SOCIETY TRAVELISTAS’ LITTLE BLACK BOOK: THE BEAUTIFUL BUND
Everyone’s talking about China these days—we find ourselves scrutinising the way it’s growing, and the way it’s reaching out and reshaping the world. What’s less discussed, however, is how the rest of the world is exploring this rising behemoth. For decades, China was a mystery, enmeshed in seismic internal upheavals, closed off to almost all outsiders. Then, it opened up. Today, it’s a place of business for Singapore-based entrepreneurs such as TWG Tea’s Taha Bouqdib and Fort Sanctuary’s Daphne Lau; a former place of study for Lydia Lim and Lam Tze Tze,
Society’s most intrepid travellers tell Hong Xinyi their favourite experiences in this much discussed, but still fairly undiscovered country
who attended university in Shanghai and Beijing, respectively; and a place tied to personal memories for June Rin and Rebecca Eu, whose families have commercial and personal links to the country. June, in particular, knows first-hand how China has changed. “I backpacked through the country with some friends in the 1980s. I learned a lot in just three weeks, and became much more street-smart,” she shares. “Since then, every decade has seen it change by leaps and bounds.” Our Singapore Tatler insiders share their tips on how to navigate the vast and varied pleasures of China.
Shanghai’s waterfront is iconic for a reason —lined with beautiful heritage buildings on one river bank and soaring skyscrapers on the other, it’s a visual crystallisation of China’s past and present in one sweeping view, and even frequent visitors to the city remain in awe with its beauty. “Whenever my wife Maranda and I are in Shanghai, one of our favourite things to do is to take a walk along the Bund. It might sound cliched, but it’s such a beautiful place to experience the energy of the city, especially in the spring,” says Taha. For a glamorous night on the town, he suggests M1NT, a club whose luxurious decor includes an entrance lined with shark tanks. Lydia Lim pinpoints the Bund18 building (Wai Tan Shi Ba Hao in Mandarin) as her favourite place of the neighbourhood: “Here, there’s Bar Rouge for drinks, French restaurant Mr & Mrs Bund for food, The Peninsula Shanghai down the street for awesome burgers, or the Waldorf Astoria
Shanghai on the Bund for afternoon tea.” Indeed, there is no shortage of top-notch hotels in this area—taha loves the Ritz Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, while Rebecca Eu is fond of the great view from Grand Hyatt Shanghai’s rooftop bar. Gourmet cuisine is also plentiful. Lam Tze Tze’s favourites include Salon de Thé and La Boutique de Joël Robuchon
for pastries and Hakkasan Shanghai for Cantonese favourites. Rebecca recommends The Cool Docks, a south Bund neighbourhood that’s perfect for a leisurely afternoon of cafe hopping. “There are lots of good restaurants in the area, and it’s very quiet, romantic and chill,” she says. “It’s fun to explore whether you’re travelling alone or with a big group.”