BLACKBOOK china now
BLACKBOOK china now SHANGHAI SUITE LIFE With its 28 storeys, 357 rooms and swish location surrounded by designer boutiques right off Huaihai Road, The Langham Xintiandi has cemented itself as a landmark in Shanghai’s ever-growing upscale hospitality scene, not least since the unveiling of an ambitious 23-suite renovation project late last year. Among the nearly two dozen dwellings benefitting from this once-over is the top-floor Chairman Suite: a generous 345sq m bi-level space awash in earth tones, supple fabrics rich leathers, and anchored by a sleek bamboo atrium – the entire rarefied space is enhanced by double-height windows with stunning cityscapes. The ground floor features a commodious lounge and au courant dining room accompanied by the latest Bang & Olufsen mod cons and artworks, including a 2.5 x 2.5m painting by feted Chinese artist Feng Xiao Ming, while the upper level, which houses the bedroom and a spacious bathroom, also boasts an outdoor terrace, complete with jacuzzi and daybed, from where guests can raise a toast to the technicolor light show outside and the insomniac city below. xintiandi.langhamhotels.com THE NEW BULLET TRAIN... AT 299 KILOMETRES PER HOUR T he world’s largest network of high-speed railway lines is well under way in China. The government is determined to connect much of the country by rail in a project that has already cost upward of US0 billion. In July a high-speed railway line opened between the eastern Chinese cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo, trimming the two-hour journey to just 35 minutes. This 150km stretch is dwarfed by the approximately 2,300km Beijing-Guangzhou route, currently the longest high-speed rail line in the world. Service began in December last year and cut a 21-hour journey down to just eight hours. China has developed four train models to operate on these new lines and is claiming ownership (after earlier technology transfers) of the aerodynamic designs and advanced braking and traction motor capabilities that allow these bullet trains to cruise at speeds of 380 kilometres per hour and to regenerate much of their electricity use. The sleek aluminium-alloy trains have been tested at a world-record speed of 486 kilometres per hour. But after a fatal accident near the Chinese city of Wenzhou in July 2011, which resulted in 40 deaths, speeds were reduced across the system, with most lines now operating at about 299 kilometres per hour. By 2015, expect more than 18,001 kilometres of high-speed rail line, stretching to the northwest city of Ürümqi. Tickets start at US0 for Beijing- Guangzhou; travelguidechina.com KIT GILLET Shenyang Beijing Qinhuangdao Shijiazhuang Tianjin Taiyuan Jinan Zhenghzou Qingdao Xi’an C H I N A Nanjing Wuhan Shanghai Hangzhou Ningbo Changsha Guangzhou Haikou Qionghai Fuzhou Xiamen FROM TOP: © THE LANGHAM HOTELS AND RESORTS (2), ZHOU GUOQIANG/CORBIS; MAP: STEVE STANKIEWICZ 34 departures-international.com CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
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