The Complete Guide To: City chic in China

Is China chic?

Until relatively recently, new design was a nascent concept in China. But as a new exhibition, opening this month at London's Victoria & Albert Museum demonstrates, the spectacular growth in the country's economy means that everything from architecture and art to fashion design and restaurants are booming. China's two biggest cities, Beijing and Shanghai, are the places to seek out the best in this explosion of new design and now have restaurants, bars, shops, galleries and hotels that can rival anything in London, New York or Tokyo. Beijing is also playing host to the 2008 Olympic Games, which take place from 8 to 24 August; for more details see en.beijing2008.cn.

China's capital is transforming at breakneck speed; in the run up to the Olympics, Beijing hums to the sound of construction work. The capital of China during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, Beijing was an imperial city from the late 13th to early 20th century almost without interruption. It has been the capital of the People's Republic since 1949. The city is laid out on a grand horizontal north-south axis with the sprawling Imperial Palace at its centre. It is now surrounded by five ring roads. There are claimed to be more than 1,000 new cars hitting the streets of Beijing every day – not difficult to believe, if you are ever stuck in one of the city's constant snarl-ups.

The Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall at No 20, East Qianmen Avenue, Chongwen District (00 86 10 670 24559) teaches visitors about the city's origins and what is in store for the future. It opens 9am-4pm daily except Mondays, admission free.

One of the most iconic of Beijing's new buildings will be the CCTV Building – a 234m tower shaped like a wonky "A" designed by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren. This behemoth in Beijing's central business district will be the new home of state broadcaster China Central Television. It is due for completion next year to mark the station's 60th anniversary. The statistics are mind-boggling: 25,000 people will pass through its lobby every day and it will contain 99 double-decker elevators. Even in its unfinished state the tower is an awe-inspiring sight. When it opens next year, visitors will be able to take a route through the building following a television production from start to finish.

Yesterday, lucky passengers arriving on the non-stop flights of British Airways (0870 850 9 850; www.ba.com) and Air China (020-7744 0800; www.air-china.co.uk) from London Heathrow were among the first to experience the interior of Foster + Partners' new Terminal Three at Beijing's Capital airport. With its dragon-shaped lines and sinuous roof structure, it is touted as the largest and most advanced airport terminal in the world.

Variously described as a silver tear, a floating pearl or perhaps something that has just landed from outer space, the futuristic titanium and glass National Center for Performing Arts is another must-see on any architecture buff's itinerary. It is adjacent to Tiananmen Square at 2 Xichangan Jie (00 86 10 6655 0000). This theatre, opera house and concert hall was inaugurated in December 2007. Designed by French architect, Paul Andreu, its spiralling costs eventually rang in at about £200m.

As more and more cutting-edge architecture joins the already crowded skyline, the debate about the preservation of the old city gets louder. At the centre of the argument are Beijing's traditional residential neighbourhoods known as "hutongs" and courtyard houses called "siheyuan", many of which have already been lost in the rush to modernise. Before they disappear altogether, take a stroll around Liulichang Jie, a small street of restored houses near the Imperial City and Tiananmen Square.

Olympic spirit?

If you have not bagged your tickets by now, chances are you won't be attending the Olympics. But some of the most exciting architectural projects constructed for the Games can already be visited. The hub of the action is the Olympic Park, 267 Fourth Ring Road (00 86 10 6669 9185; www.beijing2008.com). The centrepiece is the staggering Herzog & de Meuron-designed National Stadium is a triumph of modern architecture and engineering. Over 40,000 tonnes of steel went into the construction of this intricate tangled pattern of steel, which is best summed up by its nickname, The Bird's Nest. At night it's particularly spectacular, when it is illuminated with 1,000 red lights.

Next to the stadium is the computer nerve centre of the Olympics, Digital Beijing, designed by Chinese architect, Pei-Zhu and aptly resembling a mammoth computer chip.

The third in the trinity of buildings at Olympic Park is the Aquatic Centre. This angular box, known as the Water Cube, is an impressive sight, its ice-blue giant bubble-like walls glow from within.

Something a few centuries older?

Even those in search of all that is cutting-edge and cool should not leave Beijing without visiting some its celebrated ancient landmarks. Dominating the city's centre is the Palace Museum (00 86 10 6513 2255; www.dpm.org.cn), or as it is much more commonly known, the Forbidden City. Building commenced in 1406, and it was home to several dynasties of Chinese emperors and their concubines. The museum is home to more than 1.5 million objects and in high season attracts 100,000 visitors per day. From April-October it opens 8.30am-5pm and from November-March it opens until 4.30pm. Tickets cost between 40 yuan (£2.80) and 60 yuan (£4.20).

