20 Things to do in Shenzhen... that you probably haven't done before

We love Shenzhen. This city of more than 14 million people has long been considered a playground for Hongkongers, where you can haggle over handbags, spend the day getting your nails done, and (if you’re a spiky haired teenager) party the weekend away in one of the city’s many vast nightclubs. But there’s much more to it than triple A-grade copies. With its world-class galleries and several artist villages ranging from original works to top-quality reproductions, there’s tons of culture to be found in the SEZ. Shoppers looking for something far removed from train station squabbles should check out the mega malls, offering everything from homewares to electronics. Regardless of whether you want to hit the spas or try some of the impressive cuisine from all over China, you’ll find it all in our guide to Shenzhen.

By HK staff | published Apr 28, 2011

• 
  Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen
• 
  OCT East
• 
  Futian Shangri-La
• 
  Splendid China Folk Village
• 
  Ritz-Carlton
• 
  Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen
• 
  Happy Valley
• 
  Minsk World
• 
  Ritz-Carlton
• 
  Futian Shangri-La

          

1. Clamber around on a decommisioned Soviet aircraft carrier

Minsk World

Fans of military history should definitely make a trip out to Minsk World, arguably one of the strangest theme parks you’re likely to find in Shenzhen—and trust us, that’s saying something. Minsk is the name of an old Soviet-era aircraft carrier, which is now docked here as a permanent exhibition space, showcasing various artifacts such as planes, helicopters and PLA machinery. Visitors are free to roam around the flight deck and on certain floors of the vessel. For a small fee, you can even take a boat ride round the starboard side to get a glimpse of The Minsk in all its glory. Staff march around dressed in military-like uniforms, and will stage musical performances throughout the day.
Jinrong Rd, Shatoujiao, 0755-2535-5333, http://www.szminsk.com/

2. Get lost in geek heaven

SEG Electronic Market
SEG is the biggest electronics mall in the area. Be warned that means there’ll be a lot of hawkers out front determined to sell you their pirated software and laptops. Once inside, you’ll find a large variety of more genuine products mostly divided by floors. The first two sell electronic components like switches, tapes and conductors – so stay away unless you’re a serious nerd or in the business. Instead, head up to the third to eighth floors for laptops and computer accessories like hard drives, memory sticks, GPS receivers and MP3 players. On the fourth floor, you’ll find products from big brand names like Samsung and Sony. Be warned: they aren’t necessarily as cheap as those in Hong Kong—some may even be more expensive now considering the rising value of the Yuan. Don’t forget to bargain, bargain, bargain.
46 Huaqiang Bei Lu, Futian

3. Actually walk on some grass

Fairy Lake (Xianhu) Botanical Garden
Beyond the towering shopping malls of Luohu, much of Shenzhen is actually very green and beautiful. For just RMB 20, you can spend the day at one of the city’s best parks. Pack a picnic and wander through the picturesque gardens; cross the Chinese bridges the span the lakes; meander through the labyrinth and gawk at the hundreds of bursting blooms in the orchid garden. Best yet, you can pay homage to one of China’s greatest leader, Deng Xiaoping, by paying a visit to the tree he planted to honor the opening of the park. A stroll around the expansive park hand-in-hand is definitely a treat for couples—no wonder why there’s no shortage of wedding photo shoots here.
Fairy Lake Botanical Garden (Xianhu Zhiwuyuan), No.160 Liantangxianhu Rd., 0755-2573- 8430

4. Trick out your house

Century Furnishings Central Mall
Interior furnishing and furniture fans will enjoy a trip to this sprawling complex of strip malls, split into A, B and C areas (each area is as humongous as our Convention Centre in Wan Chai, so happy walking). Peruse the showrooms of furniture styles, from quaint American country to gaudy, gilt-painted monstrosities straight out of Louis XVI’s palace. For Asian-influenced pieces, there’s everything from antique Qing to modern Chinese minimalism. There are door handles in one wing, ceramic tiles in another. Want Egyptian hieroglyphics on your wall, or a bathroom like a Ming tomb? It’s all there (made in Shandong though). Area C, with all the remarkable designer knockoff lamps, is especially popular with the locals. A word of caution though: while the selection is unrivalled, it’s not particularly cheap. You have been warned.
Shennan Dalu, Futian District, 0755-8731-0111, www.sz-sjzx.com.
Near the Xiangmihu metro station

