an architect's playground….

The Shanghai skyline, punctuated by the Pearl Tower.

"Shanghai is an architect's playground," exclaimed our local tour guide, Nancy.

Constructed in different periods and by different nationalities, the buildings of Shanghai range from golden-roofed Buddhist temples, to French- and English-style buildings from the turn of the last century, to state-of-the-art contemporary glass skyscrapers. The old buildings don't seem to have suffered during the Cultural Revolution, and the new buildings aren't limited by the government in terms of how high they can go or  -- for the most part -- what shape and style they can be. The result is one unimaginable skyline, and one beautifully complex, international city.

This may be the most beautiful skyline in the world.

The glass spheres on either side of this old style building
are said to represent the eastern world and the western world.

An elaborate light show takes place on the faces of buildings
along The Bund (waterfront) each night.

On the older side of the river, European buildings mix with new ones.
The clock tower at the centre is English, and is nicknamed "Little Chen"
(in contrast to Big Ben). The tall building at the left is known as
"the Princess."

Jing Ai Temple amidst sparkling new skyscrapers.

Foreground: old European building.
Midground: new buildings using the same rooflines
and half-moon windows as the old building.
Background: modern skyscrapers, reflecting both old and new.