheap but neither does real glamour.. Downstairs, the Japanese institution Nadaman serves teppanyaki and yakitori in a Zen-like setting with sleek granite surfaces and big paper lanterns. Yi Café is buffet brilliance, with 10 show kitchens presenting cuisines from China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. (tel: 6882-8888, Pudong Shangri-La, 33 Fucheng Lu, Pudong).

For laid-back happy hour drinks, head to Blue Frog alongside the enormous Super Brand Mall. This popular Shanghai chain offers 2-for-1 house pours daily from 4-8pm, good burgers, free Wi-Fi and a pleasant terrace surrounded by skyscrapers.

Located within People's Park, Barbarossa is a chic bar & restaurant with a Moroccan theme.

• Playtime in People’s Park

Constructing an Arabian palace on historic green space in the heart of the city was a questionable move by Shanghai’s town planners – but the party people aren’t complaining. Deep in People’s Park, on the edge of a still lake, candlelit Barbarossa (tel: 6318-0220, 231 Nanjing Lu) glimmers like a mirage. Step inside to find three storeys of maharajah chic filled with North African antiques and the European trip-hop beats. Food and service can be lacklustre but you won’t much care after a cappuccino-flavoured sheesha pipe on the terracotta rooftop.

The same group has also opened a sprawling club next door to the Four Seasons. Sin (tel: 6267 7779, 23/F, 211 Shimen Yi Lu) lives up to its name with a suitably decadent design incorporating a dance floor, hot pink cushiony nooks and city views from the 23^rd floor.

On the rooftop of the old British Racing Club, now the Shanghai Art Museum, Kathleen’s 5 (tel: 6327-2221, 5/F, Shanghai Art Museum, 325 Nanjing Xi Lu) is an elegant restaurant in a glassed-encased terrace beneath the original clock tower. The food plays second fiddle to the ambience. The Backroom Bar is a charming place for cocktails and the occasional tango milonga.

Also on People’s Square, JW Marriott’s 40th-floor Champagne Bar (tel: 5359-4969, 399 Nanjing Xi Lu) is a top spot to kick back in style and drink in the vertiginous views of the Square (which is actually round) and the city radiating beyond. It’s a good spot to contemplate your Shanghai nightlife options.

Great drinks, design, décor and dining - T8 in the ultra-hip shopping and dining district of Xintiandi is a don't miss.

• Shikumen chic – Xintiandi bars and clubs

Site of the Communist Party’s first clandestine meeting in 1921, the 19th century shikumen neighbourhood of Xintiandi (Lane 181, Taicang Lu) is now a hub for all manner of glamorous delights. If you have the cash, you can’t really go wrong with the venues here – there are more Shanghai dining options here than you can shake a stick at – but some are more memorable than others.

T8 Restaurant & Bar (tel: 6355-8999, No 8, North Block Xintiandi, www.t8shanghai.com) serves global cuisine in a lacquered Zen setting, with an impressive list of boutique wines. If you’re craving Chinese, Xintiandi has two worth trying: Crystal Jade (tel: 6385-8752) and Din Tai Fung (tel: 6385-8378). Casual American bistro KABB has a faithful following and great hangover brunches on weekends.

Fans of Liuligongfang will love Taiwanese owner Yang Hui Shan’s showcase restaurant TMSK (tel: 6326-2227, www.tmsk.com, Unit 2, House 11, North Block).

Perch on a crystal stool at the bar or head up the carved staircase to a sumptuous dining room complete with musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments on a small stage.

The dark, sultry DR Bar (tel: 6326 8008, House 15, North Block) next door is owned by the architects of the Xintiandi development, Ben Wood and Carlos Zapata.

Their minimalist venue showcases design materials sourced in China, from the ink stone slabs to the trio of vodka shooters served in a Chinese “cricket jar”.

Cotton's is popular with many expats for its friendly vibe and quintessential Shanghai setting in a romantic French Concession mansion.

• To the manor born in the former French Concession

Shanghai bars and restaurants have made full use of the city’s rich architectural heritage and many of the city’s finest old villas are now atmospheric tippling grounds.

Private members club KEE Shanghai (tel: 3395-0888, 3/F, 796 Huaihai Lu) occupies the upper floors of twin 1920s French Concession villas just off Huaihai Lu. The club is part of Richemont Group’s luxury headquarters, and sits above flagship ‘homes’ of Alfred Dunhill and Vacheron Constantin. Its classic European restaurant and luxe scarlet lounge adorned with art and antiques, lead out to a colonnaded balcony overlooking a quiet garden. A good concierge should be able to get you in to this posh Shanghai dining venue.

Sasha’s (tel: 6474-66289, Dongping Lu) has been the long-time resident of a big red villa formerly home to the infamous Soong family. The bar offers a relaxed, colonial vibe, pool table, reasonable happy hours and an expansive courtyard with comfy wicker chairs. Steakhouse, Prime, sits on the second floor. Sharing the garden, Mexican cantina Zapata’s (tel: 6474-6166, 5 Hengshan Lu) is still the place to be on Wednesdays – free margaritas for the girls, ’80s house music and dancing on the bartop assured.

Cocktail gem Constellation II (tel: 5465 5993, 1-2/F, 33 Yongjia Lu) is a more refined affair. Taking its interior cues from the roaring 1930s its two floors joined by a spiral staircase are filled with quiet nooks and leather armchairs bathed in the glow of antique lampshades. Immaculate cocktails are shaken by Japanese-trained barman/owner, Kin.  Down the road in a two-storey heritage villa on quiet Anting Lu, Cotton’s exudes warmth, with four open fireplaces, a large garden terrace and  genuinely friendly vibe (tel: 6433-7995, 132 Anting Lu).

A Future Perfect has the style and ambience, and most importantly, good food.

Another alfresco Shanghai dining option is A Future Perfect in the popular B&B, Old House (tel: 6248-8020, No 16, Lane 351 Huashan Lu). A wholesome, organic approach is evident in the recycled decor and a healthy menu of steaks, salads and smoothies. Best of all is the spacious walled garden under a leafy canopy where Panton-inspired cantilevered chairs and a futuristic outdoor bar are strikingly juxtaposed against the original 1930s facade.

South Beauty 881 (tel: 6247-6682; 881 Yan’an Zhong Lu) combines artfully presented Sichuan and Cantonese dishes and cutting-edge designs by Japanese architects SuperPotato. But the real gem is the property’s original 1930s mansion, home to 19 dramatically decorated private dining rooms around a lipstick-red bar. Rooms seat from two to fifty people and there’s a lovely rooftop terrace.

Another excellent option with an Asean kick is Lost Heaven (tel: 6433-5126, 38 Gaoyou Lu). Tracing the folk cuisines of the Dai, Bai and Miao ethnic hill tribes through China’s Yunnan province and into Burma and Laos, the richly spiced curries are served in a suitably exotic villa setting.

