Shanghai is surprisingly new, exhilarating and dynamic.

For the second city of the world’s oldest surviving ancient civilisation, Shanghai is surprisingly new, exhilarating and dynamic. Literally above the Sea, Shanghai is a port city on the Huangpu River, where the Yangtze River empties into the East China Sea.

Travel to Shanghai today, the Yu Gardens in Shanghai’s Old Town is all that remains of the city’s pre-colonial past. Colonialism is visible in the period architecture of the former French Concession, as well as the grand old buildings along the river-front Bund and dotted around Peoples Square. Across the river from the original settlement of Puxi is Shanghais future, the Pudong New Area, with its emblematic Orient Pearl Tower, soaring modern art-deco JinMao Tower and, topping the lot, finished in 2008, the 101-floor World Financial Centre, featuring a new Park Hyatt hotel.

Easily China’s richest city, Shanghai is now a blueprint for the country, a metropolis, one that developing cities across the country seek enviously to emulate - replete with hundreds of futuristic skyscrapers, European style city scapes, restaurants, bars, hotels and levels of urban affluence, brand awareness and shopping savvy that compete with rival Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.

When to travel to Shanghai

While Shanghai is a year-round destination, summer is peak travel season, although temperatures can reach 90°F and humidity is high. Best time to travel is late spring or early autumn when the weather is warm and humidity is low.

Advisor tips for Shanghai

Hotels

The Westin Shanghai
Located on the Bund overlooking theYellow River and the right bank toward Pudong. Favourite of both business and tourist travellers visiting Shanghai. It is a striking building. – John