Luxury boutique hotel Alila comes to China, located in the bamboo forests of Anji
Imperial Tours has compiled another roundup of what’s happening and what’s new in China luxury travel this spring.
Art, Culture & Fashion
This month will unveil the opening of the first Shanghai store for home-grown fashion designer Ms Min. Up until now her gorgeous designs were only available online or in department stores like Lane Crawford.
Luxury boutique hotel Alila comes to China, located in the bamboo forests of Anji
Imperial Tours has compiled another roundup of what’s happening and what’s new in China luxury travel this spring.
Art, Culture & Fashion
This month will unveil the opening of the first Shanghai store for home-grown fashion designer Ms Min. Up until now her gorgeous designs were only available online or in department stores like Lane Crawford. The new store is designed by Italian architect Vincenzo de Cottis and is housed in the Shanghai Centre.
Hong Kong’s Art Basel has now been and gone but there’s still plenty to see art wise in Hong Kong. One of Asia’s hottest artists, Shahzia Sikander from Pakistan, has her first solo show at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre until early July. Meanwhile Galerie du Monde is exhibiting 25 works from The Fifth Moon group of Taiwanese artists, running from April 20 to June 01.
Running until May 28 at Pekin Fine Arts in Beijing’s Caochangdi is an exhibition by Hong Kong’s late Wesley Tongson. His modern take on Chinese ink landscape paintings are both beautiful and haunting.
Ms Min's designs are stylish and chic
Dining
There’s less news from the fine dining scene with only a few new places opening recently. If you’re in Shanghai and looking for a taste of something different then head to Alan Wong’s Shanghai at the Ritz Carlton. Alan is a celebrity chef from the US who specializes in Hawaiian regional cuisine, so if you love fish then you should definitely consider stopping by for a meal.
In Beijing The Georg is a wonderful new fine dining spot that actually opened quietly late last year. The restaurant is part of the Danish silverware and lifestyle brand by Georg Jensen and the food is a ‘Scandinavian take on international flavor driven cuisine’.
A touch of Danish class in Beijing at The Georg by Georg Jensen
Hotels
The St. Regis Macao opened just before the New Year on 17 December. They are the first property in Macao to offer a signature 24-hour Butler Service for every room and suite. In February the Grand Hyatt opened its doors in Chengdu, located in the same fashionable district as Swire’s Temple House.
Currently in soft opening phase is Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao, the first in a new chain of luxury hotels set to open in second-tier cities in China by the founder of Aman. It’s billed as an urban resort and is located in the water town of Zhujiajiao near Shanghai. We presume this chain will be aimed at the domestic market what with their spa being run by a Tai Chi expert and a focus on TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
Recently opened St. Regis in Macao
Although this is now slated for a fall opening we are nonetheless already excited about the opening of the first Alila luxury boutique hotel in China. The setting will no doubt be stunning as the hotel will be situated next to a lake in the peaceful bamboo forests of Anji in Zhejiang province, where Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed (see top photo).
Finally, we are still waiting in anticipation for the opening of the Waldorf Astoria in Chengdu. The property was originally slated to open in 2016 but seems now to have been moved back to 2017. Likewise, no news yet on the opening date of the Four Seasons Tianjin which is due to open sometime this year.
We look forward to seeing what else is in store on the luxury scene in China through the year. In the meantime, check out our luxury China travel collection of photos here or to keep up with all the information on luxury happenings in China please like our Facebook page.
China has been a land fueling creativity for thousands of years but there seems to have been a resurgence of interest from the West in Chinese creativity recently. Last year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and a handful of other museums featured exhibits on Chinese art. In the previous year, The Smithsonian showcased Chinese-American food and this past November The Met documented Chinese fashion and its global impact. Both exhibits noted that Chinese culture has been influencing the West for centuries.
As vast as its realm of influence, China offers many ways to explore its impactful fashion and food scenes at their origins and there’s never been a better time to do so. Below, we’ve listed a few events in order to help you choose from your myriad of options. From fashion weeks to cooking lessons, China will leave you with worlds of knowledge.