Casa 13 (tel: 5238-2782, Rm 13, 1100 Huashan Lu) is a dash of Mediterranean in the courtyard of a heritage Spanish villa. This warm, romantic venue with chandeliers strung from high ceilings serves hearty seafood, roasted meats, risottos and pasta, accompanied by an impressive wine list. The Casa’s owner Eduardo Vargas, is a Shanghai dining powerhouse – among his other popular Shanghai restaurants are Vargas Grill (tel: 6437-0136, 3/F, 18 Dongping Lu), Bistro Burger (tel: 6170-1315, 1/F, Mansion, 291 Fumin Lu) and Osteria (tel: 6256-8998, 226 Jinxian Lu), where the excellent Rmb198 Italian prix fixe menu is complemented by a well-priced wine list.

Catalan chef Willy Trullàs Moreno helms delightful villa restaurant, El Willy (tel: 5404-5757, 1/F, Diage, 20 Donghu Lu). Innovative dishes on the menu here include scallop with ceviche, avocado and crispy shallots, and chocolate coulant with green tea ice cream and tomato cardamom jam. A tucked-away garden hosts alfresco seating and occasional organic farmers markets.

Designer Wang Xingzheng has a passion for Chinese culture and his three bars should not be missed. Yongfoo Elite (tel: 5466-2727, www.yongfooelite.com, 200 Yongfu Lu) is a rarefied members club in the old British consulate evoking the Shanghai of popular imagination rendered in mahogany, old leather, crystal chandeliers and Chinese lanterns. The Shanghainese cuisine is nothing to write home about, but an evening spent draped across a canopy bed in the garden sipping gin-and-tonic and listening to Beijing opera in the background certainly is. The Door, way out in Hongqiao (tel: 6295-3737, 4/F, 1468 Hongqiao Lu), and Xian Qiang Fang (tel: 6351-5757, 5/F, 600 Jiujiang Lu), located in an old theatre near People’s Square, are similarly decadent.

Big Bamboo is Shanghai's best sports bar. Malone's, which attracts a similar if slightly older clientele, is just around the corner.

• A walk on the wild side –  Julu Lu and Tongren Lu

Time to dive into the seed or, at any rate, skirt past it. That’s right. The cheap lipstick heart of Shanghai nightlife, Julu Lu caters to all tastes. Near the junction of Changshu Lu is a row of down-at-heel girlie bars with names like Goodfellas and Badlands and propositions by the yard. However, the Fumin Lu end is infinitely classier. For its jaw-dropping industrial-chic interior and nouvelle Japanese cuisine, book one of the mezzanine tables at Shintori Null II (tel: 5404 5252, 803 Julu Lu). The same group also owns bar/restaurant People 7 (tel: 5404-0707) next door, known for its fun password-protected entrance and trick toilets.

Nearby, an old electronics factory retains its buzz as the well-heeled watering hole Manifesto (tel: 6289-9108, 748 Julu Lu). Be sure to try one of their creative cocktails like the Belgian white chocolate martini. The downstairs restaurant, Mesa, has a good modern Australian menu and fabulous weekend brunches.

For booze, babes and beats, the seedy masses head to Tongren Lu bar street. The most sophisticated of the bunch, Blue Frog (tel: 6247-0320, 86 Tongren Lu) wins points for its slick but super-casual ambience, daily happy hours (4-8pm) and famous 100 shooters. Within stumbling distance, Malone’s (tel: 6247-2400, 255 Tongren Lu) is a beefy American bar popular with the beer-swilling masses for its super burgers, sports and Filipino house band. The top floor of this massive bar has been refitted as a slightly more sophisticated chill-out zone, complete with a country-western crooner. Big Bamboo (tel: 6256-2265, 132 Nanyang Lu) and The Spot (tel: 6247-3579, 331 Tongren Lu) kick on until late with a variety of sports on big screens, bar sports and beer swilling.

Also on Tongren Lu, City Diner (6289-3699, 2/F, 146 Tongren Lu) is open 24 hours. Their hearty portions of all-American comfort food go down a treat after a long night of drinking.

Babyface: Probably the best nightspot to hit up for some Chinese-style clubbing complete with loud thumping music and patrons playing table-side dice games.

• Shanghai clubbing – dance until dawn

Packed to the gills and reeking of parfum and pretension, the enormously popular Baby Face (tel: 6375-6667, Unit 101, 138 Huaihai Zhong Lu) consists of two separate dance areas, a central bar that you’ll be lucky to get to and exclusive mezzanine lounges requiring a Rmb2,500-Rmb3,500 minimum order. There’s a cover charge on weekends, brutish bouncers manning the door and floor, and a largely local crowd.

In Fuxing Park (2 Gaolan Lu), Muse at Park 97 (tel: 5383-2328) and club Guandii (tel: 3308-0725) attract a glittery Chinese crowd – don’t forget your dice and aviator specs. Velvet Lounge (tel: 5403-2976, Bldg 3-4, 913 Julu Lu) is a favourite late-night lounge for expats and locals alike with curtained enclaves, a DJ, dance floor and great thin-crust gourmet pizzas.

MAO Livehouse Shanghai (tel: 138160-95660, 46 Yueyang Lu, www.maoshanghai.com) stands for Music Art Oasis, and features a recycled chrome and concrete interior, all-natural cocktails and a grassy backyard chill-out zone. At the end of the night head to the tiny Dragon Club (tel: 5404-4592, 156 Fengyang Lu), which kicks on until 7am at weekends.

When it's all about the jazz, man, the gimmick-free sublte charms of JZ club can't be beaten.

• Mellow mood – all that jazz

Shanghai and jazz are synonymous and two of the city’s best-loved live jazz clubs are within a stone’s throw of each other on Fuxing Lu. The plush JZ Club (tel: 6431-0269, 46 Fuxing Xi Lu) hosts a varied weekly line-up of vocal jazz, Big Band, Latin and Shanghai jazz, headlined by popular Shanghai-based musicians, such as flamboyant Chinese vocalist Coco Zhao and guitarist Lawrence Ku, while the long-running Cotton Club (tel: 6437-71108, Fuxing Xi Lu) is a much rawer venue with a dark, smoky interior and righteous blues.

In a heritage villa behind the Bund, House of Blues & Jazz (tel: 6323-2779, 60 Fuzhou Lu) revives the golden Shanghai Jazz Age, complete with wood-panelled walls, art deco furnishings, fat cigars and stiff G&Ts. The musical roster brings top jazz and blues bands from the international circuit for three-month stints, along with ‘mellow Monday’ gigs by local performers, and jam sessions on Sundays.

Shanghai nightlife waits for nobody, so strap on your beer goggles and enjoy the ride.

• What to See & Do in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Shanghai Must-See Attractions

Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark

Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai

Exploring the Water Villages – Excursions from Shanghai

• Where to Dine in Shanghai
  

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

• Where to Shop in Shanghai

Shop till you drop – Shanghai Shopping Guide

• Where to Stay in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Ritziest Hotels in Shanghai

Shop till you drop – Shanghai Shopping Guide

Shanghai is often touted as a shoppers’ paradise – however you can expect hours of pavement pounding, foraging and bargaining before reaching true retail Nirvana. The good news for those who persist is that the local markets and boutiques can reward the dedicated shopper with awesome finds at prices to suit any wallet.