Great Wall chic?

One of the world's greatest engineering feats is the Great Wall of China – in fact a succession of fortifications intended to keep the Mongol hordes at bay. The section at Badaling is the most accessible; a 70km drive from central Beijing. Close to this section, you can get a privileged and very 21st-century view of the wall with a stay at The Commune by The Great Wall, Shuiguan Great Wall, Badaling Highway (00 86 10 8118 1888; www.communebythegreatwall.com). This hotel was conceived as a sort of cutting-edge architectural museum. The Beijing property tycoon Zhang Xin gave 12 leading Asian architects $1m each to build their vision of a contemporary villa. Open since 2002, the project soon morphed into a 236-room hotel. These are set in 42 villas that have been built in the same style as the original houses and scattered throughout a forested slope. Waking up with views of the Great Wall snaking over the hills into the horizon is one of the highlights of a stay here. There's also a spa and guests can tour the original houses, which are also available to rent, when they are not in use. But best of all, a 20-minute puff up a rough track reveals an un-restored section of the Great Wall, which can be explored in the peace and quiet far away from the day trippers. Doubles start at 3,220 yuan (£225) with breakfast, but special offers are frequently available.

I'd like to be surprised in Shanghai

If Beijing is the wise older sister, Shanghai is its brash young sibling. As modern cities go, Shanghai does not disappoint. This twinkling mass edging the Huangpu River – one of China's major shipping arteries – is a seething metropolis of towering skyscrapers, chaotic traffic and throbbing streets. Fly to Shanghai's Pudong airport – on BA(0844 493 0787; www.ba.com), Virgin Atlantic (08705 747 747; www.virgin-atlantic.com) or China Eastern (0870 760 6232; www.chinaeastern.co.uk) – and the surprises start at once. The ride into town offers the ultimate Bladerunner experience. The Maglev train (00 86 21 289 07777; www.smtdc.com) zips passengers on the 30km journey to the city's Longyang Road Metro Station in a breathtaking eight minutes. A thrill on the world's first commercial magnetic levitation line comes relatively cheap too: 80 yuan (£5.60) return.

In the past 20 years 4,000 tall buildings have been erected in Shanghai. It is racing away from its 1930s nickname of the "Paris of the Orient". These days, the handsome Art Deco buildings lining The Bund are home to upmarket boutiques, slick restaurants and bars. But for new chic, head for the Xintiandi district. Doing a "Xintiandi" has become a euphemism for regeneration projects of historic quarters throughout China. In the early Nineties several blocks of these traditional Shanghai dwellings known as shikumen were painstakingly restored. Since then, Xintiandi has become one of the city's most fashionable shopping areas, crammed with boutiques, restaurants and the ubiquitous international coffee chains. Stop for a cocktail at Tmsk, Xintiandi, Lane 181, Taicang Road (00 86 21 632 62227), a modish bar and restaurant epitomising the new Shanghai chic with moody lighting and a sophisticated air. One glamorous event is the annual Shanghai Film Festival (www.siff.com), which takes place this year from 14 to 22 June. It attracts a stellar line-up; this year Anthony Minghella is chairing the International Jury. In the autumn the Formula One circus (www.formula1.com) roars into town for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Where should I stay?

The Hotel Kapok, No. 16 Donghuamen Street (00 89 10 6525 9988; www.hotelkapok.com), is Beijing's best design- conscious choice. It was designed by Chinese architect, Pei-Zui, and is a futuristic interpretation of a traditional courtyard house with airy minimalist rooms. Doubles start at 1,300 yuan (£92), including breakfast.

Tastefully scattered with antiques, Beijing's 14-bedroom Hotel Côté Cour, 70 Yan Tue Hutong (00 86 10 6512 8020; www. hotelcotecoursl.com), offers the chance to stay in a restored hutong courtyard house with a pretty garden too. Doubles start at 1,295 yuan (£90), including breakfast.

In Shanghai, Hyatt on the Bund, 199 Huang Pu Road (00 86 21 6393 1234; www.hyatt.com), offers spectacular views of the Huangpu river and beyond. It opened last year and has just unveiled its Yuan Spa, which claims to be the largest in Asia, and has treatments based on traditional Chinese remedies such as the Meridian massage with jade stones.