Hong Kong Fashion Week
As Asia’s largest Fashion Fair, Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter collections features a variety of themes ranging from Emporium de Mode to Cashmere & Wool and offers inspiration as well as a view into current global fashion trends. January 18-21
Beijing Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week
Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week offers fashions shows and competitions featuring works from 450 designers. This event combines fashion design, accessories, styling and new technologies which show off China’s new breed of designers. March 25-31
Shanghai Park Hyatt’s Masters of Food and Wine
The Park Hyatt’s Masters of Food and Wine events are held at numerous Park Hyatts around the world. They offer personal time and attention with international as well as locally sourced award-winning chefs, farmers, sommeliers, and craft brew masters in intimate settings. The Shanghai Park Hyatt’s event, now called Passion Week, offers in-depth insight from the best in culinary arts and entertaining. Here, “masters” of the trades form a connection between you and China through food, their passion and some edible influence. Exact dates are not yet announced but this event usually takes place over Thanksgiving week. Fall 2016
Design a trip with Imperial Tours to incorporate one of these events in order to have a premier experience while you see and taste for yourself how and why China continues to influence the world with its food and its style.
Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing
Imperial Tours has compiled another roundup of what’s happening and what’s new in China luxury travel this fall.
Art & Culture
Fall is a busy time on the art scenes in China’s key cities. Beijing Design Week (Sep. 23rd to Oct. 7th) is running for a total of two weeks this year and they have expanded their number of installations and events across the city. Shanghai is hosting both the Shanghai Art Fair in November and the Art 021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair – both key events for buyers of contemporary art.
A new gallery has recently opened in Beijing up in the 798 art space in a converted electronics factory. Minsheng Art Museum is architecturally stunning but as it’s only recently opened the exhibitions are rather bare so we recommend going for the architecture rather than the art at this stage.
Visitors to Shanghai can now reflect on an interesting part of its global history whilst sipping coffee at the historic White Horse Café which recently re-opened in Shanghai’s Jewish quarter. The cafe was first opened in 1939 and quickly became a hub for Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. Shanghai has recently applied for the Jewish quarter to be recognized in the UNESCO Memory of the World register.
Award-winning interior of Mott 32 in Hong Kong
Dining
Beijing’s luxury fine dining establishment Temple Restaurant (TRB) has just opened a casual dining restaurant TRB Bites. We visited for dinner during their soft opening and can tell you it’s just as wonderful as you’d expect from the TRB team. It’s taken over the space that was The Courtyard by Brian McKenna, and for those not in the know that means a space overlooking the moat of the Forbidden City at its east gate – definitely a place to wow visitors to Beijing. You can choose from 3 to 5 courses from the menu and the quality and presentation of the food are almost on a par with TRB. Where it becomes more casual is that it sports an open kitchen and tables are much closer together meaning it feels less exclusive than TRB.
Speaking of Brian McKenna, he has also decided to go down the more casual eatery route with his new venue Molly Malone’s Gastropub and Grill at the Legendale hotel in Wangfujing. We haven’t tried it yet but expect British pub food with a gourmet, celebrity chef touch!
In Hong Kong Mott 32 has been serving up fine Chinese food for just over a year now but is definitely still worth a mention here. Our staff recently stopped by for dinner and were very impressed by both the food and the interior style. If it’s excellent dim sum you’re looking for then this restaurant delivers as all their dim sum is prepared on-site, unlike many other restaurants. The décor and design are very fitting given that it’s a contemporary Chinese restaurant beneath one of Hong Kong’s oldest banks. In fact, the restaurant was named World Interior of the Year in 2014 so it’s not only Imperial Tours that are impressed!
de Gournay wallpaper at the Beijing showroom
Luxury Hotels
One of the most talked about hotel openings in recent months has been The Temple House hotel in Chengdu, the third addition to the ‘House’ group of hotels by Swire. Chengdu is one of the fastest growing destinations for tourists in China and now ultra-luxury travelers are catered for with this chic new property. You can read our full review here.
