ASIA INCOMING

urbn hotel At first glance shanghai’s new URBN Hotel looks like any other trendy boutique lodgings. Yet behind the hipper-than-thou interior lies a green heart. For the URBn is the first carbon-neutral hotel in China, no mean feat in a country that has some way to go before embracing eco-awareness. URBN is the first of 20 hotels planned throughout China, with the template being the same: take an existing old building and renovate it in a green-friendly way. URBN Shanghai will also hold yoga, tai chi and even mandarin lessons in a bid to get guests more in tune with their local environment. That’s if they can first persuade guests to leave their rather splendid rooms. www.urbnhotels.co
the wall Shanghai’s nightlife scene just got a whole lot better with the opening of The Wall, a four-room space that combines bars, dancefloors and an 9,000m2 outdoor area. Located in the Lujiazui area, The Wall will be bringing some of the world’s best DJs to shanghai and looks set to become a staple of the city’s club scene. www.thewall.com
SHANGUAI urbn hotel At first glance shanghai’s new URBn Hotel looks like any other trendy boutique lodgings. Yet behind the hipper-than-thou interior lies a green heart. For the URBn is the first carbon-neutral hotel in China, no mean feat in a country that has some way to go before embracing eco-awareness. URBn is the first of 20 hotels planned throughout China, with the template being the same: take an existing old building and renovate it in a green-friendly way. URBn shanghai will also hold yoga, tai chi and even mandarin lessons in a bid to get guests more in tune with their local environment. That’s if they can first persuade guests to leave their rather splendid rooms. www.urbnhotels.com
Beijing gucci goes RED Gucci has released a line of accessories with a very Chinese twist. 8-8-2008 contains eight 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Gucci Limited Edition designs and accessories which are only available in Gucci stores in China and Hong Kong. From the Us$3,150 mahjong set to the bicycle costing Us$3,420, the italian brand has really got into the Olympic spirit, and the price tags would impress even the most savvy Beijing businessmen. www.gucci.com
OSAKA the foo fighters With Japan hosting the only asian dates on the Us rock gods’ world tour, expect a full house for all three nights. april 13 sees them at the Makuhari Messe at Chiba City, from where they head to Osaka’s Zepp arena for shows on the 15th and 16th.
kunming Located in the heart of Kunming’s art district, TCG nordica has long showcased the best in contemporary Chinese and scandinavian art and photography. april sees Chinese artist He Libin’s solo exhibition from april 2-23, while noted norwegian photographer Kay Berg’s portraits of aiDs victims in africa will be on show during May. nordica is also something of a hub for local creatives with a variety of performances taking place during the year. if you are in Kunming and fancy a spot of culture, TCG nordica is a must.

bangkok

Bangkok is renowned as the ultimate party city, but its rather draconian closing times can put paid to that big night out. We get some inside information on where to go once the bars shut from Ronny slama, one of Bangkok’s top DJs and founder of www.bangkokspin.com

Most clubs close around 2-3am. after that, you’ll have to find the unofficial places, just be sure not to listen to the cab drivers who’ll want to take you to the dodgy places. avoid Lucky or Boss unless everything else is closed. The best after-hours club is The Tunnel, which is packed every night until 5am. Head down to Langsuan soi 5.

Bangkok has plenty of places to eat in the small hours. The street stalls do a roaring trade, but my favourite place to go is the arabic district on sukhumvit soi 3. Eat on the run at one of the kebab stands or relax in one of the many Egyptian restaurants.

Finding a drink after hours shouldn’t be too hard as all the clubs sell alcohol. Don’t assume you can get your post-midnight beer fix in the convenience stores, however, as no shops sell beer after 12. if you don’t mind roughing it a bit, most of the street stalls will serve a variety of beers very discreetly.

weekender

osaka

Kansai Time Out’s editor, Christopher stephens

if i’m feeling lively on a Friday night, i’ll head to the area around Dõbutsuen-mae station, or what locals call the ‘Deep south’. There are makeshift karaoke bars lining the streets, theatres offering samurai movies and stage productions of historical melodramas, as well as the nearly extinct pastime of smart ball, a hybrid of pachinko and pinball.

Fine dining in shin sekai is synonymous with Zuboraya, a fugu restaurant offering the highly delectable fish in dozens of different contexts. Blowfish beginners are directed to the tetchiri sets, very filling hot-pot dinners that run between ¥5,000 and ¥10,000. Top off the meal with a cup of sake flavoured with fugu fin (+81 (0) 66 633 5529). saturdays were made for relaxing and nothing is more chilled than a long soak in a hot bath, and few spots in Osaka offer as much aquatic pleasure as spa World. This huge complex features eight floors of springs, saunas, and pools (+81 (0) 66 631 0001). if we’ve visitors, we might spend the rest of the day in nearby Tennoji Zoo, or for something more cultural, the Osaka Municipal Museum of art. sundays may bring on a sudden urge to spend, and if so, i’ll head north to Den Den Town to find the latest electronic gadgetry. sunday night might find me in namba in the cramped basement of Bears, owned by Yamamoto seiichi, guitarist with the Osaka rock band Boredoms. The club doesn’t sell drinks but you can bring your own (+81 (0) 66 649 5564).

MOCA taipei

Situated in a historical former school in the centre of Taipei, the Museum of Contemporary art Taipei’s (MOCa) breadth of exhibitions is as impressive as its clever use of space. We particularly like the way MOCa combines a Taiwanese vision with Western sensibilities. it also tackles issues facing society; a refreshing change for art in the region.

Take the latest exhibition, Infantization, which looks at the ‘gelatization’ of Chinese youth. Gelatization, according to the exhibition’s curator Zhang Qing, means transparency, vibrancy and bravery. Qing travelled to every major city in China and came back to Taipei with examples of creative potential from around the Mainland.

The works reveal a three-dimensional view of life and art among the youth in China today. Featuring 41 artists and over 60 pieces of work, the exhibits encompass sketches, illustrations, sculpture, video, photography, audio, architecture, gaming, design, music, film, and literature. Runs until april 13. www.mocataipei.org.tw

three of a kind…

shenzhen

Craving a meat fix in shenzhen? We look at three restaurants that will get the juices flowing.

01 Alenha Brazilian Restaurant
Located in the interContinental, alenha is a meat lover’s dream. While argentina might be famous for its steaks, the Brazilians happily gorge on everything from beef to duck to fish. all this – and more – is available at alenha, which uses the traditional churrascaria method of barbecuing. Wash down your meal with alenha’s signature Caiprinha.
Shenzhen InterContinental
+86 3399 3388 ext 8591/8592

02 Par khaus
If you like your meat cold and your slices thin, head to this new European gourmet restaurant in FuTian. There’s a range of italian and spanish delicacies on offer from chorizo to salami. You can dine in or take out and, with a dearth of quality European restaurants in shenzhen, Parkhaus looks set to become a favourite of the city’s gourmands.
2-6, Galaxy COCOPARK Fuhua 3rd Road, FuTian
+86 755 2531 3576

03 Amigos
southern China is not, understandably, a hot spot for Mexican food, but one place stands out: amigos. Located just out of shenzhen in the bustling centre of shekou, amigos combines a quaint atmosphere with good service and great food. The servings are huge and the nachos are top notch.
Ground Floor, Honlux Hotel, Shekou
+86 755 2683 5449

space

Created by seoul-based Mass studies, this store for Flemish designer ann Demeulemeester mixes urban and natural elements brilliantly to create one of the most visually arresting shop fronts in asia.