A recent addition to Shanghai's growing boutique brigade is the old and new appeal of the Philippe Starck-designed 1920s warehouse that is home to the JIA Shanghai, 931 West Nanjing Road (00 86 21 6217 9000; www.jiashanghai.com). Doubles start at 2,179 yuan (£156) including breakfast, soft drinks and afternoon tea. Just around the corner is the first of the Urbn Hotel chain (00 86 21 5153 4600; www.urbnhotels.com) at 183 Jiaozhou Lu. Its 30 guestrooms offer contemporary East-meets-West decor and it also claims to be the city's first carbon-neutral hotel. Doubles start at 2,200 yuan (£160), including breakfast.

I want to bring back a great haul of china

Shanghai is the place to explore the homegrown retail world. Younik, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan East Road, Shanghai (00 86 21 6323 8688), sells contemporary Chinese fashion and accessories from the up and coming designers such as Zhang Da. One of China's most successful designers is Wang Yiyang, and his shop, Cha Gang Store, is at No 1 Lane 299, Fu Xing West Road, Shanghai (00 86 21 643 73104; www.chagang.cn); well worth a visit to see the best of contemporary Chinese fashion design. For beautifully embroidered silks in the shape of cushions, bedspreads, pyjamas and blankets head to Annabel Lee, No 1, Lane 8, The Bund (00 86 21 644 582 18; www.annabel-lee.com). Han Feng is another Chinese designer with growing international reputation, who also designed the costumes for Anthony Minghella's production of Madama Butterfly. See her delicate clothing and scarves in beautiful hues of pleated and embroidered silks and jewellery with a visit her shop set in an apartment in the Art Deco Jin Jiang Hotel at 59 Maoming South Road. For an appointment call 00 86 21 647 27 202. Also opening this month is the 1933 Building – a restored Art Deco warehouse (www.1933-Shanghai.com). It is set to become one of the city's trendiest shopping, restaurant and gallery spaces.

My chopsticks are ready

Shanghai has plenty of stylish places to sit and eat or sip cocktails with the beautiful people. At the top of the heap is Jean Georges, 4/F Three on the Bund (00 86 21 6321 7733; www.threeonthebund.com). Super-chef Jean Georges Vongerichten's Asian outpost is the place to see and be seen.

Get contemporary renditions of traditional Hunanese, Shanghainese and Sichuan dishes at The Whampoa Club (00 86 21 6321 3737; www.threeonthebund.com), on the floor above. Modern Shanghainese cooking meets a restored "shikumen" at the fabulously decorated Ye Shanghai, House 6, Ninth Block, Xintiandi, 338 Huang Pi Road (00 86 21 63 11 23 23).

Jin Lu, The Chinoise Story, 59 Mao Ming South Road, Jin Jiang Hotel (00 86 21 6445 1717, www.tunglok.com) is another fashionable spot with modern-style Shanghainese dishes in glamorous, mirrored and virtually all-white surroundings.

In Beijing, try to book weeks in advance to bag a table at Made in China, 1/F Grand Hyatt, 1A Dongchang'An Jie, Dongcheng (00 86 10 8518 1234; www.grandhyatt.beijing.com). This restaurant inside the Grand Hyatt is one of Beijing's hottest tables. The Courtyard Restaurant, 95 Donghuamen Avenue (00 86 010 6526 8883; www.courtyardbeijing.com) is another of the capital's hot tables. Close to the Forbidden City's East Gate, this restaurant-cum-art gallery epitomises the trend for traditional Chinese cuisine fused with western accents.

The Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung (www.dintaifung.com.tw) is a delicious paean to the dumpling, which shouldn't be missed; the chain has three branches in Shanghai and two in Beijing.

Get away from it all

All weeping willows and winding lanes, the pretty Unesco World Heritage town of Lijiang in the southwestern province of Yunnan, offers the chance to truly escape. It is also home to the stylish Banyan Tree Lijiang resort, which blends contemporary décor inside its traditional Naxi-style buildings. It's also close to Tiger Leaping Gorge, where the Yangzi river plungesthrough a deep canyon. Audley Travel (01993 838 000; www.audley-travel.com) offers a 12- day trip to Yunnan with three nights at the Banyan Tree Lijiang and three nights at the stylish Banyan Tree Ringha plus four nights in Shanghai and Beijing from £2,800 per person, based on two sharing. This includes international flights, internal transfers, accommodation with breakfast, a guide and a driver throughout.

Who can fix it all for me?

Bales Worldwide (0845 057 1819; www.balesworldwide.com), CTS Horizons (020-7836 9911; www.ctshorizons.com), Cox & Kings (020-7873 5000; www.coxandkings.co.uk), Kuoni (01306 747 002; www.kuoni.co.uk) and Regent Holidays (0117-921 1711; www.regentholidays.co.uk) offer holidays in China. The China National Tourist Office, 71 Warwick Road, London SW5 (020-7373 0888; www.cnto. org.uk) can supply more details.