Like many fashion capitals, the city’s two main boulevards – Nanjing West Road and Huaihai Road – are lined with some of the best Shanghai shopping malls brimming with luxury brand stores and high street labels. Due to heavy import tariffs, the few found fondling the inflated price tags here are usually wealthy domestic customers. For your Dior, Chanel and Armani – best head to Hong Kong. If you don’t mind Pardas and Calvin Keins, there’s always rip-off Qipu Road Clothing Wholesale Market (168 Qipu Rd) or the back alleys surrounding Shaanxi Road (recommended only for the stout of heart).

Of more interest, are the retail enclaves scattered around the vibrant streets of the former French Concession and behind the Bund. Here, local designers present their wares – everything from handmade silk slippers and modern ceramics to organic cotton baby kimonos – offering trendy updates on classic Chinese styles. Other good buys in Shanghai include Oriental rosewood antiques, freshwater pearls and custom-made garments from the city’s legendary tailors.

Shanghai's top street to shop has always been Nanjing Road (Nanjing Lu). Evern more popular among locals, however, is Huaihai Middle Road (Huaihai Zhong Lu).

• Shanghai shopping – Nanjing West Road and Huaihai Road

High end Shanghai shopping and the glossiest malls are clustered along Nanjing West Road, between Jing’an Temple and Shimen No. 1 Road. Next door to the working Buddhist temple, Jiuguang City Plaza (久光百货 in Chinese, 1618 Nanjing Road) houses Tiffany & Co, Omega and Kate Spade, as well as excellent Japanese supermarket Freshmart in the basement. Opposite this, rising above the interchange of three metro lines, Park Place (越洋广场in Chinese) opened in 2009 offers seven levels of international designer boutique shopping and dining.

Plaza 66 (恒隆广场 in Chinese, 1266 Nanjing Xi Lu, metro line 2 Nanjing Xi Lu Station) is chock full of luxury brands – Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Cartier – on five marble-clad levels. Next door, Citic Square (Zhongxin Taifu guangchang, 中信泰富广场 in Chinese, 1168 Nanjing Road) includes Armani, Bally and Marc Jacobs, while neighboring Westgate Mall (Meilongzhen guangchang, 梅龙镇广场 in Chinese, 1038 Nanjing Road) features Burberry, Ermenegildo Zegna, Coach and an Isetan department store. Between these are more moderately priced fashion outlets, such as Zara, Promod and Marks & Spencer.

Running parallel to Nanjing West Road through the former French Concession, Huaihai Middle Road is populated with European fast fashion flagships H&M, Zara and Mango along with clothing brands from China, Korea and Japan.

In the southern part of the French Concession, Taikang Lu, home to a bunch of art galleries and trendy clubs, also has some fashionable boutiques selling everything from designer handbags to pricey silks.

• Funky shopping around Taikang Road

What started with a few artists and design agencies moving in to abandoned factory warehouses on quiet Taikang Road, has become Shanghai’s funkiest shopping district. The rabbit-warren of cobbled Shanghai ‘longtang’ (lanes) are flanked by traditional stone-gated residences housing an eclectic collection of fashion, furniture and lifestyle boutiques, craft workshops, jewelers, photography galleries and alfresco cafes. Amongst all this, elderly residents of the alleyways steadfastly go about their daily life, which presents eye-popping contrasts often as fun to observe as the goods on offer in bohemian shop windows. Most of the top Shanghai local brands now have a presence here – following are several good ones not to miss.

Nuo Mi (Lane 274, 12 Taikang Road) by young Chinese-American designer Lin Wen creates cross-culture women and children’s fashions in eco-friendly bamboo, cotton, soya and raw silk that feel as soft and slinky against the skin as they look. Urban Tribe (Number 14, Lane 248 Taikang Road) is a rustic-chic collection of fashion, pottery tea sets, handmade silver jewellery and black-and-white photography inspired by China’s hinterlands, Burma and India.

Japanese model turned designer Maki Hayazono’s two-story boutique  Rou Rou (Number 19, 155 Jianguo Middle Road) fuses contemporary streetwear with European tailoring and Asian detailing. The store’s two labels – Rou Rou basics and the high-end Lotus Room – are frequently updated.

Deke Erh Art Center, owned by local photographer and author Deke Erh, Tibetan-themed oils as well as occasional photo exhibits and musical recitals.

Several photography studios include one of the street’s original tenants, photographic historian Deke Erh. The sprawling Deke Erh Art Centre (Number 2, Lane 210 Taikang Lu) presents his images snapped around Shanghai and rural China, as well as books he has published on the city’s fading architectural heritage. Gang of One is a tribute to the rags-to-riches tale of Wang Gangfeng, a former factory worker whose wonderful portraits of characters and street life around China now hang in the Musee de l’Elysee in Switzerland.

The small Duke Gallery (Number 8, 274 Taikang Road) presents a fun collection of contemporary Chinese art and sculpture. Stealing the show is Mongolian artist Guo Qipeng’s ‘Boy Scout’ series of chubby lipstick-red ceramic kid soldiers playing different instruments.

INSH (200 Taikang Road) carries the hip, streetwise fashions of designer Helen Lee,

Two of Shanghai’s most promising young designers, Jenny Ji and Helen Lee, also have boutiques at Taikang Rd. La Vie (Number 7, Lane 210 Taikang Lu), stocks the heavily tailored and deconstructed fashions of Jenny Ji, who studied fashion in Milan before returning to her hometown. INSH (200 Taikang Road, 021-6466-5249, www.insh.com.cn) carries the hip, streetwise fashions of designer Helen Lee, while her namesake boutique, further down the alley (Number 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) showcases a more mature line.

If your Shanghai shopping diary includes sparkling accessories and baubles, three interesting jewelery stores worth checking out are Marion Carsten (Suite 106, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) by a Shanghai-based German jeweler whose striking contemporary designs use bold combinations of sterling silver, leather and pearls. Red Dawn (Suite 105, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) showcases beautiful baubles by homespun talent Dawn Zhu made of jade, pearl, coral and carved woods. For men, JIP’s smart collection of industrial-style accessories combining edgy tungsten, titanium and carbon fibre are designed by an international team of artists but manufactured in southern China, which keeps the line surprisingly affordable (Number 51, Lane 210 Taikang Road).

In the building that started it all – the International Artist Factory – Nest occupies an airy loft space where nine locally based clothing, home wares and product design companies have formed an eco design collective, championing cutting-edge design, sustainable materials and responsible manufacturing. For cottage industry in action, visit Harvest Studio downstairs (Suite 18, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road). Here, Miao minority women from southern China gossip as they hand embroider ethnic-styled cushions and clothing. Also in the building, Cosmos Design (Unit 112, Bldg 3, Lane 210 Taikang Road) features contemporary home accessories by Cosmo Chan made from rich brown zisha ceramics, popular in the Ming dynasty.

