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FIRE Fire represents the heat of summer. It's the most energetic element, associated with passion, joy, growth, and warmth in relationships. Bar Rouge Bar Rouge is not only the hottest nightclub in Shanghai, it's ranked among the world's top new bars. Its handblown Murano-glass chandeliers cast a crimson glow on the city's elite, who come for the bar's fire shows, its fantastic skyline views, and some of the best people-watching in town. Twins Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, two of the youngest chefs to earn three Michelin stars, opened Bar Rouge to complement their adjoining Sens & Bund, the first Relais & Châteaux restaurant in China. "There's a great energy you feel here in Shanghai," Jacques Pourcel says. "That energy makes you want to step up, go ahead, move ahead." 7/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, 011-8621-6339-1199, www.bund18.com. Guyi Ready for an alternative to Szechuan fare? The hot Hunanese cuisine at Guyi singes nose hairs and sets the standard for pepper power in Shanghai. Customers willingly wait for a table in order to feast on chile-laden hot pots and tender, smoky pork ribs, two highlights of the vast menu at this clean, value-priced venue. 87 Fumin Lu, 011-8621-6249-5628. Sunday Brunch Chalk it up to the free-flowing Champagne, but there's no warmer and more jovial gathering in Shanghai than the Sunday brunch at the Westin Shanghai. It feels like a family reunion. There's a supervised kids' corner, live entertainment, and a bottomless buffet with fresh seafood, Chinese and Western entrées, a vodka and caviar bar, and decadent desserts. 88 Henan Zhong Lu, 011-8621-6335-1888, www.westin.com/shanghai. Spin ceramic studio To drink your share of all the tea in China, snap up a chic tea set from Spin. This workshop puts a modern stylistic spin on centuries-old techniques from Jingdezhen, the capital of Chinese ceramics. Fired at 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit, the shop's signature teacups sport bold blue-and-red slashes that slice through the traditional celadon glaze. 758 Julu Lu, Bldg. No. 3, 011-8621-6279-2545. Yu Garden Bazaar With Xiangyang Market shutting its doors, the Yu Garden Bazaar is poised to become the city's next hot spot for legitimate and knockoff souvenirs. The Ming-styled marketplace and nearby Cang Bao Building have always been favorite stops for antiques, chopsticks, tea sets, and other traditional wares. But expect more whispers of "DVD? Bag? Watch?" and back-alley stashes of knockoffs as the displaced Xiangyang vendors find a new home. Find it all (and more) at the corner of Fuyou Lu and Jiujiachang Lu.
EARTH Earth symbolizes the late summer, a time of ease, well-being, abundance, and balance in all things.
Old House Inn Considered Shanghai's first B&B, this 1930s villa along a quiet lilong, or narrow lane, offers a comfy retreat from the bustle of the city. "Our guests get to see what life is like for the laobaixing (ordinary people of China)," says owner Vivian Dai. Since there are only 12 rooms - all simply furnished with wood floors and Ming-style furniture - Dai and her staff regard visitors as honored guests. 351 Huashan Lu, No. 16, 011-8621-624-6118, www.oldhouse.cn. People's Square The city's cultural center, People's Square, attracts Shanghai residents at all hours to participate in hobbies unchanged for generations: qigong in the morning, mah-jongg in the afternoon, kite flying in the evening. The square is bordered to the south by the Shanghai Museum, showcasing China's history, and to the north by the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, projecting the Shanghai of 2020. It's the past and future, timeless and timely, captured in one broad panorama. Renmin Dadao at Xizang Beilu. Xintiandi Chairman Mao would be seeing red. The site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party, where Mao launched the party in 1921, is now surrounded by Shanghai's capital of conspicuous consumption. Xintiandi, or "New Heaven on Earth," is the city's most popular upscale shopping and dining complex. Its restored shikumen (stone gate) buildings house nearly 100 tenants. (Sorry, Chairman; Mao suits aren't available.) 181 Taicang Lu, 011-8621-6311-2288, www.xintiandi.com. The Yongfoo Elite With a name that translates as "elegance" and "fortune," it's no wonder that stars and socialites favor this refined Shanghainese restaurant. The elegant 1930s villa, formerly the British consul's residence, boasts a stunning East-meets-West interior that mixes art deco antiques and Gucci couches with Chinese paintings and calligraphy. The sprawling pine- and magnolia-shaded grounds provide a degree of privacy lacking in Shanghai's other A-list venues. 200 Yongfu Lu, 011-8621-5466-2727, www.yongfooelite.com. Old China Hand Reading Room Photographer Deke Erh is known for his beautiful coffee-table books about Shanghai architecture. He provides the coffee, the tables, and books at this laid-back café/library/bookstore. Designed as a personal study, circa 1930, with soft jazz and shelves lined with volumes on China, this cozy corner easily beats gourmet-coffee chain stores hands-down on atmosphere and culture. 27 Shaoxing Lu, 011-8621-6473-2526.
