Caili in wonderland

SeeSaw Café

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Word of Mouth: Shanghai

Traditional textiles, boldly modern boutiques and coffee-geek cafés in our guide to China's most populous city

by Hart Hagerty

China’s global financial center, transport hub and stylish East-meets-West playground, Shanghai is the country’s largest city by population (23 million as of 2013), and the beating heart of the buzzing metropolis is Jing’An district, which has undergone a mind-blowing metamorphosis. The last decade has ushered in shiny new luxury shopping centers, high street fashion flagships, five-star hotels and LEED-certified skyscrapers housing HQs of a growing number of Fortune 500s.

The central hub of Jing’An is corporate minded and clean, at times verging on sterile. However, just a few blocks away is a world devoid of the bling and big brands, where smaller establishments march to the beat of their own gongs. Whether dishing out boldly modern designs or preserving elements of ancient Chinese culture, here are a handful of venues showcasing what Shanghai does best—blending the old with the new.