When your Shanghai shopping binge gets too much for you, release you own creative energy with easel and acrylic paints at Jam Art Space or grab some excellent pho noodles at Pho No.1 Vietnamese Cuisine (Number 13, Lane 248 Taikang Lu).

About as classy and pricey as you can get in Shanghai shopping, this ritzy development "Three on the Bund" has a Georgio Armani flagship store and other not-too-shabby mouthfuls such as Ann Demeulemeester, Bottega Veneta, Vivienne Tam, Yves Saint Laurent.

• Prime Shanghai shopping – The Bund

The gentrification of Shanghai’s iconic riverfront Bund has seen luxury brands – Giorgio Armani at Three on the Bund, Dolce & Gabbana at 6 Bund and Cartier, Patek Philippe, Ermenegildo Zegna and Boucheron at Bund 18 – move into the former colonial banking HQs.

These are interspersed with local designer boutiques in the side streets, including Suzhou Cobblers (Room 101, 17 Fuzhou Road, 021-6321-7087, www.suzhou-cobblers.com), selling handcrafted silk slippers and shoes in updated colors and patterns, and Annabel Lee (Number 1, Lane 8, East No. 1 Zhongshan Road, 021-6445-8218, www.anabel-lee.com), whose range of embroidered silk decor and accessories are displayed in a museum-like flagship behind a large red door.

Design Republic’s retail showroom founded by Shanghai-based architects Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu showcases contemporary furnishings from top international designers, along with their own pieces that are currently all in the rage in many of the city’s high-end restaurants (G/F, 5 Zhongshan Road E1). Meanwhile, on the second floor of Bund 18, Gabbiani (2/F, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Road E1), sells hand-blown glassware by the designer of those iconic red Venetian chandeliers hanging in the Bund 18 lobby.

• Shanghai boutique shops in the French Concession

For more Shanghai designer brands and eye candy, cruise the leafy streets of the former French Concession that are lined with tiny boutiques by aspiring local talent. The best stretches lie along Changle Road (between Rujin Number 1 Road and Chengdu Road) and Xinle Road (between Donghu Road and Maoming Road). Julu Road and Jinxian Road contain a smattering of interesting boutiques, while Shaanxi Road is shoe heaven if you fit a size 37.

Streetwear fans will love Source (158 Xinle Road), The Thing (60 Xinle Road), Fly (704 Changle Road) and Eno (139-23 Changle Road). Hong Kong designer Joel Chen’s Pursue by Joel (142 Xinle Rd) offers trendy tailored menswear and women’s evening dresses using quality materials. Pursue’s larger location behind Xintiandi (365 Zizhong Lu) has a fitting studio on the second floor that can whip up custom pieces in around three weeks. Also on Zizhong Lu, is an outlet of Studio PI (Post Industrial), where European-trained designer Lu Min creates recycled daywear and unique party pieces with an almost-gothic feel (347 Zizhong Lu).

Shanghai Tang, the oh-so-hip store from Hong Kong fashion maven David Tang, has spawned several branches worldwide since it first opened in Shanghai in 2003. Besides his signature and pricey traditional Chinese shirts and qipao, you can also pick up elegant scarves, photo frames, bags, and candles.

• Shopping in Xintiandi lanes

The refashioned traditional lanes and shikumen houses of Xintiandi, on the corner of Huangpi Road and Madang Road, are very popular with travelers on account of the wide array of high-end shopping, dining and entertainment options. Luxurious fashion brand Shanghai Tang (Unit 15, Xintiandi North Blk, Lane 181 Taicang Road, two other branches: 59 Mao Ming Road; Shangri-La Hotel, 33 Fu Cheng Road, Pudong) features men’s, ladies and children’s apparel, home furnishings, accessories and novelty gift items with a colorful nod to Chinese culture. Exquisite cutting and inspired design are reflected in the high-end prices.

The massive flagship store of homegrown label Simply Life (Unit 101, 159 Madang Road), stocks pan-Asia furniture and house ware, including an exclusive range of hand-painted fine bone china from luxury local brand Asianera. Delightful Shanghai Trio (Number 1, Unit 5, Xintiandi North Blk, 181 Taicang Road) blends Chinese motifs with classic French styling in its range of adorable baby wear, bags and accessories.

Shanghai South Bund Fabric Market has all of Shanghai's best tailors all under one roof. Bargain hard to get a fair price.

• Shanghai tailors for Western-size fits

For those frustrated with the search for Western-size clothing – Shanghai’s legendary tailors can whip up a custom-made wardrobe in a matter of days. Start with a trip to the South Bund Fabric Market (399 Lujiabang Road), where three air-conditioned levels offer vast reams of fabric and trimmings at bargain prices. Bring your favorite pieces and have the onsite tailors sew made-to-measure replicas. Expect to pay approximately Rmb600 for a suit including material and workmanship.

Dongtai Lu Antiques Market, not far from Xin Tian Di, is Shanghai's answer to Beijing's Panjiayuan Market. Dealers specialize in antiques, curios, porcelain, furniture, jewelry, and wood carvings, birds, and nostalgic bric-a-brac from colonial and revolutionary days (especially Mao memorabilia).

• Shanghai shopping – pearls and antiques

Shanghai is close to China’s freshwater pearling areas of Jiangsu province and is therefore a great place to buy these precious gems. Mark this down in your Shanghai shopping diary. Shanghai Hongqiao International Pearl City (3721 Hongmei Lu) is a multi-level pearl emporium. Most of the action is found on the third floor, where vendors sell a wide array of fresh water pearls and semi-precious stones, along with inexpensive crystal and plastic beads. Buy readymade jewelery or create your own custom designs, which can be strung on the spot.

The five-storey wholesale antique market at Cang Bao Lou (457 Fangbang Middle Road) and charming outdoor Dongtai Road Antique Market (Dongtai Road, by Tibet Road) are good places to scavenge for Cultural Revolution memorabilia, Buddhist statuary, art deco furniture and even opium pipes. Although many of the wares are ersatz, this is still great souvenir territory and keen eyes will occasionally spot a genuine antique prize. Bargain hard.

For antique rosewood furniture head to the warehouse showroom of Hu & Hu Antiques in far-flung Hongqiao (1685 Wuzhong Lu). The sisters-in-law Hu have a massive collection of well-restored Chinese antiques and customised reproductions, delivered fuss-free thanks to their fixed-pricing policy and international shipping.

And if all this frantic Shanghai shopping hasn’t left you with an anorexic wallet and swollen feet, then strap on your (probably new) dancing shoes and head on out for a night on the tiles.

• What to See & Do in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Shanghai Must-See Attractions

Visitor’s Guide to The Bund: Shanghai’s Newly Opened Waterfront Landmark

Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai

• Where to Dine in Shanghai
  

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

• Where to Stay in Shanghai
  

Top Ten Ritziest Hotels in Shanghai

Top Ten Ritziest Hotels in Shanghai

For the past decade, Shanghai’s upscale hotels have mostly targeted corporate travelers, but leisure visitors now enjoy a broader array of large luxury and small boutique options. The upcoming Shanghai World Expo is expected to bring in an estimated 70 million visitors and ambitious plans for long-term tourism growth are bringing names like Park Hyatt, Conrad, Jumeirah, Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, W, Banyan Tree, and Fairmont through 2010, while a small portfolio of design-led hotels is slated to grow and flourish. Location remains the key to which one you choose. Hotels in the French Concession and near the Bund offer the most convenience for tourists. Despite the lofty views, staying east of the river in one of the Pudong’s high-rise hotels can mean taxi rides and inconvenience.

