Hemispheres Magazine

A taste of the nightlifeDAY THREE Occupying the top floors of the Shanghai World Financial Center, The Park Hyatt in Pudong is the highest hotel in the world. So you opt to start the day there, for a little perspective on Shanghai’s architectural madness. You sip coffee at the infinity pool on the 85th floor and prepare for a walk down Taikang Road Art Street 1. Don’t let the wet laundry hanging from bamboo rods and stray dogs throw you off: This neighborhood is home to a thriving art scene in the process of going global.

The warren of trendy galleries and boho cafes is nearly hidden, but you seek out the alley numbered 210, where collectors and gallerists gather. Here you’ll find Deke Erh Art Center, run by renowned local author and photographer Deke Erh. His collection runs from sublime Tibetan-themed oil paintings to still-wet watercolors by local art idols. The galleries wind around the alleys of Taikang and eventually overwhelm you.

A taxi homeYou take a seat and get your bearings at a new arrival called Shanghai Cupcake 2, a sugar-dappled bakery and cafe that serves the best cupcakes in town—and perhaps all of China. Have a tea, but save the cupcake for later. Lunch comes first.

Yang’s Fry-Dumpling 3, on nearby Wujiang Lu, is a simple but sensational dumpling joint. If you arrive during the lunch rush (between noon and two), prepare for a worthwhile wait. The perfectly fried dumplings are filled with intensely flavorful pork doused with a tincture of vinegar and sprinkled with sesame seeds. There are rumors that Yang’s may fall victim to development, but hopefully they’re just rumors. This is a true Shanghai gem.

The city basking in the
sunlightAfterward, you eat the cupcake on the way to the wildly popular Fuxing Park 4, modeled after a Parisian city park, with wide promenades, banks of plane trees and manicured flower beds. This afternoon, bridal couples pose for their official photos, women sing opera accompanied by flutes, tai chi practitioners slowly practice their moves, and couples dance to waltzes on tape. In the corner, in a surprisingly rare public nod to Communism, severe statues of Marx and Engels survey the action.

For your last night, return to the Bund and have an exquisite Chinese-French dinner at M on the Bund 5, the swank restaurant that announced Shanghai’s entrance to the global dining scene 10 years ago. The artichokes and crispy suckling pig make a strong case for continued Franco-Chino relations. Afterward, you amble to the silvery Glamour Bar next door to mingle with the international crowd. They toast one another and their good fortune. As the money and champagne flow, it seems like old times.

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