Shanghai is contrast. Stand on the grand riverfront promenade called the Bund and face China’s future in a jungle of skyscrapers on one side, and Western-built trading houses and banks on the other. China’s biggest, flashiest and most fashionable city has the world’s first magnetic-levitation train and the country’s tallest tower, but also a quaint teahouse reached by a zigzag bridge. Find European mansions and storybook cottages on tree-shaded streets in the French Concession district, a vibrant arts scene in former warehouses and factories, and stylish cocktail and jazz bars. Once nicknamed the Paris of the Orient, Shanghai is unique in China. You’ll find a surprise around every corner.
