Shanghai, host city of the 71st Stanton Chase Global Partners Meeting, is China’s largest city and one of the world’s great centres of finance, trade and culture. Set where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea, its name means “on the sea”, a nod to the maritime roots that turned a riverside town into a global metropolis.
Few cities hold their past and their future so close together. On one bank of the Huangpu River, the grand facades of the Bund recall Shanghai’s golden age as the “Paris of the East”. On the other, the towers of Lujiazui rise from land that was largely farmland until the 1990s. In April the city is at its most welcoming, with spring in full bloom and the magnolias, Shanghai’s official flower, lining its parks and avenues.
| Location | Eastern China, where the Yangtze River meets the East China Sea |
|---|---|
| Population | Approximately 24.9 million |
| Language | Mandarin Chinese; English is widely used in international hotels and business districts |
| Currency | Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNY / RMB) |
| Time zone | China Standard Time, UTC+8 |
| Airports | Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) and Shanghai Hongqiao International (SHA) |
| City flower | White Magnolia (Yulan) |
| April weather | Mild spring days, average highs around 21°C and lows around 13°C |
Shanghai’s story is one of reinvention. A modest fishing and cotton town for centuries, it became one of Asia’s busiest ports after 1843. By the 1920s and 1930s it was a cosmopolitan capital of banking, jazz, film and fashion, and since the 1990s it has reinvented itself again as the face of modern China.
The result is a culture the Chinese call haipai, or “Shanghai style”: open, stylish, commercial and happy to blend East and West. You will see it in the architecture, from shikumen stone-gate lane houses to Art Deco hotels and futuristic towers, and feel it in the city’s pace and energy.
A few of the places that make the city worth arriving early or staying on for.
A riverside promenade of Art Deco and Neoclassical banks and trading houses. Walk it at dusk, when the heritage facades and the Pudong skyline light up together.
Shanghai’s financial heart and home to the 632 m Shanghai Tower, the Jin Mao Tower and the much-loved Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
A classical Ming-dynasty garden of pavilions, rockeries and koi ponds, begun in 1559, with a lively bazaar for soup dumplings alongside.
The river that divides old and new Shanghai, best seen on an evening cruise with the Bund on one side and Pudong on the other.
Plane-tree-lined streets, 1920s villas, independent boutiques and cafes: one of the best neighbourhoods to explore on foot.
One of the world’s busiest shopping streets, running from the Bund toward the golden roofs of Jing’an Temple.
Shanghai cuisine, known locally as benbang cai, is famous for rich, slightly sweet flavours. The city is also a showcase for dishes from every corner of China, and has its own Michelin Guide, yet some of its best food is found in small neighbourhood dumpling shops.
Meals are served family style and shared. Vegetarian and other dietary needs are best shared with the organising team in advance, as many dishes contain pork or are cooked in meat stock.
High-speed rail puts some remarkable destinations within reach for a day trip.
Famed for its canals and its Classical Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and for centuries of silk making.
Home to West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated in Chinese poetry and painting for more than a thousand years.
A former imperial capital, known for its Ming-dynasty city wall, museums and temples.
A few practical notes for first-time visitors to mainland China.
China is largely cashless. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you travel; both accept many international cards. A little cash is still useful.
Google services, WhatsApp and some social platforms are not accessible in mainland China without a roaming eSIM or VPN. Set this up before departure.
Entry requirements depend on your nationality. The organising team will share visa guidance with all registered attendees.
Do not drink tap water; bottled water is provided in hotels and restaurants. Emergency numbers: Police 110, Ambulance 120.