• Le Royal Méridien Shanghai
  

The gorgeous view of Shanghai skyline is only the start of the royal treatment at Le Royal Méridien, the tallest hotel in Puxi, West of Shanghai

With considerable panache, Le Royal Méridien executes its Art Deco–inspired design throughout its 770 rooms, high above People’s Park on central Nanjing Road. Above the eleventh-floor lobby, black lacquer–framed mirrors line hallways, and airy guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows. Chic marble bathrooms, plush velvet couches and club chairs, and beds with down duvets and oversized square pillows round out the stylish accommodations. Ai Mei, the Chinese restaurant already known for its dim sum, is entered through a door frame of glass tanks filled with goldfish; the menu at Allure—roasted lobster with risotto, beef tenderloin with goose liver—is worth the culinary detour. Even the spa here caters to a late-night clientele, staying open until 11 p.m., for those who can’t sleep without a signature egg-white, vodka, and cucumber facial.

Le Royal Meridien Shanghai (Shanghai Shimao Huangjia Aimei Jiudian, 上海世茂皇家艾美酒店)

Address: 789 Nanjing Dong Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
Chinese Address:  上海市黄浦区南京东路789号
Phone: 021-3318-9999
Website: Le Royal Meridien Shanghai

• JIA Shanghai

Best Boutique Hotel: JIA Shanghai serves as your stylish home away from home.

Housed in a renovated 1920s townhouse on hip Nanjing Road, this is wunderkind Singaporean hotelier and restaurateur Yenn Wong’s follow-up to the original Jia in Hong Kong, designed by Philippe Starck. The 55 rooms combine luxe comforts—think plush beds, blackout curtains, plasma TVs, iPod docks, and ceiling-mounted Bose speakers—with trendsetting boutique styling, including artwork by photographer Russel Wong, outsize tubs in gold Bisazza-tile bathrooms, and furnishings by Minotti, Moroso, and Hans Wegner. Each room has a small kitchenette with a microwave oven, cookware, and serving dishes. The two stunning penthouse suites have extra theatrical flourishes, including contemporary art, a sunken circular Jacuzzi, and a shower that converts into a steam room. The chic lobby lounge, where you’ll be served complimentary continental breakfast and afternoon tea, is dressed with giant Chinese bird cages and lacquer tableware. Shanghai’s shaker-makers reserve dinner tables at Issimo, a modern Italian eatery created by Japan-based restaurateur Salvatore Cuomo. This is the place to stay for sophisticated small hotel chic.

The lounge of Issimo restaurant at JIA Shanghai

JIA Shanghai (上海JIA精品酒店)

Address: 931 West Nanjing Road, Jiangan District, Shanghai 200041
Chinese Address: 上海市静安区南京西路931号（近泰兴路）
Opening Date: August 2007
Number of Rooms: 55 rooms and suites, including two penthouse suites
Rate per Night: 2,000 to 10,000RMB
Phone: 021-6217-9000
Website: www.jiashanghai.com

• URBN Hotel

Serene little URBN is China's first carbon-neutral hotel, implementing eco-friendly elements such as solar shades and water-based A/C, and allowing patrons to buy carbon credits.

Tucked away on a side street north of Jing’An Temple, this 26-room design hotel is built around an enclosed slate and bamboo courtyard with calming water fountains. Constructed using reclaimed local materials —such as gray factory bricks, mahogany, and slate—Urbn wears its eco-conscious credentials on its sleeve; the hotel also tracks its ecological footprint and matches it in carbon credits. The rooms, in five categories, are all relatively small but make good use of space with low-level beds and a sunken “lounge” area, complete with hemp cushions on the broad benches and a wall-hung flat-screen TV. Neat in-room design touches include mahogany floors and wall paneling, desk chairs made from compressed cardboard, and under-floor bathroom heating, plus free Wi-Fi and iPod docks. Contemporary Australian-Asian cuisine is served in the ground-floor restaurant, Roomtwentyeight.

This modestly luxe, environmentally-friendly suite was built with recycled materials drawn from dilapidated French Concession villas.

URBN Hotel  (Yayue Jiudian, 上海雅悦酒店)

Address: 183 Jiaozhou Road, Jingan District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市静安区胶州路183号
Phone: 021-5153-4600
Website: www.urbnhotels.com/urbn-shanghai

• Park Hyatt Shanghai

Park Hyatt Shanghai, world's most vertiginous hotel, is on floors 79 through 93 of the Shanghai World Financial Center, in the Pudong district.

Shanghai hotels are rising ever higher—and top of the pile is this deluxe cloud buster on the 79th through 93rd floors of the 101-story, 1,615-foot Shanghai World Financial Center in Pudong. The Park Hyatt Shanghai can now claim the twin titles of world’s highest hotel and world’s highest restaurant. New York City–based Tony Chi created the interiors to resemble a sophisticated modern Chinese residence, hence the series of gates, halls, and chambers. The lobby itself is on the 87th floor and the spa and fitness center have prime city views from the 85th level. The 174 rooms are an impressive size (an average room is 645 square feet), plus there is 24-hour butler service, a technology concierge, and a walk-in dressing room and flat-screen TV in the bathroom and bedroom. The hotel’s highest highlight is 100 Century Avenue, an integrated three-level fine-dining restaurant (serving Western, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine) and lounge bar on the 91st to 93rd floors.

The hotel's highest highlight is 100 Century Avenue, an integrated three-level fine-dining restaurant and lounge bar on the 91st to 93rd floors.

Park Hyatt Shanghai  (Shanghai Baiyue Jiudian, 上海柏悦酒店)

Address: 100 Century Avenue, 79th–93rd Floors, Shanghai World Financial Center, Pudong District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市浦东新区浦东世纪大道100号上海环球金融中心79-93楼
Phone: 021-6888-1234
Website: www.parkhyattshanghai.com

• The Portman Ritz-Carlton

Despite some heavy competition, this is still a favorite for many business travelers and world leaders (George W. Bush stayed here during the APEC Conference in 2001).

The Portman Ritz-Carlton was the city’s first luxury hotel when it opened in 1998, on the major shopping thoroughfare Nanjing Lu. The hotel  completed a multimillion-dollar, top-to-bottom face-lift of the guest rooms, bars, restaurants, and facilities in 2008. The circular pale-marble lobby gives way to 610 rooms—request one of the newly renovated ones, which feature gleaming dark-wood traditional furniture, accents of gold and brown, and sliding doors that lend an Oriental air. Guests are spoiled for choice when it comes to dining: There are four house restaurants to choose from, including Palladio, which serves modern Italian dishes in a formal setting. Luxury-brand lovers will delight in the neighboring upscale Plaza 66 mall. Though the hotel is centrally located at the Shanghai Center, surrounding office buildings mean that finding a cab during rush hour can be difficult—hotel guests do get preference in the taxi line, but the queue lengthens noticeably during peak times, from 4 pm until 8 pm.

