No more Chinese whispers

The roar of Shanghai’s economy is getting louder every year. Ian Henderson reports for PrivatAir magazine from a quiet breakfast table at the city’s PuLi hotel.

Reading the China Daily over breakfast in Shanghai’s supercool PuLi hotel (maybe the best eggs benedict I’ve ever had, incidentally), it’s hard not to feel you’re close to the epicenter of the world’s economic powerhouse.

Beyond the heavy doors and green spaces surrounding this island of calm, a vast metropolis is gearing up to yet another frenetic day. In the paper, alongside the usual triumphs and disasters, I read about the unveiling of China’s first large commercial airliner, the C919; Tiangong-1, a new Chinese space lab; and the government’s relaxation of tightly regulated airspace for private aircraft.

Even before these new rules were announced, the number of private jets registered in China was forecast to double in the next five years. The economy is soon expected to be the world’s biggest – a position it has held in every century except the last one - and the Hurun Wealth Report suggests the number of China’s home-grown billionaires is growing fast. So the timing is good for a new government-backed business terminal at Hongqiao airport which is hosting SIBAS, a major event to promote private aviation in China, as part of the 2011 Shanghai Air Show in April.

The city of Shanghai is fabled in the rest of the world thanks to its history as a financial centre and free port - and it’s just as affluent, exciting and cosmopolitan as it’s ever been. Head into town from the airport along the new expressways and, if you can, aim to arrive at dusk; crossing the Huangpu river with the elegant buildings of the Bund on one side and the neon-lit extravaganza of modern architecture on the Pudong side is to feel the excitement which for centuries has drawn travellers from all over the world.

You’ll find some of the world’s best hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants and shops in this dazzling city. Don’t expect too much in the way of tradition, though. The story of Shanghai is one of the past being constantly bulldozed to make way for the new; even the iconic art deco buildings that line the Bund are being remodeled and reinvented. There’s the old Waldorf, favoured by European expats since 1911 which has been lovingly restored (though you no longer need to secure the votes of five members to buy a drink); the art deco Peace Hotel, also just renovated (although the ancient jazz band is still in post); the Peninsula, its entrance lined with shrines to the new retail gods of Prada and Patek Philippe. Across the river tower the Oriental Pearl Tower and the World Financial Centre, one of the world’s tallest buildings where you can enjoy wagyu beef in the Park Hyatt’s restaurant, or brave the glass floors of the observation deck above. (For a truly bizarre experience, try taking a silver pod through the Sightseeing Tunnel back from Pudong under the river to the Bund. If you like tacky lightshows, inflatable figures and baffling sound effects you won’t be disappointed.)

Here and there you can still find traces of the old Shanghai, in the tree-lined streets of the French Concession where a few of the old mansions survive (today’s Shanghai movers and shakers prefer modern high-rise) or the lanes of Tianzifang where what were once small factories have been turned into a mecca for upcoming clothing, jewellery and interior designers. You might want to seek out the tiny Café Dan there – a former semiconductor engineer, Dan now applies his considerable intellect and idiosyncratic machinery to the search for perfect coffee. Not far away there’s the new URBN carbon-neutral boutique hotel and the new PuLi, our base in Shanghai. The first standalone venture by Urban Resort Concepts and managed by Martijn van der Valk, this is perhaps the ideal city hotel; tucked away from the bustling streets and overlooking Jing’An park (one of Shanghai’s few green spaces) it has a relaxed yet highly sophisticated feel that is at once apart from yet very much part of the city.

The 209 rooms at the PuLi feature pale silk panels and grey Shanghai bricks, dark wood floors and white stone walls. Smart design is everywhere, from the immaculate lighting to thoughtful touches like universal electrical sockets and automatic blackouts and blinds. Stay in the Club suites and you get your own personal GuanJia (butler), who will look after every detail of your stay. Downstairs, the lobby is stylish but welcoming – a long bar backed by windows giving onto the park doubles as front desk, bar and meeting area, while there is a library tucked away for more discreet conversation. The same smooth design follows through to the superb pool and spa area (the house speciality is massage using different Chinese teas) and the Jing’An restaurant where chef Dane Clouston is fast winning a reputation among the best in the city. The beef cheek is just perfect.

The PuLi isn’t far from the main business district (and let’s be realistic – this is a city where people mostly come to do business) but also the Bund, the chic shops of Shaanxi Road and the French Concession. You can get to most of them on a foot with a bit of determination, but it’s a big city and taxis are cheap. Head for the just-rebuilt Xintiandi area for groovy shopping (don’t miss Shanghai Tang, of course) and around Yu Gardens (where if you look very hard you’ll find the original bridge scene depicted on traditional Willow Pattern china plates) for fake Rolexes and Vuitton bags. As a break from retail, you might stop at Din Tai Fung for the most amazing xaiolongbao (steamed dumplings) in the world - the street food of heaven. Then in the afternoon look out for one of the increasing number of international events hosted by Shanghai, like last year’s hugely successful Expo or the Biennale art show.

