Shanghai Five Star Hotels

Situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai is the largest and most densely populated city in East China. It combines a unique combination of both modern and traditional features, which serve to make it a very popular tourist destination. There is a vast amount for visitors to enjoy including modern architecture, museums, temples, elaborate ornamental gardens and historic towers. Places to stay are readily available throughout the city and vary from budget hostels through to incredibly luxurious Shanghai five star hotels which offer every facility even the most discerning guest could want.

Sometimes known as the 'Paris of the East', Shanghai is equally vibrant, cosmopolitan and multi cultural. It is recognized as one of the most important commercial, financial, cultural and industrial centers of modern China. It also boasts the busiest and largest cargo port in the world, having achieved and maintained this status since 2005. The three largest industries are retail, property and financial services, closely followed by agriculture and manufacturing. The city has a continuing policy of regeneration, improvement and development, which includes the current creation of a Disneyworld resort expected to open in 2016.

Shanghai is divided into two sections, Pudong and Puxi, separated by the Huanpu River. Pudong is the new development zone lying to the east of the river; Puxi is the old area lying to the west of it. The two are joined by the Nanpu Bridge Interchange which is part of the Shanghai gyratory road system. The bridge is a beautiful and incredibly complex piece of engineering in its own right which needs to be seen to be believed. Both sides of the river offer a diverse range of things to see and do, depending only upon whether modern or traditional is preferred.

Some of the most stunning modern architecture is to be found in the Pudong district, home to some of the richest businesses in the world. As well as realms of incredible skyscrapers, all beautifully lit at night, one of the best known buildings is the Oriental Pearl Tower, which is actually a television tower and has featured (and been destroyed!) in several major films. Whilst most of the buildings in this district house businesses, some provide permanent living quarters in the form of sumptuous apartments. Others have become havens for wealthy business visitors in the form of Shanghai five star hotels, which offer not only unbelievable luxury, but also world class cuisine and excellent business facilities such as fully equipped and serviced boardrooms.

On the other side of the coin are the completely unique Shanghainese 'shikumen' residences. The name 'shikumen' literally translates as 'stone storage door'. These are two or three story townhouses connected and built in straight alleys known as 'longdang', the entrance to which is via a stylistic stone archway. The distinguishing feature is that each residence has its front yard protected by a high brick or stone wall, thus providing a strong gateway to each individual property. The whole area has been the subject of major regeneration, which started in the 1990s. Many of the properties are occupied by some of Shanghai's elite residents whilst others have been transformed into traditional-style Shanghai five star hotels.

Shanghai covers a very large area and attractions can be some distance apart. However, travel within the city itself can be easily (and cheaply) achieved by making use of the extensive bus system, which is the largest in the world. There are a total of 1424 separate services operating 24 hours per day, every day of the year. Each bus has an on-board TV set and a voice system which announces each stop and details any attractions that are close by. The most visited places are 'The Bund', a famous colonial waterfront at the heart of the city, the Shanghai Museum, which houses in excess of 120,000 artifacts, Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road), the city's world famous shopping street and the peaceful 16th century Yu Yuan Garden with its many pavilions and rockeries.

Shanghai is a city which has many unique and exciting features, both modern and traditional. Visitors often comment that it is impossible to describe the sights in words and even photographs do not do them justice - seeing it first hand is certainly the ideal option.

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