The Portman Ritz-Carlton  (Shanghai Boteman Lijia Dajiudian,上海波特曼丽嘉酒店)

Address: 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, Jingan District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市上海市静安区南京西路1376号
Phone: 021-6279-8888
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com

• St. Regis Shanghai

In the lobby of St. Regis Shanghai, an elaborate alabaster light fixture echoes the tobacco-leaf pattern of the inlaid marble.

Every guest is a VIP at the St. Regis. The amphitheaterlike lobby sets the stage for the most indulgent hotel experience in Shanghai. The 318 rooms in this 40-story red-granite tower—its design lauded by Architectural Digest—spare no expense, with Bose wave radios, Herman Miller Aeron chairs, and rain-forest showers that give you the feeling of being under a waterfall. At 500 square feet (152 sq. m), standard rooms compare to other hotels’ suites. The two women’s-only floors are unique in Shanghai. Butlers address all your needs 24/7 (you can even contact them by e-mail) from in-room check-in to room service, and as part of a new program, they can arrange to escort guests personally to visit local artist studios. The hotel’s location—15 minutes from the riverfront—is a drawback, but the fitness center and 24-hour gym, along with the remarkable Danieli’s Italian restaurant add to this pampering property’s appeal.

Spacious and elegant double-height living room of The Imperial Suite at St. Regis Shanghai

St. Regis Shanghai (Shanghai Ruiji Hongta Dajiudian, 上海瑞吉红塔大酒店)

Address: 889 Dongfang Lu, South central Pudong, Pudong District, Shanghai
Chinese Address:上海市浦东新区东方路889号
Phone: 021-50504567
Prices ¥3,313-¥3,478 ($473-$497/£237-£249) standard; from ¥6,378 ($911/£456) suite (up to 60% discounts)
Website: www.stregis.com/shanghai

• The Peninsula Shanghai

The 14-story luxury Peninsula Shanghai hotel, with 235 rooms and suites, is the first new structure on the storied riverfront Bund since the Bank of China in 1927.

The Peninsula Shanghai, an Art-Deco inspired hotel on Shanghai’s historic Bund, is dressed to impress, from its stepped, faux Deco facade to the grand pillared lobby decorated in cool celadon tones (a string quartet plays on a theatrical balcony in the afternoons) to the restored 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II for airport transfers. This is a hotel that makes the most of its outlook over the future-scape Pudong skyline, the Peninsula Spa by Espa features a skylit indoor swimming pool and a layered crème marble terrace, while the terrace of the 14th-floor Sir Elly’s Restaurant has panoramic river views. The pick of the hotel’s five restaurants is Yi Long Court, serving classic Cantonese cuisine in a luxurious chocolate and dark-blue Shanghai Deco dining room with Qing dynasty furnishings. The hotel’s 235 guest rooms, styled in a pale gray-green or cerulean blue, start at a spacious 600 square feet and go up to the 4,300-square-foot Presidential Suite. All have 1920s Shanghai mahogany and ebony furniture. The in-room technology is best in class, with thoughtful additions such as a Nespresso machine positioned at shoulder level, a desktop iPod dock, a 1,000-channel Internet radio, and an in-bath phone system that filters out the sound of the water. Another flick of a switch dims the bathroom lights and turns on relaxing spa music.

The Peninsula Shanghai features 235 generously large guestrooms (44 of which are suites). Ipod docks, free wireles

The Peninsula Shanghai (Shanghai Bandao Jiudian, 上海半岛酒店)

Address： 32 Zhongshang Dong Yi Lu, The Bund, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Chinese Address:上海市黄浦区中山东一路32号
Phone: 021-2327-2888
Website: www.peninsula.com/Shanghai

• Pudong Shangri-La

The Shangri-La Pudong occupies one of the most prized locations in Shanghai: overlooking the Huangpu River, opposite the Bund, near the Pearl Tower in Lujiazui.

With its new 36-floor glass tower, the Shangri-La is set to give its Pudong competitors a run for their money. It may not tower as high as the Grand Hyatt, but this hotel’s gorgeous views stretch across the Huangpu River to the stately Bund and rival those of its taller (and sometimes more fogged-in) neighbor. All of the 950 modern rooms are unfussy, accented with Asian touches such as raw silk throws and pillows. Rooms also have broadband Internet, and satellite TV—just be sure to request accommodation that overlooks the water. Not one but two indoor pools and full-service gymnasiums satisfy the sporty, while those hoping to unwind can enjoy a massage in the Oriental opulence of the Chi spa. Eleven restaurants offer options to suit every taste, but there is no better place for a drink and nibble than Jade on 36, an eclectic fusion restaurant perched on the 36th floor. Though the Pudong location means that during rush hour (4 p.m.-9 p.m.) it can take 45 minutes to get downtown by car, taxis are cheap and plentiful, and those in a hurry can hop on the metro, which is only a five-minute walk from the hotel.

The Pudong Shangri-La boasts a slew of trendy designer restaurants including the luxurious Nadaman Restaurant and Sushi Bar, designed by Super Potato

Pudong Shangri-La Hotel (Pudong Xianggelila Fandian, 上海浦东香格里拉大酒店)

Address: 33 Fucheng Lu, Southwest of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, adjacent to Riverside Ave/Binjiang Da Dao, Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Chinese Address:上海浦东新区富城路33号
Phone: 021-6882-8888; 800-942-5050
Prices ¥3,050-¥3,300 ($436-$471/£218-£236) standard; ¥3,550-¥3,750 ($507-$536/£254-£268) executive level; from ¥5,150 ($736/£368) suite
Website: www.shangri-la.com

• The Grand Hyatt Shanghai

From its perch on the upper floors of the Jin Mao Tower, the Grand Hyatt Shanghai With Art Deco furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows has splendid views of the Bund and Pudong

The Grand Hyatt Shanghai takes up the top 34 floors of the monolithic 88-story Jin Mao Tower—the fifth-tallest building in the world—so you can imagine the views: vertigo-inducing panoramas over the city’s skyscrapers and streets, abetted by the ubiquitous floor-to-ceiling windows. (Request a west-facing room for views of the Bund, the Oriental Pearl Tower, and the rest of the Shanghai skyline’s kitschy excess.) If you can tear your gaze from the neon spectacle outside, you’ll find the hotel’s interiors are pretty sumptuous: All 555 rooms have contemporary furniture (lots of glass, lacquered wood, and velvety neutral-toned upholstery) accented by traditional Eastern artwork. The marble baths have multiple-head “shower towers” that engulf you in water and mist; if these aren’t enough of a full-body experience, you can head to the steam baths and hot tubs at the on-site spa. The hotel’s dozen restaurants, bars, and clubs include the Patio, a 33-story atrium where you can listen to live jazz; Cloud 9, on the 87th floor, where the views will make you dizzier than any cocktail; and Club Jin Mao, where you can sample local specialties, such as deep-fried eel with honey soy sauce and braised bean curd with hairy crab roe. While the Pudong location is oriented more for business than pleasure, the Line 2 Metro station is just a five-minute walk away, and a horde of cheap cabs waits outside to whisk you across the Huangpu River to the Old City.

