Thanks to strong feedback from readers, Desti nation PRD will be expanding our coverage to the cities and provinces surrounding the Yangtze River Delta. Starting with the Fall (Autumn) issue in September, we will be focusing on the gateway to this fast-growing region, Shanghai.
China's biggest city by population, Shanghai has caught the imagination of the world like no other in Asia since it began to reinvigorate its economy in the early 1990s. Though it is not as wealthy as Guangzhou or Shenzhen, let alone Hong Kong or Macau, as measured by per-capita GDP, Shanghai has a more ostentatious faÁade. Few can visit The Bund and stroll past the century-old architecture lit up at night, and not be impressed. Yet it is across the water, in the neon glare of Pudong, that the Shanghai of the future is rising to reclaim its mantle as one of the worldís great cities.
Linked by three gigantic bridges and two tunnels, Pudong is home to the Lujiazui financial district, the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, the international airport, and the worldís busiest seaport, which overtook Rotterdam last year for tonnage of cargo handled.
The people of Shanghai are known for their entrepreneurial drive, and not for nothing are they called the New Yorkers of China: they can be blunt, aggressive, and obsessed by money. But there is also little doubt they are the cleverest marketers in China: Shanghai is home to more multinational companies than any other city.
Much of this has to do with location, as Shanghai is the gateway to a vast interior, much larger than the Pearl River Delta. But unlike Hong Kong, which has an advantage over its hinterland thanks to a convertible currency and separate legal system, Shanghaiís competitive edge over its nearby rivals is being challenged. Cities such as Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo,and even inland Nanjing, are pulling investment away from the "Paris of the East".
For now, nobody can beat Shanghai for razzmatazz. Its hotels are the most expensive in China; its restaurants the most diverse and creative; and its skyscrapers the most majestic. In September, the city will again be hosting a Formula One Grand Prix, and Destination YRD will provide a preview of it, plus everything else there is to do in this mesmerizing city.