Metal marks the autumn, when energy consolidates inward, yet metal's cutting properties symbolize clarity, direction, and goals.
Lilli's Shanghai "Shanghai is full of opportunities," says Lilli Makinson, whose eponymous shop evolved from a linens business into one of Shanghai's swankiest jewelry boutiques. Designer Tony Cui is a master at precious metals, turning out gold, silver, and platinum pieces paired with gems and power stones or stamped with Chinese symbols for fortune and longevity - both of which this shop has enjoyed. Suite 1D, Maosheng Mansion, 1051 Xinzha Lu, 011-8621-6215-5031, www.asia-pakowa.com. Oriental Pearl TV Tower From its pad in Pudong (the eastern side of the Huangpu River), the rocketlike Oriental Pearl TV Tower looks poised for takeoff. Most tourists come for a skyline view from one of the three glittering metal-and-glass observation decks. But the Shanghai Municipal History Museum at the base of the tower is also worth a stop for its look back at the city's complex and storied history. 1 Shiji Dadao, Pudong, 011-8621-5879-1888. Shintori Null II The industrial-chic dining room of this Japanese restaurant draws frequent comparisons to the film Blade Runner. A gleaming stainless steel open kitchen lies center stage, while Ginsus fly at the sushi bars flanking the airplane-hangar-size room. The pan-Asian menu is representative of the fusion fetish among Shanghai's restaurants; Peking duck rolls served Vietnamese style vie with nigiri sushi and foie gras. 803 Julu Lu, 011-8621-5404-5252. Grand Hyatt Shanghai The 88-story Jin Mao Tower, China's tallest skyscraper, is a shimmering glass-and-steel exclamation point on the Pudong skyline. Symbolic of Shanghai's push ever farther, ever higher, the futuristic tower is home to the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, the highest hotel in the world. The 56th floor is a conduit for international commerce, as executives wine and dine over steaks at the Grill and close deals over drinks in the Patio Lounge, which provides a vertiginous view through the hotel's 33-story atrium. Jin Mao Dasha, 88 Shiji Dadao, Pudong, 011-8621-5049-1234, www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com. Fabrique Along with its sister properties in Paris and Tokyo, Shanghai's Fabrique is a prime stop on the international DJ circuit. The chrome-and-aluminum bar and decor reflect the neon and video projections at play on the dance floor, as well as the stunning silhouettes of the models and media moguls sipping Shanghaitinis. 8 Jian Guo Zhong Lu, 011-8621-6415-0700, www.fabrique.com.cn.
WATER Water embodies winter, a season of stillness and rest. Yet it's a highly concentrated element, full of great potential and energy awaiting release.