In Beijing the NUO hotel has recently opened in the 798 art district. It’s the first of a Chinese chain of luxury hotels which has plans to go global. We have already tried and tested their restaurant which is excellent and makes a nice break from touring the many art galleries in the area.
Shopping & Fashion
de Gournay, famous for their exquisite hand painted wallpaper, have recently opened a showroom in Beijing. Located in a beautiful Chinese courtyard in the hutongs it’s their second store in China after Shanghai. If you are looking for something unique to take home then de Gournay’s Emperor Collection is currently on sale only in China, before a later worldwide release.
Top designers’ spring and summer collections will be on show for China Fashion Week in Beijing in late October. China Fashion Week is now well-established with sponsorship from Mercedes-Benz and is held twice a year to showcase all the in seasonal collections.
Finally in other news Imperial Tours has recently started an Instagram account so you can now get China travel inspiration on your phone as you go. Check out our luxury China travel collection of photos here or to keep up with all the information on luxury happenings in China then like our Facebook page.
The importance of Chinese art stretches far back into ancient times, and continues to this day. This upcoming year, the art world at large has taken note of its continued importance and a number of exhibitions around the world are featuring solely Chinese art. These range from showcasing ancient Chinese ceramics to classical ink scrolls and paintings to modern day sculptures of the contemporary art world. Here we have compiled a brief roundup of global Chinese art exhibits that you won’t want to miss!
The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco is presenting Exquisite Nature: 20 Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (14th–18th c.) through Nov. 1, 2015. This display will feature beautiful ink works by famed painter Ni Zan and many other classical Chinese artists. The exhibition’s nature theme will incorporate paintings of landscapes, birds and flowers, many of which are on loan from the Tang family collection.
The Asian Art Museum is also accommodating the widely publicized 28 Chinese through August 16, 2015. This show features installations by many famous contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei, Zhang Huan and Xu Zhen. The mediums will cover painting, photography and new media and will introduce the visitor to some of the most important Chinese artists working today.
In London the Royal Academy of Arts will be displaying some of contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s most important works from past to present. Ai Weiwei is having a fantastic year – his work is being showcased at numerous exhibitions both at home in China and abroad, and it was recently announced that his passport has been returned, so he can now attend his landmark exhibition at RA. The exhibition runs from Sep. 19 – Dec. 13, 2015.
Another famous installation of Ai Weiwei’s is his traveling circle of bronze and gold animal / Chinese zodiac heads. These were first exhibited in 2010 and in 2016 they will be making appearances in Australia, France, Spain and six cities across the USA.
Flowers to Frost: Four Seasons in East Asian Art is a free exhibition at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Missouri ending on July 17, 2016. This show serves to signify how integral nature and its cycles are to East Asian culture through curated portrayals of landscapes, flowers and seasonal activities.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is featuring a few of its own shows that emphasize Chinese poeticism through art. Chinese Lacquer: Treasures from the Irving Collection 12th-18th century features the most important examples of Chinese lacquerware found in the Museum’s collection. Chinese Textiles: Eight Centuries of Masterpieces from the Met Collection will feature fantastic embroideries, three of which are rare, and showcase how culturally important silk is in China. Both of these exhibits end June 19, 2016.
Masterpieces of Chinese Painting from the Metropolitan Collection, showcasing Oct 31, 2015 – Oct 11, 2016 has paintings from the Tang Dynasty (609 – 917) onwards that detail China’s history through the medium of the paintbrush. As the Metropolitan’s collection of Chinese paintings is now one of the greatest in the world, this exhibition of painting masterpieces is surely not to be missed.
The Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC also has a number of Chinese art exhibits which will be featured until January 3, 2016. Promise of Paradise: Early Chinese Buddhist Sculpture proves China’s dedication to the religion at that time through displaying sculptures made of various types of metal and stone that were commissioned by the likes of Emperors. Chinese Ceramics: 13th-14th Century showcases beautiful and intricately painted ceramics from the Yuan dynasty. The exhibition also demonstrates the strength of the international demand for Chinese porcelain and ceramics during that time.
