Shanghai, Four Seasons Style
Attending Expo 2010 Shanghai China? Four Seasons can enhance your discovery of Shanghai by arranging fabulous, first-hand experiences of Chinese culture.
Expo 2010 Shanghai China can keep you very busy with its cutting-edge attractions. But while you’re here, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai will help you create a more personal connection with Chinese culture, tasting the traditions of the real Shanghai.
Here are five suggestions for unforgettable experiences, elevated with Four Seasons flair:
1. Learn to cook traditional Chinese cuisine.
Join a Four Seasons chef for an early-morning shopping trip to the vegetable and wet markets. Come back to the Hotel and refresh over breakfast. Then join the chef in the kitchen to prepare your choice of recipe—perhaps deep-fried shrimp spring rolls, wok-fried scallops and sweet corn, or Shanghainese vegetable dumplings in soup. You’ll learn traditional cooking techniques and a step-by-step approach you can follow at home. When your dish is ready, enjoy it for lunch in the Four Seasons Chinese restaurant, Si Ji Xuan, served alongside other delicious menu selections. You’ll receive the recipe card signed by the chef, and a professional apron and certificate for souvenirs.
2. Test your chops with martial arts.
Bored of your regular fitness workouts? Shanghai is the perfect place to try authentic Chinese kung fu. The Four Seasons Concierge can arrange a class at LongWu Kung Fu Center, only 10 minutes from the Hotel. The city’s most popular martial arts training facility, LongWu is equipped with spacious training areas, safety mats, wooden dummies and a wide range of weapons. Even beginners will be punching, kicking and chopping in no time. You might turn out to be the next Bruce Lee!
3. Try acupuncture.
Qin, The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, is a chic urban sanctuary offering a menu of more than 35 treatments and beauty therapies inspired by ancient rites and healing methods of traditional Chinese medicine. It’s the perfect place to experience the benefits of acupuncture, the Chinese method of inserting needles into the skin to increase functioning of body and mind. Treatments can focus on eliminating jet lag, reducing stress and boosting energy—ideal if you’re exploring Expo. Then you can relax in the Spa’s beautiful facilities, including saunas, steam rooms and hot whirlpools.
4. Shop for Chinese treasures.
Let Four Seasons arrange a personal shopper who’ll reveal the best Old City shops, selling distinctively Chinese merchandise. Visit hidden pearl markets and find gorgeous jewellery at incredible prices. Discover the finest porcelain from Jingdezhen—capital of Chinese ceramics—with designs both traditional and modern. Purchase silk by the yard, or in stylish shirts, ties, pyjamas and quintessential Chinese dresses with mandarin collars and side slits. Then, head to Nanjing Road and the Bund for the latest fashions from European designers such as Gucci and Hermès.
5. Discover the contemporary art scene.
Four Seasons can arrange for an art expert to escort you to Shanghai’s hottest arts district—the Suzhou Creek Art District about 20 minutes from the Hotel. Located at 50 Moganshan Road in what was once a textile mill, the complex known as M50 is vibrant with creative energy. Some of the city’s best-known artists work in the area—home to about 120 galleries and art studios. This is a must-see destination for collectors and trend-spotters, putting you in touch with today’s Chinese culture.
The World Expo continues through October 31. To start planning your Four Seasons adventure in Shanghai, learn more about the special Expo Package.
