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Explore China

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Vast and varied, China is a unique and beautiful country. It is also one of mystery. While it is home to 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beyond the largest cities and major tourist destinations, little information is available to the traveler in English. Explore China will change that, offering detailed information on historical sites, scenic nature spots and culinary highlights, as well as information on transportation links and recommendations on places to stay. As well as a print guide, all the information will be available on Thatsmags.com and on the That’s App, making it up-to-date and at travelers fingertips.
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Home to more than 24 million people and numerous futuristic skyscrapers, Shanghai is China’s largest metropolis and one of the most influential global financial centers of the 21st century.
Sitting at the opening of the Yangtze River along the eastern coast of China, Shanghai’s strategic location has made it one of the country’s most important hubs for foreign trade since the 1800s. With more than 200,000 expats living in the city today, Shanghai has been home to foreigners from the West since the end of the First Opium War. Signings of several treaties – the most prominent being the Treaty of Nanking and the Treaty of Whampoa (in 1842 and 1844, respectively) – allowed the Brits, French and Americans to carve out ‘concessions’ outside of the walled city of Shanghai.
During the late 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai was considered the most prosperous city of East Asia and one of the leading financial hubs of the region. Its economic influence, however, declined over the next few decades as a result of the Japanese invasion and the Chinese Communist Revolution. It wasn’t until Deng Xiaoping’s introduction of economic reforms near the end of the 20th century that led to the city’s rapid redevelopment and the return of foreign investment, as well as its rising prominence on the global stage.
One of the fastest-growing cities in the world since the 1990s, Shanghai’s modern Pudong skyline is marked with three of China’s tallest buildings – the Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center and Shanghai Tower – together with the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower. All of these are juxtaposed with Art Deco- and neoclassical-style buildings along the Bund on the west side of the Huangpu River and in the former French Concession area. In addition to its economic triumphs in recent years, Shanghai also has an increasingly vibrant arts and culture scene. With dozens of art galleries and museums dotting the city, travelers can spend hours strolling through exhibitions at places like Power Station of Art or Long Museum along West Bund, or take in the beauty of traditional Chinese art forms at the Shanghai Museum right in the heart of the city.
With its rich history and unique geographical location, Shanghai’s traditional cuisine is influenced by the neighboring provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu – generally characterized by thick, dark sauces and a preference for sweet flavors even in savory dishes. The city’s status in the global F&B scene has been on the rise in recent years, partly thanks to the launch of the Shanghai edition of Michelin Guide 2017. One can easily find a plethora of cuisines – both domestic and international – served next to one another in the city’s many shopping and entertainment complexes.
Here are our top recommendations for the top spots in the city for sightseeing, our favorite local dishes, and some of Shanghai's best hotels. EAST Explore CHINA | shanghai



Preface

China is the most populous country in the world and the third largest by total area. Having lived here for the past eight years, my list of places that I would like to visit just keeps growing.
What I loved about putting together Explore China is that it allowed our team of well-traveled editors based in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen to pull together our knowledge about all the cities that we’ve visited to create this comprehensive guide.
In addition to highlighting places that you must visit or activities to partake in, local delicacies to savor and hotels to stay in, we’ve also utilized our network of local experts, including writers, artists, bloggers and travel service providers. They’ve given us some insider’s tips on uncovering some hidden gems that most tourists wouldn’t know about.
As such, Explore China isn’t just all about hitting the most popular and hottest tourist spots in town. It's also a guide on how to explore these places through the eyes of experienced travelers and locals.
Happy travels!
Dominic Ngai
Editor-in-Chief

Explore China
$33.86