Silk Road Luxuries From China is another recommendation whereby exhibits from the Tang dynasty, which flourished with trade from the Silk Road, will be on display. Traders and goods moving along the Silk Road from Central Asia to China made an impression on both Chinese art and culture at the time, which is evidenced in these artifacts on display. Finally, a must see is the Ancient Chinese Jades & Bronzes exhibition in which over 100 jade and bronze pieces from the Freer’s collection will be on display for the first time in almost a decade.
If you are interested in seeing art exhibitions in China then please contact us.
Wang Family Ancestral Hall, part of Ai Weiwei's new exhibition in Beijing. Photo courtesy of Galleria Continua.
Imperial Tours has compiled a roundup of what’s happening and what’s new in China luxury travel this summer.
Art & Culture
Ai Weiwei’s first solo exhibition in China titled ‘Ai Weiwei’ is currently on show in the 798 art district in Beijing. Ai Weiwei has brought an ancient ancestral temple from southern China and reconstructed it in two neighboring galleries – Galleria Continua and Tang Contemporary Art. The installation is designed so that the visitor becomes an integral part of the project – as they walk around and through the structure they interact with it, displaying their social behavior and becoming part of the ‘social context’ of the exhibit themselves. You can visit this and two further Ai Weiwei exhibitions at Chambers Fine Art and Magician Space until September 6th 2015.
The Shanghai Natural History Museum has recently re-opened in a wonderful new building designed by international architecture firm Perkins+Will. The museum is located within the Jing An Sculpture Park in central Shanghai and has been designed sustainably and in the shape of a nautilus shell. It covers an area of 45000 square meters, houses a 4-D theatre and its exhibition spaces are home to 10,000 artifacts from around the world.
Shanghai Natural History Museum. Photo courtesy of Archinect: Perkins+Will.
Dining
On the restaurant scene, RED BOWL at the Rosewood has been making a buzz in Beijing recently. Opened in May, it specializes in Chinese hot pot, albeit with a rather more sophisticated twist on the usual classic. You can opt for your own bowl or share with your group from a bubbling pot set in the center of the table. Start with choosing from 6 different broth bases then take your pick from a variety of fine meats, seafood and vegetables. There’s also a very decent cocktail menu to choose from, or alternatively a selection of local Beijing micro-brews if you prefer the cooling properties of beer in order to counteract the spiciness of the hot pot!
The two Michelin star Amber restaurant at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong has recently won 6th place in S. Pellegrino Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Two other China-based restaurants made it into the top ten when the awards were announced back in March. Ultraviolet in Shanghai has made it to number 3 with their avant-garde, multi-sensory dining experience. The three Michelin star Otto e Mezzo Bombana’s Hong Kong restaurant was awarded the number 8 spot with Chef Umberto Bombana’s take on contemporary Italian cuisine. He also has a restaurant of the same chain in Shanghai worth looking out for along with another one soon to be opening in Macau.
RED BOWL, the new hot pot restaurant at Rosewood Beijing. Photo courtesy of Rosewood hotels Beijing.
Hotels and Spas
In other news, Mandarin Oriental has recently announced that they will be opening a new 74-room luxury hotel right in the heart of Beijing’s Wangfujing district in 2017. This is in addition to their 241-room property in the CCTV tower slated for a 2016 opening.
The ever-popular Kocoon Spa at The Opposite House in Beijing has recently introduced a policy of residents-only at their spa facilities. If you are staying at another hotel then you can head to Kocoon Spa at Taiyue Suites, also in Sanlitun. If you’re staying at The Opposite House then go ahead and enjoy the new exclusivity of their spa all to yourself!
Luxury Travel
We still have space on our ten day luxury Majestic Tour departing October 8th. This is the highest-end small group tour on the market and covers all the ‘must-sees’ of China. Alternatively, for our luxury custom designed tours please use our in-house consultation service. You can start by filling in the form here.
China’s art community is crossing borders and making a name for itself by hosting a myriad of annual art shows. While private companies and galleries tend to run these shows, the Chinese government has made efforts to support national and international contemporary art within China recently. This fall two major art shows, BolognaFiere Shanghai Contemporary Art Show and Beijing Design Week, innovatively merge China’s knack for inventions with international perspective.
