Top Reasons to Go to Shanghai

Skyline Views: Head to the top of the Shanghai World Financial Center, known to locals as the "bottle opener," the pagoda-inspired Jin Mao, or the gargantuan Shanghai Tower, and look straight into the clouds.

Modern Art: The far-flung Power Station of Art is a contemporary hub worth the trek down to the former World Expo site.

People-Watching: A strong sense of community and small living spaces push life out onto the street, where locals chit chat, play cards, exercise, ballroom dance, and stroll about.

Yu Garden: When not too crowded, the garden offers a few minutes of peace and beauty amid the clamor of the city, with rocks, trees, and walls curved to resemble dragons, bridges, and pavilions.

The Bund: This waterfront promenade is lined with regal colonial buildings in 52 architectural styles, and it looks much as it did during Shanghai’s Golden Age nearly a century ago.