Luxury Travel to Shanghai

The cosmopolitan nature of this ex-French concession; its fashionable women, glittering social scene and chic restaurants has always epitomised the best in Chinese design and culture for the rest of the world. Labeled the 'Paris of the East', this city has always been popular as a stopover and/or a destination unto itself by foreigners eager to sample the legendary, old-world glamour of Shanghai as well as to witness China's flirtations with full-blown capitalism. The duality that is Shanghai might be best summed up by the bifurcation created by the Huangpu River; unwittingly demarcating the older west-bank town of Puxi and the arriviste confidence of the Pudong development.

As much at the forefront of modernization and foreign influence then as it is now, the district of Xintiandi- a microcosm of Shanghai's emerging entertainment scene, has been at the centre of a debate criticizing the development as a Disneyfication of Shanghai's cultural heritage.

International standard eateries are readily available. Choose one night to have dinner at the three Michelin-starred Jean Georges or experience the novelty of eating in pitch black circumstances to simulate the experience of the blind waiters serving diners.

Based at the exquisitely multi-hyphenated URBN Hotel Shanghai (boutique, design and carbon friendly)discuss the Xintiandi development with an opinionated guide and then take a tour of the best of Chinese contemporary art. Visit the museums and private galleries showcasing  contemporary art (Shanghai being the virtual creative capital of China is where all artists and creatives have instinctively flocked to). Given the speculative, red-hot interest in Chinese contemporary art, you might just be snagging your next best investment in Shanghai!