Launched in 2007, the BolognaFiere Shanghai Contemporary Art Show, previously SH Contemporary until acquired by BolognaFiere in 2013, features modern and contemporary art of all forms. Guests experience various galleries, auctions, conferences, discussions, and the signature “special projects” or unique collaborations made especially for the show by national and international artists.
Beijing Design Week, a citywide event co-hosted by the Municipal Government of Beijing since 2009, takes place from Sept. 26-Oct. 3 this year. This festival not only showcases Chinese and international designs that feature everything from cat houses to furniture and technology, but provides a laboratory where innovative design and the practices surrounding it can be analyzed and shared. What makes this festival unique are the various annual events featured during the weeklong show. It starts with the opening and awards ceremony, and from there moves on to the Forum, Guest City, Design Fair and the Design Hop.
Both of these events invite guests to be inspired by the vanguards of contemporary art and design, all while experiencing the ever-changing market of ideas that define contemporary China. As always, Imperial Tours can arrange VIP access to these events or incorporate the festivals into your touring. Book your next trip to China with Imperial Tours and experience seamless luxury whilst witnessing the cutting edge of Chinese art and design.
China’s contemporary literature scene is going from strength to strength. In 2012, Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for Literature, putting China firmly on the modern literary map. Literary festivals in Beijing and Shanghai now attract big international names as well as national writers.
Yet, as late as 1950, China’s literacy rate was only 20 percent. When the Communists came to power in 1949 they made raising the literacy rate one of their top priorities. The literacy campaigns that followed were a huge success, and by 2010 about 95 percent of China’s population was able to read and write. This was achieved partly through introducing simplified characters (jian tizi- 简体字) which have fewer strokes or elements per character and are easier to remember (traditional characters are still used today in both Hong Kong and Taiwan). The impact of the rise in literacy rates in China cannot be underestimated – according to the World Bank it’s one of the major factors behind China’s economic success over the last 30 odd years.
Back to today and annual events like the Shanghai International Literary Festival and the Beijing Capital M Literary Festival now celebrate everything from fiction and non-fiction to journalism, poetry, creative writing, screen writing and food writing.
These events bring together an eclectic group of both national and international literature lovers over dinner and drinks at the lavish M restaurants. Writer’s workshops and individual sessions are also offered and give this cross-cultural exchange a more personal feel than regular forums.
Both of these events are being held Oct. 31- Nov. 8 2015. Book a trip to China with Imperial Tours, telling your itinerary designer about your wish to attend one of these events
Stone door houses, or shikumen, line long and narrow alleyways as if trying to contain some secret. Locals hang their laundry out of windows above the various cafes, art studios, and craft stores held inside the shikumen, as mesmerized shoppers shuffle between shops. The aromas of Indian food, Moroccan food, and Chinese food all fuse with the bohemian atmosphere that permeates this little slice of city life.
This place is Taikang Lu. Originally providing inexpensive space for art galleries and media companies, it has grown into a shopping area with more than 200 stores all housed in the historic alleyways of Shanghai. Although known for its vitality, this labyrinth of shops can easily become overwhelming. Let Imperial Tours' China Hosts ease your experience with their in-depth knowledge of China and our personal connections to the best designers, artists, and crafts people. We never take commissions in exchange for your purchases, so what we recommend is tailored to exactly what you want.
Below are some of the places to shop in Taikang Lu, but having a China Host on hand will ensure you get the most of your shopping experience by visiting the best boutiques based on your preferences.
When shopping in foreign lands it's all too easy to fall into overly expensive tourist traps. China is no exception. Let our China Host be your personal shopper, expertly navigating you to the best of Chinese shopping in Tianzifang and beyond with inside knowledge, finesse, and – when necessary – bargaining guidance.
When considering the riddled history of China, many don't often realize the traditional emphasis placed on art. Some ancient Chinese pottery can be dated back to the Neolithic era, and beautiful calligraphy, paintings and jade works commissioned by Emperors from the first centuries can be seen pristinely preserved in many museums around the world.
