| WHY GO |
| Shanghai is hipper than Hong Kong and more alluring than Beijing. After forty years of stagnation, the city dubbed the Pearl of the Orient and the Paris of the east is undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions the world has seen - the pace of growth is electrifying. In this capitalist mecca it is easy to forget the city's communist past, although an after-dinner stroll round Xintiandi (a new pedestrianised quarter which at night becomes a street party), serves as a surprising reminder when you see the site of the Communist Party's first Congress next to Starbucks. With decadent new bars, the stately colonial building Three on the Bund which houses Armani's flagship store in China, three exclusive restaurants, an art gallery and a spa, the city seems set to recapture its position as East Asia's most thrilling metropolis. |
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