City of sin and decadent exoticism in the 1920s and 30s, theatre of vicious conflict during wartime and Japanese invasions, cradle of Chinese Communism but neglected during the Cultural Revolution, flag bearer of modern China's market reforms, inspiration for lurid novels, films and cocktails - Shanghai is probably the most evocative city for an outsider in the whole of China. Beijing may be more mysterious but Shanghai offers a headier brew of half-digested, semi-mythical images and preconceptions.

For the second city of the world's oldest surviving ancient civilisation, Shanghai is surprisingly new. Literally ‘Above the Sea', Shanghai is a port city on the Huangpu River, where the Yangtze River empties into the East China Sea.

The Yu Gardens in Shanghai's Old Town is all that remains of the city's pre-colonial past. Colonialism is visible in the period architecture of the former French Concession, as well as the grand old buildings along the riverfront Bund and dotted around People's Square.

Across the river from the original settlement of Puxi is Shanghai's future, the Pudong New Area, with its emblematic Orient Pearl Tower, soaring modern art-deco JinMao Tower and, topping the lot, the 101-floor World Financial Centre, featuring a new Park Hyatt hotel.

In 2004, Shanghai hosted the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix and later that year Time magazine called it the ‘world's most happening city.' In October 2007 it hosted the first Special Olympic Games held in Asia and centre-stage status will follow, in 2010, when Shanghai hosts World Expo.

Easily China's richest city, Shanghai is now a blueprint for the country, one that developing cities across the country seek enviously to emulate - replete with hundreds of futuristic skyscrapers, glitzy restaurants, bars, hotels and levels of urban affluence, brand awareness and shopping savvy that compete with rival Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.

Shanghai experiences climatic extremes, with bitter winters and hot and humid summers. The best time for visitors to plan a trip to the city would be during the autumn or spring months.