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GT Travel Awards 2008: Hottest city

Shanghai
Not since the Opium Wars has Shanghai created such a stir on the world stage. Freed from the stifling cloak of communism, the city has risen again to become the shining prototype of Eastern enterprise and a symbol of new China’s wealth and power. Home to 20 million people, Shanghai combines the shock of the new with glimpses of the old; Pudong’s bold contemporary skyline is a dramatic counterpoint to the remnant Shikumen architecture of traditional neighbourhoods, the enduring elegance of the Bund, and the graceful façades of the French Concession, home to some very hip eateries. Having reclaimed the mantle as China’s economic and commercial centre, this one-time ‘Paris of the East’ has also re-established a vibrant cultural scene with restaurants and nightlife to rival any of the world’s great cities. While all eyes are still firmly on Beijing this year, expect the international gaze to settle on Shanghai in 2010 when it hosts the World Expo.

PHOTOGRAPH CNTO