LUXURY

24 Hours in:
Shanghai
If you love bustling, vibrant cities with a dash of exoticism, you’ll love Shanghai.
Philip Tetley-Jones touched down for a look.
7.15am. Returning from a midsummer jaunt around Europe, I’ve
postponed my return to the everyday by booking a stopover in
China’s commercial capital. I have heard great things about the
rejuvenation of Shanghai so it’s time I checked it out. The airport is
certainly big, modern and very efficient. There are two options for
my trip to the city centre – taxi or monorail. No need to overthink
this one.
7.50am. The train uses maglev technology. That stands for magnetic
levitation, but it feels more like magic. An electromagnetic system
means the entire train hovers a couple of centimetres above the
track and is propelled along the raised monorail route at the speed
of an F1 car - it reaches 430 km an hour and we cover the 30 km
to Longyang Road station in eight minutes.
8.40am. I check into the Fairmont Peace Hotel in the legendary
Bund district on the south bank of the Huangpu River. It’s an
absolutely prime location with Art Deco mansions and commercial
buildings preserved from the pre-Communist era. Just to remind
us that we’re not back in the 1930s, the view across the river to
Pudong includes an icon of modern China – the Oriental Pearl
TV Tower.
Old and new meet in the Fairmont, to stunning effect. It’s a place
of early 20th century opulence, with Art Deco fittings and original
Lalique to catch the eye. Built in 1929, it has just re-opened after
a three-year renovation.
11.35am. After freshening up in the most lavish hotel suite I’ve
seen in a long time, it’s time to start exploring the city. A short
walk takes me to Nanjing Road – the 5.5 kilometre retail spine of
Shanghai. There are 600 shops here, so if you want anything from
a bottle of water to a Porsche, this is the place to go.
3.34pm. Nanjing Road, with its Singapore on steroids vibe, is
pretty energising, but I’m ready for a taste of heritage now.
Yuyuan garden in the centre of the old city is a place of tranquil
vistas, rockeries, pavilions and ponds. Yuyuan was established in
1559 and declared a national monument in the 1980s. Always
popular with modern day visitors, its immaculate setting proclaims
the timeless values of Chinese artists.
7.30pm. Where to dine? It’s a tricky question, because Shanghai
spoils you for choice. Do I try the spicy dumplings the region is
renowned for? Or check out the chic international restaurants on
the Bund. The ever-helpful staff at the Fairmont Peace Hotel steer
me to Fu 1088, a restored colonial mansion that serves excellent
Shanghainese cuisine in private dining rooms. This is the place to
meet friends and relax over delicacies such as tea-smoked duck
eggs and rich, red-braised pork belly served on bamboo shoots
in a black clay pot. Delightfully decadent but somehow not
overpowering – a bit like Shanghai itself.
38 Your ultimate luxury and corporate travel resource. Your ultimate luxury and corporate travel resource. 39