Three On the Bund This watershed development resurrected the reputation of the Bund, or waterfront, as the milieu for the moneyed set. With Armani's flagship China store, the Evian Spa, and restaurants by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, David Laris, and Jereme Leung, this dining and shopping destination has become Shanghai's premier address and boasts enough star power to equal the lights illuminating the mile-long Bund. 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, 011-8621-6323-3355, www.threeonthebund.com. Evian Spa Shanghai is a city that works hard and plays hard. It's no surprise, then, that its spa scene has blossomed in recent years. Evian Spa sets the standard for sybaritic bliss, with a Zen-garden-like atrium and supple white leather Eames chairs in the relaxation room. The minimalist white-and-glass palette of the 14 treatment rooms symbolizes the purity of Evian water, which is used in the spa's teas and several treatments. 2/F, 3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, 011-8621-6321-6622, www.threeonthebund.com. Propaganda Poster Art Center Propaganda posters spread party-line messages to the masses from the 1950s through the '70s. Millions of posters were printed, but scant hundreds exist today. Yang Pei Ming has made it his personal mission to preserve these posters before their artistic and historic lessons are lost to posterity. His personal collection of 3,000 provides the basis for the Art Center, the only propaganda-poster museum in China. 868 Huashan Lu, Room BOC, 011-8621-6211-1845. Pudong Shangri-La The Pudong Shangri-La's new tower has cemented this riverside property's popularity with business travelers. Spacious rooms have oversize desks with broadband and fax machines and unparalleled Bund views. The Adam Tihany-designed Jade on 36 Restaurant & Bar pushes the culinary creative envelope, while Yi Café offers an extraordinary daily buffet. The Chi Spa's 11 suites are sinfully indulgent, with huge soaking tubs and treatments drawing upon the five elements of qi. 33 Fu Cheng Lu, Pudong, 011-8621-6882-8888, www.shangri-la.com. Wang Bao He Shanghai's culinary delicacy is hairy crab, served in all its glory at Wang Bao He. The restaurant, dating to 1744, is Old Shanghai, its decor all wood with red accents. But the big wheels who keep New Shanghai turning fill the private dining rooms, toasting deals over the restaurant's 50-odd crab dishes and potent Shaoxing wine. 603 Fuzhou Lu, 011-8621-6322-3673.
WOOD Wood represents spring fever, a fertile time of heightened creativity, vigor, and expression.
239 Ebullient Peruvian restaurateur Eduardo Vargas enjoys a devoted following rivaling that of Shanghai's celebrity chefs. After winning international praise for his tapas bar, Azul, Vargas followed up with 239, which serves modern cuisine family style. "I partner with first-class chefs who are as passionate about food as I am," Vargas says. The partnerships work; 239's tables are booked solid with patrons sampling seafood pot stickers, pumpkin tortellini, and the irresistible chocolate lava flow cake. 239 Shimen Yilu, 011-8621-6253-2837, www.239shanghai.com. Taikang Lu This former factory district has evolved into the Soho of Shanghai. Studios, boutiques, cafés, and galleries line the rambling lanes and sell handicrafts as diverse as Tibetan silver jewelry, Danish fashion designs, and intricate embroidery from China's Miao minority. Lane 210, Taikang Lu. Hu & Hu Antiques Marybelle Hu worked at Sotheby's in Los Angeles and Taipei's National Palace Museum before partnering with her sister-in-law, Lin, on their wildly successful furniture showroom in Shanghai. Their high-quality wooden pieces - altar tables transformed into computer desks, wedding cabinets turned into entertainment centers - reflect China's ancient culture yet are designed for the here and now. 1885 Cao Bao Lu No. 8, 011-8621-3431-1212, www.hu-hu.com. 88 Xintiandi Shanghai's first boutique hotel, 88 Xintiandi has capitalized on its trendy address and carved a niche among business travelers. The 53 stylish suites all have kitchens, broadband access, and subdued wood decor. Guests have access to Alexander City Club's extensive gym as well as the members-only Club by the Lake, perfect for business dinners before hitting Xintiandi's bars for a nightcap. 380 Huangpi Nanlu, 011-8621-5383-8833, www.88xintiandi.com. Suzhou Creek Art District The burgeoning modern art scene along Suzhou Creek reflects Shanghai's remarkable transformation as vividly as the city's skyscrapers. Studios such as ArtScene Warehouse and ShanghART Gallery specialize in contemporary artists whose works celebrate a freedom of expression their predecessors could only imagine. 50 Moganshan Road, Building No. 4, 2/F, 011-8621-6277-2499, www.artscenewarehouse.com, 011-8621-6359-3923, www.shanghartgallery.com.