Shenzhen

spa mission

After a Us$4.4m facelift to reposition itself as a premiere destination resort, the world’s largest golf club has combined its hotel and spa facilities under one identity to create the Mission Hills Resort and spa. To celebrate the arrival of summer, the shenzhen resort’s revamped spring Valley spa has created a special summer ritual with rich fruits and fresh chocolate, guaranteed to leave your skin looking smooth, fragrant and good enough to eat. and, if all that food isn’t enough for you, you’ll be treated to a free two-course meal when you choose three of the spa’s comprehensive array of treatments.

+86 755 2802 0888, www.missionhillsspa.com

Shenzhen

city retreat

Get in touch with your spiritual side with a stay at The Buddha OCT hotel in Overseas Chinese Town. Located in the breathtaking Wind Valley, the Buddhist-themed hotel is equipped with meditation and chanting rooms and provides the perfect bolthole from the hustle and bustle of city life. Their meals are, naturally, vegetarian.

+86 0744 8888 3333, www.interlakenocthotel.com

China

portraits

While there are heaps of travel guides on China, few can claim to have captured the heart and soul of the people as well as Tom Carter’s China, Portrait of a People. The american photojournalist’s four-year odyssey around the country’s 33 provinces saw him come face to face with all walks of Chinese life. From village farmers to Tibetan children to hip city youngsters, Carter’s book is a visual tribute to the beauty and diversity of the People’s Republic of China and the people he met along the way.

www.blacksmithbooks.com

bangkok

d&o

Established names such as Propaganda and Thann go side by side with emerging creative design labels at Design & Objects, a consolidation of over 90 Thai design companies. The D&O shop (2/F Gaysorn Plaza, 999 Ploenchit Road, Bangkok) stocks a wide range of the label’s goods including aKA furniture, accessories and stem ware by T Positif and stationery, kitchenware and decorative items by PBB&O.

+66 02 656 1327

beijing

white collar work

after designing Hermes museums in Tokyo and seoul, Hilton McConnico is once again flexing his interior design muscles in asia. The american designer and artist’s collaboration with Beijing fashion label White Collar has created concept stores in China Central Place, solana and sanlitun Bar street. Providing exhibition-like venues for the label’s contemporary design and haute couture, McConnico has managed to instil a sensational, modern vibe into the Chinese capital.

www.white-collar.com

tokyo

hachiman

Among Tokyo’s big three festivals and certainly the wettest, the Fukagawa Hachiman Festival on august 15 attracts around 30,000 participants and over 500,000 sightseers. The highlight is a procession of portable shrines, on to which onlookers lavishly throw water. if you miss that you may want to catch the samba Carnival in asakusa on august 30, which sees over 5,000 Brazilian and Japanese dancers compete in a colourful samba parade.

AFTERHOURS

manila

*North Park (+63 2 890 5952) is a reasonably priced Chinese noodle house along Makati avenue, which is open 24 hours. always packed with people on their way home from an exhausting night of clubbing and drinking, the Taiwan Pechay and salt and Pepper squid are must-tries. in the heart of Quezon City, something Fishy (+63 2 421 2121) has people literally lining up at the buffet table when the clock strikes 12. This buzzing venue is located inside a small private business district called Eastwood City. Highly recommended are their scrambled Eggs, Pancit Palabok, Beef Tapa, Chicken adobo and Palitaw, a sumptuous Filipino dessert made of sweet rice flour.

*Something Fishy, aside from its popular buffet, is also a good spot to drink since it’s open 24 hours and is always packed with people in festive mood. The restaurant has a promo for a bucket of local beer, which comes with free pulutan, the Filipino term for appetisers. For people looking for something a little more sophisticated, there’s Embassy Cuisine (+63 2 816 4195), which makes up part of the Embassy entertainment complex. Located in Taguig City, in the heart of Bonifacio Global City, or The Fort as it’s more commonly known, the bar is frequented by expats, socialites and celebrities. While most bars close at 2am, Embassy stays open until 6.