Grand Hyatt Shanghai (Shanghai Jin Mao Junyue Dajiudian, 上海金茂君悦大酒店)

Address: 88 Century Boulevard, Jin Mao Tower, Pudong District, Shanghai
Chinese Address:上海市浦东新区世纪大道88号
Phone: 021-5049-1234
Prices: ¥3,800-¥4,100 ($543-$586/£272-£293) standard; ¥4,450-¥4,800 ($636-$686/£318-£343) executive level; from ¥5,700 ($814/£407) suite
Website: www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com

• The Westin Shanghai

Perched between the Bund and People's Square, Wesin Bund Center hotel attracts a mixed clientele

Popular with travelers on an expense account, this centrally located hotel—part of the office-heavy Bund Center—is just a short walk from the swish restaurants and nightlife of the Bund. The glitzy atrium lobby features a neon-lit glass staircase and artificial palm trees, while the 570 rooms are kitted out in earth tones, with polished wood paneling and rain forest showerheads in the dark granite bathrooms. A new wing, the Grand Tower, opened in 2007; formerly serviced apartments, rooms here are more spacious, albeit pricier, than in the main building. With so many business travelers passing through the halls, service can feel a bit impersonal and corporate—front desk clerks eagerly push upgrades at check-in. There are three restaurants—we liked the wood-fired pizzas at Prego better than The Stage’s buffet—as well as a fitness center, swimming pool, and branch of the Banyan Tree spa.

The Westin Shanghai (Shanghai Weisiting Dafandian, 上海外滩中心威斯汀大饭店)

Address: 88 Henan Central Road, 3 blocks west of the Huangpu River, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市黄浦区河南中路88号
Phone: 021-6335-1888
Prices: ¥3,245 ($464/£232) standard; ¥3,970 ($567/£284) executive level; from ¥9,730 ($1,390/£695) suite
Website: www.starwoodhotels.com/westin

• Travel Deals: World Expo in Shanghai

With an expected attendance of 70 million, this year’s World Expo in Shanghai – which runs May 1 to Oct. 31 — will  most likely mean  higher hotel rates in the city. But good deals can still be found.

For the duration of the Expo, Marriott is offering 20 percent off staysof two nights or more, and the package includes two single-day admission tickets. Rates start at 1,120  renminbi (or about $161 a night at 7  renminbi to the dollar). Book by March 31 at marriott.com or (800) 228-9290. Use the promotional code ADP.

Hilton is offering the same discount for any reservation made 21 days in advance at the Hilton Shanghai, through Oct. 1. There’s no minimum stay, but rates start at about $216 a night.

For a cheaper option, the Shanghai Metropole Hotel, a 141-room hotel near the Bund, has rooms from $80 a night. And ChinaHotels.org, a hotel booking site based in China, has rooms for as little as $25 a night.

• What to See & Do

Top Ten Shanghai Must-See Attractions
Modern Architectural Wonders of Shanghai

• Where to Dine

Taste of Shanghai – A Guide to Shanghai’s Best Food

In Search of the Perfect Dumpling (Xiaolongbao) in Shanghai

The soup dumpling, or xiaolong bao (Chinese:小笼包）, is to Shanghai what the chicken wing is to Buffalo

A sleek upscale shopping mall was the last place I expected to find the most delectable little soup dumplings in Shanghai.

The unwritten canon of Asia food travel decrees that the best, most authentic things to eat are found only in funky street dives – what one Shanghai friend of mine calls “flip-flop” places. Cramped formica-top tables shared with strangers, and surly waiters? Terrific. Folding tables on the sidewalk, communal plastic chopsticks stuffed in a glass, no napkins? Give me that address.

My serendipitous shopping mall moment came during a recent trip to Shanghai, on a three-day quest to find the best xiao long bao (little basket dumplings) in the city that invented them. The xiao long bao is famous with foodies worldwide, and thanks to Internet food sites and blogs I was well-equipped with a list of on and off-the-track suggestions. I also had a good supply of every Asia food traveler’s must-have accessory: mini-packages of Kleenex tissues, for wiping away unexpected spurts of the intensely rich broth that’s the occupational hazard for a Shanghai soup-dumpling fanatic.

A delicate dumpling skin is wrapped around a juicy pork filling (or, in luxe versions, crab), and like magic, the dumpling also contains a shot of tasty broth.

The Shanghai dumpling, an elegant culinary achievement masquerading as a humble snack, consists of a ball of minced pork (sometimes with an added dollop of crab or crab roe), wrapped in a pleated flour dough skin, which is then steamed. But every xiao lung bao also holds a delightful surprise: there’s a spoonful of hot soup, made from chicken or pork, sometimes both, inside.

The invention is attributed to cooks at the original Nanxiang restaurant in Shanghai’s Jiading district, who figured out how to mix small chunks of cooled, soldified broth gelée into the minced pork filling. (When the dumplings are steamed, the gelatin liquefies back to soup.) Successful execution involves a labor-intensive balancing act of timing, texture and temperature. There is a lot that can go wrong. The dumpling must be assembled on the spot (aficionados insist it must be prepared and steamed only after you order it), or it will be starchy. The flour wrapper, in the wrong hands, can turn out doughy and thick, or thin and breakable, the meatballs too rubbery, the soup too abundant or greasy.

But when the dumpling is right, it’s golden – literally. Last June, the Shanghai government put the xiao long bao alongside 83 other folk arts on a list of the city’s “protected traditional treasures.”

The Shanghai branch of Taiwanese restaurant chain: Din Tai Fung is beautifully designed, with glass walls etched with its name in Chinese characters, and a lively mural featuring caricatures of Chinese stars who have eaten there

Din Tai Fung restaurant, located in a mall that’s part of Shanghai’s trendy Xintiandi complex, was my first stop.

I’d read and heard a lot about Din Tai Fung, for many online dumpling fans think the chain, with three branches in Shanghai and several more in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other Southeast Asian countries, produces the world’s best and most consistent xiao long bao. But I was skeptical – first, because of Din Tai Fung’s upscale airs (the Shanghai branch is beautifully designed, with glass walls etched with its name in Chinese characters, and a lively mural featuring caricatures of Chinese stars who have eaten there), and secondly because this restaurant specializing in the Shanghai dumpling isn’t a hometown operation – it’s a Taiwan-based chain.

October is peak season for Da Zha Xie(Chinese:大闸蟹): famous hairy crabs found in the Yangcheng Lake near Shanghai

Those doubts evaporated in a fog of hot steam, as the waitress lifted the lid – unveiled is a better word – from the first round bamboo basket. Because this was October, the peak season for da zha xie, Shanghai’s famous hairy crabs. I’d ordered the special dumplings, which come garnished with sweet crab roe. As the steam cleared, I could see the bright orange lumps of hairy crab roe peeking out from the twisted nipples of dough at the peak of each dumpling. A single dumpling fit exactly into the bowl of my porcelain spoon without flopping over the edge – a perfect size. If need be, you can pop a whole one comfortably into the mouth (that’s my preferred method for avoiding those pesky soup squirts–best to wait five minutes, though, until the soup cools).