Although recent headlines about China tend to me more economic, don't be fooled, China is quickly becoming an innovative beacon for the modern art world.
2015 alone boasts The Hong Kong Art Basel, Art Beijing, Shanghai Design Week, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival, all internationally acknowledged creative or performing art shows that feature a myriad of international works across various platforms.
Kicking off in February and ending March 29, the 42nd Hong Kong Arts Festival features over 130 performances and 250 events. Throughout six weeks, festivalgoers can experience performances ranging from classical music to contemporary dance, poetry, opera and flamenco dancing. This festival is the pinnacle of music, dance and theatre culture in Hong Kong.
Photo courtesy of NY Times 2012
Also in Hong Kong during the month of March is the third annual Hong Kong Art Basel, part of the international Art Basel series. Taking place March 15-17 this festival showcases the dynamics between East and West while providing a phenomenal platform for the emerging and established art world in Asia. Featured works include paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, video and editioned works from across 12 decades of art focused on six areas: Galleries, Insights, Discoveries, Encounters, Magazines and Film.
Photo courtesy of ART BASEL 2014
March 27-30 Shanghai will be hosting Shanghai Design Week Spring Series with an emphasis on interior design called Design Shanghai 2015. After being awarded UNESCO's City of Design award in 2010 and seeing an 11 percent growth in China's design industry in 2013, Shanghai has been relentlessly working to truly become a "City of Design" ever since. It does this by incorporating artistic design into almost every aspect of the city and this festival is an example of one of their efforts to bring design and society together. This event showcases 300 exhibitors both classic and contemporary, ranging in everything from unique furniture to ornate sculptures to distinct architecture.
Photo courtesy of Design Shanghai 2014
The last but not least of the spring art season in China centers on the 10th annual Art Beijing festival, May 1-3, where patrons can admire and/or purchase oil paintings, prints, sketches, sculptures, installations, Chinese traditional paintings and calligraphy, contemporary ink paintings, furniture and jewelry among others. A major motivation of this festival is public art education. Last year Art Beijing featured ART ZONE, a series of art installations scattered throughout Beijing accompanied by 14 public welfare education forums. This event seeks to effectively engage the public with art and cultivate a deeper sense of public participation.
Photo courtesy of Art Beijing 2014
Art vultures and those who simply admire art will both be impressed by China's appreciation, engagement and variety of art, a fascination of Chinese society that only seems to be growing.
With displays from over 3,000 international artists, Art Basel Hong Kong – taking place March 15-17, 2015 – is set to not only be a dynamic juxtaposition of East and West, but a phenomenal platform for the emerging and established art world in Asia. The third annual Art Basel Hong Kong traces paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, video and editioned works across 12 decades of art in six featured areas: Galleries, Insights, Discoveries, Encounters, Magazines and Film.
With half of the galleries coming from Asia and Asia Pacific, it’s an event that will immerse you in art, culture, history, and of course China.
To make this experience worth the trans-Pacific journey, consider experiencing the show in style with Imperial Tours on an 8-day Art Basel Hong Kong trip for two. Included in this package are private tours with art experts and specialists who will introduce you to some of the most prestigious galleries and private collections in Beijing’s 798 Art District, Shanghai’s world class contemporary art museums, and Hong Kong’s diverse art galleries, just to name a few.
One of the highlights of this trip is certainly the VIP pass to Art Basel Hong Kong with unlimited 2-day entry to the show and access to its collector’s lounge, Vernissage, and various fair events during which you can request one of our art experts to accompany you. Relax in between attending the fair and touring Hong Kong in a Harbor View Room at the beautiful Hong Kong Mandarin Oriental Hotel where a luxurious spa day or even a helicopter tour of the city can be added.
Our itinerary can be customized any way you like from simply adding an extra night, to exploring a lesser known part of the Great Wall with the wall’s foremost historian, to having a private dim sum cooking lesson, to watching Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights show while having a private dinner on an historic junk boat.
Please click here to view our Art Basel Hong Kong Itinerary. If you’d like to book this trip as is or have us customize it to suit your needs, please email to debora@imperialtours.net.