*The most popular club in the country is, arguably, Embassy superclub (+63 2 816 4346). Located at the heart of The Fort, it has long been the hotspot for product launches, music events and private parties due to its modern, upscale vibe. Definitely the place to see and be seen in. another popular venue for partyphiles is alchemy (+63 2 706 1305), a three-floored party destination in Pasig City. O Lounge with its laid-back atmosphere and funky house tunes is the perfect place to kick-off your night, while Liquid and Vapor, located on the 2nd and 3rd floors, will have you shaking your booty to the latest Euro, trance and techno offerings. Be sure to try their signature drink: The Vapor shot.

weekender

xiamen

By Richard Murphy, director of rooms, sofitel Plaza Xiamen
Translation by Hsiaofen Peng

For a lazy saturday breakfast, nothing beats sitting outside Heima Bistro (+86 592 210 2932), which does a fine coffee and a great ‘home-cooked’ breakfast. if i want to escape the buzz of the city, i go down to the pier and hop on a ferry (8RMB) to the nearby island known as Gulangyu. a former foreign enclave, the small island has some fantastic architecture, beaches and parks, but no cars. You can still find a few foreign consulates dating back to the 1830s when Xiamen was a treaty port, better known as amoy.

On sundays, the sprawling nan Pu Tuo temple is a great place, buzzing with worshippers and clouds of incense. a short drive up the coast you’ll come across Hu Li Fortress, where a huge old German cannon is on display. The celebrated local oyster omelette, on offer at the da pai dangs here, is well worth trying. if i’m in the mood for Western food i can’t resist the sofitel Plaza’s wood-fired pizza at Ceasars On 3 (+86 592 507 8888). savoured under the stars on the outdoor terrace, it goes great with a fresh salad and an ice-cold Corona.

On Friday evenings, i head to pedestrianised areas like Zhongshan Road, bursting with neon and late-night shoppers. i’ll get myself some tasty sha cha noodles, a hot and spicy local snack cooked at an outdoor stall known as a da pai dang. i also love bustling restaurants like Li Lao Liu (+86 592 385 8777), just a couple of minutes’ walk from my house. it serves hot pot, to which i add plenty of fresh greens, plus some Fuzhou fish balls and a wicked garlicky sauce.

We love

shanghai biennale

Hosted by the shanghai art Museum, the 7th shanghai Biennale aims to highlight the many crucial issues facing China as it rapidly develops from an agricultural society to an industrialised and digitised one.

Using the People’s square – home to the museum – as starting point, the collaborative project by 20 individual artists focuses on the migration from underdeveloped rural areas to developed urban spaces in search of opportunities.

The curatorial team found People’s square offered a snapshot of the many issues relating to the transition, such as the topical capitalism, the ultramodern architecture that expresses a spirit of optimism, the desire for a better life envisioned by the Grand Theater and the Museum for Urban Planning, as well as the numerous small stands operated by migrants.

For this reason, the 20 emerging and established artists have been invited to use the square as visual metaphor for the complex dynamics of the people’s mobility. Their work will be displayed on various media both in and around the museum.

9 September to 16 November at the Shanghai Art Museum 2008 www.shanghaibiennale.org

three of a kind – seoul

spice of life

Armed only with a cast-iron stomach and a packet of mints, we headed out in seoul to find the best indian curries.

1. Chakraa
With five locations in and around seoul, Chakraa has become a firm favourite among the city’s indian food lovers. Great service and cheap prices are what keep the regulars coming back. The Haebang Chon branch has great views of the seoul Tower after dark, while the cosy layout – it seats only 25 – adds a real sense of intimacy.

+82 (0) 2796 2255

2. Taj Mahal
Located in the heart of itaewon, Taj Mahal is one of the most authentic indian restaurants in Korea with owner Mohammed seo having studied as a chef in india and Pakistan. specialising in milder northern indian cuisine, the place has gained a cult following among locals and expats alike.

+82 (0) 2749 0316

3. EVEREST
Serving nepalese (hence the name) and indian food, Everest is located in a nondescript box room in the centre of Dongdaemun. However, you’ll soon forget about the minimal décor once you’ve tasted the food. sumptuous chicken, creamy curries and piping hot naan are all in abundance.

+82 (0) 2766 8850

Five Dime DriFtwooD House, taipei

space

Designed by owner Hsieh Li-shiang, the Five Dime Driftwood House restaurant in Taipei is unmistakable thanks to its giant dancing girls sculpture made from driftwood, ironwork and other natural materials.