Note that UK passport holders need a visa (single-entry £30) to enter the People's Republic of China, except for Hong Kong. For an application form see www.chinese-embassy.org.uk. If you are planning to apply yourself, the queues are lengthy. Most tour operators offer a visa service for an extra charge.

China comes to the UK

The China in London season is in full swing. From 15 March to 13 July, the Victoria & Albert Museum (020-7942 2000; www.vam.ac.uk) in London will host an exhibition which will offer the most comprehensive in-depth examination of the rise of design in the People's Republic. "China Design Now", sponsored by HSBC, focuses on architecture, fashion, photography and graphic design. Tickets cost £8 per adult, which can be booked in advance on 0870 906 3883. For more information see www.chinanow.org.uk.

The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army (right) is at the British Museum until 6 April (020-7323 8000; www.britishmuseum.org; admission £12). The museum is also running workshops and lectures, as well as one-off, after-hours China Late events, including "Birds, Flowers and Insects" (6 March) and "Food" (3 April), both 6.30-9pm in the Great Court. Admission is free.

Elsewhere in London, there are tea tastings at Tea Smith in Spitalfields until 6 April (Saturdays noon-2pm, Monday-Thursday noon-4pm; £12; 020-7247 1333; www.teasmith.co.uk). At the Museum in Docklands (0870 444 3855; www.museumindocklands.org.uk), Chinese Tales workshops take place today and on 5 April at 12.30pm and 2pm; £5.

The Beijing connection is drawn in the capital with "Spotlight Beijing": a season of films (20-31 March) being screened at the ICA (£8; 020-7930 3647; www.ica.org.uk). The season features contemporary Chinese film-makers such as Hao Ning and Qi Jian.

Following on from Chen Shi-Zheng's collaboration with Gorillaz' Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett on the opera Monkey: Journey to the West, this year the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds (0113 213 7700; www.wyplayhouse.com) brings us Monkey! Running 14 June-12 July, this production is based on the same Chinese legend and tells the tale of the eponymous simian hero on a quest to find Buddha.

Musical events include performances by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 14 March (0871 663 2500; www.southbankcentre.co.uk) and Bridgewater Hall in Manchester (0161 950 0000; www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk) on 15 March.

The 85-piece orchestra will perform modern and ancient compositions on traditional Chinese instruments.

They will also appear at the Sage in Gateshead (0191 443 4661; www.thesagegateshead.com) on 18 March.

Bahok is a collaboration between London-born choreographer Akram Khan and the National Ballet of China.

The production will visit Malvern, Brighton, Birmingham, Snape, Glasgow, Derby and London (www.akramkhancompany.net).

By Harriet Lam

Cutting-edge art

Many believe that China's contemporary art is The Next Big Thing. Make up your own mind amid the unique surroundings of Beijing's Dashanzi 798 Art District on the edge of the city. This former factory quarter is home to numerous galleries, cafés and art spaces. Pick up a handy 798 map and spend the afternoon exploring – your stops should include the Galleria Continua, # 8503, 2 Jiuxianqiao Road (00 86 10 6436 1005; www.galleriacontinua.com) and Fei Space, #4 Jiuxianqiao Road (00 86 10 845 99701; www.fei-space.com).

This latter location is a brand-new gallery-cum-shop that sells and exhibits works, clothing and objects by some of the country's most avant garde artists and designers including its owner Lin Jing. Most of the galleries are closed on Mondays. The new Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu (00 86 10 6438 6675; www.ucca.org.cn) is based in a vast Bauhaus-style warehouse and encourages and showcases cutting-edge contemporary Chinese and international art with exhibitions, film screenings talks and discussions. It opens 10am-6pm daily except Monday. Admission is 30 yuan (£2.10).

In the centre of Beijing, visit the Red Gate Gallery, Levels 1 & 4, Dongbianmen Watchtower, Chongwen (00 86 10 6525 1005; www.redgategallery.com). It is one of China's leading contemporary commercial galleries and exhibits the work of leading artists.

Shanghai's art scene is equally well established. One of the hottest galleries is the 1918 Art Space, 6 Xiang Shan Lu, Fuxing Park (00 86 21 5306 4950; www.1918artspace.com), while ShangArt Gallery, 50 Moganshan Road, Building 16 & 18 (00 86 21 6359 3923; www.shangartgallery.com), is another of the city's leading commercial galleries, with a recently opened branch in Beijing.

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