Back to the PuLi for a breather, maybe a few leisurely lengths of the pool, a visit to the spa or a soak in your bathtub watching the city turn from day to night – the cars streaming past on the expressways, the giant TV screens coming to life, the extraordinary architecture of which neon seems the one indispensable component. Then the evening begins; maybe with a martini in the Waldorf’s Long Bar, picking up on the decadence and intrigue of the city’s past. Then dinner at Mesa, Shanghai Tang Café or one of the city’s exclusive members clubs like the gorgeous Kee Club. Housed in a pair of antique villas in the French Concession faithfully restored by Alfred Dunhill, the setting and staff are perfectly pitched to make you feel at home, if you happen to be a Thirties grandee. (As well as a superb restaurant, there’s even a gent’s outfitters where you can order a suit tailored in England and one of the world’s most exclusive watch shops where you might find the perfect Vacheron Constantin to go with it). Afterwards, on to a bar like Glamour (join the erspatz set in Twenties outfits learning the Charleston), Rouge at 18 Bund or the more discreet Constellation 3 near the Grand Theatre.

You won’t get far counting threads in the PuLi’s delicious sheets before falling asleep at the end of the evening and after a couple of days you might find the pace of life in Shanghai a little too much. Help is at hand – just get on the new high speed train from Hongqaio station. To Shanghai as Kyoto is to Tokyo, Hangzhou’s temples, lake, forests and mountains are seen by many Chinese as part of the country’s essence. The train covers the 200km or so in just forty minutes (by car it takes four hours), the first class seats are comfortable (costing just £13 for the journey) and there’s even a VIP carriage at the front of the train where gold cushions and the red shoulder flashes of senior Party officials can be glimpsed through the windows. (You may have to pull a few strings to get a seat.)

Since you’re going to Hangzhou to get away from the bustle of Shanghai (Hangzhou is still a big city), try the new Aman; set above the city among bamboo forests and tea plantations, it’s right next to the famous Longyin temple dating from 378 and its 307 stone Buddhas carved into the mountainside. Called Amanfayun, the resort is a complete village abandoned by farmers a decade ago which has been lovingly rebuilt using the original mud and stone walls and timber frontages. Each room is different, being one of the old houses, but shares the Aman ethos of no TV (unless you ask for it), subtle scents of wood and rushes, subdued lighting and spare, elegant furniture in bare elm wood. Of course the modern world hasn’t been entirely forgotten (there’s underfloor heating for chilly evenings, wifi and a decent sound system). But sitting on the front step of my temporary home with a tiny porcelain cup of green tea grown a few hundred yards away, enchanted by birdsong, made my city self seem like an insanely frantic mad person.

That person wouldn’t have the time to walk up a mountain before dawn to join orange-clad monks in their chanting – an experience so visceral that one of my companions had to be carried from the incense-wreathed temple. My city self would grow impatient with the crowds of Chinese strolling in the sunshine along the causeway over the West Lake (it’s the most popular destination for Chinese tourists). That person wouldn’t visit the tea-makers of the mountain villages, be taught calligraphy in the Amanfayun library or linger over perfect dimsum (the dauntingly-named hairy crab lives up to its reputation as a gourmet delicacy) in the Steam Room. But time seems more generous here – spending a couple of days at Amanfayun seems like a week’s respite.

Hangzhou was described as the world’s most beautiful city by Marco Polo centuries ago; it now has its complement of skyscrapers, malls and streets selling the usual souvenirs, but if you want a peek into the soul of China is still comes close. Best of all, the fast train from Hangzhou takes you straight back to Hongqaio station, its vast futuristic hall only a stone’s throw from the airport’s business terminal where your jet is warming up. So you’ve done the deal, done the city and done your chakras a favour at the Amanfayun spa – and you can get straight back on board and head to your next port of call. Knowing that tomorrow Shanghai will be roaring ahead again, whether you’re there or not.

ESSENTIALS

The PuLi Hotel and Spa in Shanghai costs from RMB 3,880 (£373.28) per room per night bed and breakfast based on two people sharing. Call +86 21 3203 9999 for reservations or see www.thepuli.com. Rooms at the Amanfayun Resort in Hangzhao start at US$580 per night, plus 15% tax and service.  For reservations visit www.amanresorts.com or call 00 800 2255 2626.