incoming

Mandarin Oriental
Tokyo

2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi
+81 3 3270 8800

Geisha continue to fascinate the world with their mystic beauty and here’s a chance to see one of Japan’s most exclusive groups display their traditional dancing, singing and shamisen-playing skills. From 29 May to 1 June, Mandarin oriental Tokyo offers a Mo Azuma odori accommodation package, which includes premium seats for the 85th Azuma odori geisha dance gala at the shinbashi Enbujo Theatre in Ginza, including shokado bento lunch at the theatre restaurant before the show (packages start from ¥85,000/Us$875).

T’ang Court
Shanghai

740 Hankou Road, Shanghai
+86 21 6322 2910

With rumours of a proposed Michelin Guide for shanghai on the horizon, there’s no wonder the recent winner of two Michelin stars in hong kong, T’ang Court, chose the Chinese city as their first outpost. Located in the new Langham yangtze Boutique hotel (set to open on 1 May), the new T’ang Court will recreate the magic that made its hong kong counterpart famous, such as the highly acclaimed crispy salty chicken and crispy fried eel balls with plum honey sauce and baked oysters with port wine.

Opposite House
Beijing

Building 1, 11 Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
+86 10 6417 6688

The opposite house in Beijing’s sanlitun isn’t only a hip place to stay, but also a vibrant platform for young contemporary Chinese artists to showcase their work. The permanent collection features artistic clothing creations in various mediums, from porcelain and grass to terracotta and PVC, by artists Li Xiao Feng, Wang Jin, Chen Qing Qing and Fiona Wong. hotel guests can view the majority of the artwork in public areas, with exclusive pieces also exhibited in the penthouse and suites.

weekender
kaohsiung

By Kuang-Chueh Lee, entertainment reporter, The Liberty Times
Translation by Ben Sin

With last year’s opening of the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transport system, Taiwan’s second city is now an attractive, and stress-free, weekend getaway. First-time visitors should make their way down to the dock between Wufu Bridge and Chien-Kuo Bridge where a 30-minute tour on the Love River provides an excellent introduction to the city (the ferry runs every 15 minutes between 4pm and 11pm). Back on dry land, fill your stomach at the famed Lioho night Market (Lioho Road), the biggest night market in southern Taiwan. a must-try is the papaya milk and steam shrimps with salt, a local delicacy. To kick off a lazy sunday, visit the historic British Consulate at Takao to appreciate one of the finest examples of Western architecture in Taiwan. Then head to the nearby sizihwan Beach, stopping long enough to take in the amazing sunset – the British Consulate and the sizihwan Beach were both voted among the top ten favourite romantic sights in the city. Make sure your Kaohsiung sojourn ends on a high by sampling the delicious beef noodles at Gang Yuan Beef noodle Restaurant (55 Tacheng street, +886 7 561 3842).

afterhours
hangzhou

By Tim Hoerle
Editor-in-chief of More Hangzhou entertainment guide

There’s nothing better than starting off your evening with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink deal, and at RMB158 per head, Honglin Teppanyaki (2/F, Building a, Modern international Mansion, 188 Yugu Road, +86 0571 8163 7778) definitely hits the spot. if throwing down that much saki isn’t your idea of easing into things, the huge wine list at Provence French Restaurant (1 Baishaquan, shuguang Road, +86 0571 8797 6115) should be enough to whet your appetite.

When it’s live jazz and sumptuous cocktails you’re after, head to JZ Club (6 Liuying Road, +86 0571 8702 8298), which is situated in a superbly renovated old house just across from the lake. if a homely environment is more to your taste, there’s nothing like the friendly service and incredibly diverse crowd at the Maya Bar (94 Baishaquan, shuguang Rd, +86 0571 8799 7628).

In Hangzhou, there’s really only two places to go out clubbing. Both sOs (3/F, Huanglong Hengli Mansion, 5 Huanglong Road, +86 0571 5683 6688) and G-Plus (6/F, Wahaha Plaza, 169 Qingchun Road, +86 0571 8721 5152), get the international DJs and are constantly packed until the wee hours. While sOs is much bigger than G-Plus, the latter offers a bit more intimacy. neither venue has a cover charge.

three of a kind
ASIA

While away the hours in these hottest of hot springs

ICHEON SPA PLUS

408-1 Anheung-dong, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Seoul
+82 031 639 5000

A hot spring theme park attached to the Hotel Miranda, icheon spa Plus features large hot spring tubes, an outdoor spa area and traditional Korean-style sauna rooms. They also have a water park popular with families. Tickets start from us$14 per adult.

SansuIkan Inn

3-2-2 Oaza Hara, Takatsuki City, Osaka
+81 072 687 456

Located upstream in Takatsuki City and overlooking the akutagawa River valley, the sansuikan inn features an indoor rock bath with simple alkaline water containing radon and an open-air bath of alkaline-pure sodium bicarbonate water. Riverside rooms start from us$212, while day plans (bath and lunch) start from us$33.

VILLA 32

32, Zhongshan Rd, Hsin Beitou, Taipei
+886 02 6611 8888

TaiPei With each of its five guest rooms served by their own geothermic bath, and easy access to the Beitou hot springs, Villa 32 is the ultimate modernist retreat. Double rooms from us$500-700.

space

Shanghai World Financial center

Designed by new York architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, the 101-storey skyscraper was topped out at 492 metres and has temporarily claimed the title of highest roof in the world. Thought by some to resemble a giant bottle opener, the trapezoidal hole at the top of the tower is designed to reduce the stresses of wind pressure.