I searched hard for something to dislike about Din Tai Fung’s xiao long bao. But everything about the dumpling eating ritual here reflected an obsessiveness with detail that one normally associates with the Japanese table. The ratio of dough to meat to soup was spot on. The ingredients tasted fresh, and the minced pork was good quality, with not a trace of gristle or bone. The service was cheerfully efficient (afterward I was handed a questionnaire that asked me to rate the smile of my server). The bamboo container was lined with white cotton, and the ginger, a traditional side accompaniment, had been slivered into fine threads and laid out on little white saucers like combed angel hair.

Perfection, perhaps. But I didn’t trust it. After all, these were my first dumplings of the trip, and I was not sitting in an alley at a folding table. So, the following morning, I left my friend behind to nurse his jet lag and I headed out to explore some of the storefront shops I had found in my research.

Shanghai dumplings fall into the food category called, in Chinese, “little eats” – snacks at breakfast, lunch, supper and anytime in between. An enthusiastic food traveler can eat xiao long bao from morning until night. I planned my dumpling trail so that I could walk off my meals by exploring different neighborhoods in Shanghai’s fast-changing landscape. On a 30-minute meander from my French Concession hotel to the Fu Chun dumpling shop on Yu Yuan road, I passed by the Jingan temple, then by accident, found myself standing in front of the apartment building where the late author Eileen Chang lived when she was writing “Lust, Caution,” the short story on which the recent Ang Lee film was based.

The unexpected discovery – and the lovely, tree-lined residential neighborhood – compensated for Fu Chun’s disappointing dumplings, which contained a bit too much greasy soup, had a slightly rubbery feel to the meatball and an odd aftertaste, as if they’d been made with less than prime pork. (Which makes sense, considering that pork dumplings cost 8 RMB a basket here, compared to $45 at Din Tai Fung).

I headed in a taxi for the Shanghai Museum, which has two attractions for pilgrims on the dumpling grail: you can walk off breakfast exploring a terrific collection of calligraphy and Ming and Qing dynasty furniture. When you have finished, you’re only a 10-minute walk from the Jia Jia Tang Bao soup dumpling shop.

Jia Jia, in a former location, had received raves from several online xiao long bao reviewers, including the notoriously fussy eaters at the U.S. website chowhound.com. But the new Jia Jia is a fast-food type diner on a side street filled with other noodle and dumpling joints that cater to office workers on lunch rush. Service was basic and businesslike: I ordered my xiao long bao, paid the clerk at the cash register, took my paper ticket, and sat down in an empty seat next to a stranger. Then I waited. A long-ish wait is a good sign at a xiao long bao restaurant, because it means your dumplings are being stuffed and wrapped to order. While I waited, I enjoyed watching the staff, in aprons, assembling the little bao by hand, rapidly pinching and twisting the tops in one deft wrist motion.

Jia Jia’s dumplings arrived fresh and hot as promised, but seemed undersized. The soup inside tasted too sweet, and lacked the porky intensity of Din Tai Fung’s. Although they were tasty, they didn’t convert me.

On previous trips to Shanghai, I’d fallen for the xiao long bao at Nanxiang, the multi-story, pagoda-style emporium in the grounds of Yu Yuan Gardens, the giddy tourist carnival and park that takes up several blocks of in Shanghai’s old city. Nanxiang is a branch of the original Shanghai shop that invented soup dumplings, a pedigree that ensures that it is always packed. But several years ago, I discovered that if you ignore the queue and boldly march upstairs to the third floor, you can easily get a seat at a quiet and comfortable linen-covered table – you’ll just have to pay a few dollars more for the atmosphere.

The following morning, I got a table at Nanxiang with no trouble. The upstairs seating area has expanded to three rooms, all filled with diners even at 10:30 a.m. Perhaps that’s why the dumplings, which arrived hot and fragrant with good quality meat, nevertheless seemed bland – the wrapping had a starchy taste and the broth had a bland character that suggested it was being made in huge batches.

The final dumpling shop on my list, Fu De, had all the earmarks of an Asia food traveler’s classic. Obscure and small, it is located in the as yet unfashionable Hongkou district, across the river from the Bund in Shanghai’s “Brooklyn.” Fu De had earned a 23 out of 25 rating and rave reviews from readers of the Chinese-language food Web site, www.dianping.com.

Fu De got more enticing as I approached, mainly because my taxi driver couldn’t find it. At last, she discovered why – the shop sits on a stretch of Wuchang Road that’s tucked underneath an overpass, next to a couple of auto repair shops.

I slipped inside, weaving around towers of giant bamboo dumpling baskets that appeared to pre-date the Chinese revolution, and found a seat at a communal table next to some autoworkers on their lunch break. One of them handed me a set of chopsticks, and showed me how to rinse them off with a cup of tea.

On the scale of funky authenticity, Fu De was leaving its competition in the dust. And the dumplings were absolutely wonderful. They weren’t as beautiful and multi-pleated as the upscale Din Tai Fung product. And the skin was a shade too thick. But the wrapper had an earthy, wheaty flavor, which balanced the warm explosion of comfort-broth within. It was like eating matzoh-ball soup, inside out.

Fu De’s xiao long bao were homely, but had personality. Din Tai Fung’s uptown xiao long bao were perfect treasures. Which is the more desirable quality in a Shanghai dumpling?

I couldn’t decide, but I had two hours left before my flight. I raced back to the shopping mall at Xintiandi to meditate on bite-sized soupy perfection a few times more.

• Din Tai Fung  (鼎泰丰(新天地店))

Address: Building 6, Floor 2, Shop 11a, Xintiandi South Block,Luwan District,Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市卢湾区兴业路123弄新天地南里6号楼2楼
Phone: 021-6385-8378
Prices: Meal for 2 ¥120-¥180 ($17-$26/£8.50-£13)

• Fu Chun dumpling shop (富春小笼(愚园路店))

Address: 650 Yu Yuan Road, Jinan District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市静安区愚园路650号
Phone: 021-6252-5117

• Jia Jia Tang Bao (佳家汤包(黄河路店))

Address: 90 Huanghe Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市黄浦区黄河路90号(近凤阳路)
Phone: 021-6327-6878

• Nanxiang Mantou Dian (南翔馒头店)

Address: 85 Yuyuan Lu, west shore of teahouse lake, Yuyuan Garden, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市黄浦区豫园路85号
Phone: 021-6355-4206
Transportation: Subway Line 2 at Nanjing Dong Lu (1 mile away)

• Fu De Xiao Long (福德小笼)

Address: 862 Dong Yu Hang Lu, Hongkou District, Shanghai
Chinese Address: 上海市虹口区东余杭路862号(近海门路) 福德小笼