5. Soak up some culture

OCT Art & Design Gallery

A quintessential part of the OCT Contemporary Art Terminal (O-CAT), this gallery is located right next to the renowned He Xiangning Art Museum. The 3,000 square-meter space, with a modern exterior made of hexagonal glass steel, was renovated from an old warehouse, and is one of China’s most prominent venues to showcase cutting-edge design ideas. Its current creative exhibition, “What’s Next 30×30,” features more than 30 artists and designers including Stefan Sagmeister (Austria), Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan) and Hong Kong’s Anothermountainman (aka Kung Chi-shing) will run till May 25.
9009 Shennan Rd., Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District, 0755-3399-3222, www.oct-and.com

6. Be the boy in the bubble

Shenzhen Culture Park
Like many, we’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a hamster. Hoist yourself into a giant inflatable bubble and run around on the lake at the Shenzhen Culture Park, and afterwards, solemnly vow never to put your pet into a transparent ball again.
Shenzhen Culture Park, Renmin Gongyuan Lu

7. Take a walk along the beaten path

Dongmen Shopping District
For many, the Dongmen shopping district is the only reason to come to Shenzhen. Established 300 years ago and therefore also known as “Laojie” (meaning Old Street—hence the name of the metro station nearby). It’s one of the best places for cheap tech and has a thriving market in DVDs and console games of dubious origins: just USD$0.75 for major console games, and USD$0.90 for a DVD. The next question is whether you can get your bounty back across the border, especially now that police have stepped up custom checks. The choice is yours.

8. Enjoy a little slice of Europe

OCT East

You could lose yourself for days at OCT East—a massive entertainment theme park covering over nine kilometers of lush greenery in Dameisha, a beachy resort town in eastern Shenzhen. Combining two theme parks, three “scenic” towns recreating historical European townships (hence the full name: Overseas Chinese Town), and four resort hotels, a temple and an ancient Mandarin mansion to boot—it’s easy to see why families spend entire weeklong holidays here. For a break from the kiddie rides and swan-shaped paddle boats, go for a game of golf at one of the two 18-hole golf courses, take a dip in the onsite hot springs or unwind with a steaming cup of Chinese tea at one of the many pavilions surrounded by a tea plantation inside the Tea Stream Resort Valley.
OCT East, East Dameisha, Yantian District, 0755-8888-9888, http://www.octeast.com/

9. Relax a bit

Shenzhen Lizhi Gongyuan (Lychee Park)

Shenzhen Lizhi Gongyuan is a quiet botanical oasis in the middle of the city, famed for its beautiful lychee trees and scenic landscapes. Themed gardens, majestic pavilions and lush greenery dot this sprawling park, which is home to more than 30 different species of pretty plants. Besides the plump and juicy lychee trees, you’ll also be able to find ferns and cocoa plants at Lizhi Gongyuan. The gorgeous Lake Lihu is accessible at the southern edges of the park, with quaint little bridges and pathways built across. Lizhi Gongyuan is a breath of fresh air after a tiring shopping excursion, or even a reason on its own for a visit to the city.
1001 Hongling Zhong Lu, Futian District, 0755-8209 5655

10. Sink a couple of pitchers

The Kingway Beer Garden
Local beer Kingway is brewed in Shenzhen, and unusually for a Chinese beer, a) there’s no formaldehyde in it and b) it’s drinkable. And at this open-air beer garden behind the brewery itself, the beer is sold by the pitcher, and incredibly cheap. It’s a beer garden-cum-hawker center, with some decent basic food available to those who want it – but the beer definitely takes pride of place in between the satay sticks and the dice games. If you stay late enough, it’s a sure bet that your drunker-than-you neighbors will come over and start toasting you for any reason at all. Getting there is a taxi ride and a bit of luck, as it’s actually in a large open space surrounded by buildings, but go down the alley to get there and you’ll see a motley collection of chefs shucking the scallops you’re about to eat.
1 Buxin Dongchang Lu, Luohu, 0755-2551-6328

11. Ride the rollercoasters

Happy Valley

Shenzhen’s answer to Ocean Park, Happy Valley is a massive amusement park divided into nine zones: Sunshine Beach, Shangri-La Woods, Typhoon Bay, Goldmine Town, Playa Maya Water Park (open in the summer only), Happy Times, Mount Adventure, Spanish Square and Cartoon City. There are more than 100 amusements here, including several large rides that are not for the faint-hearted—many of which have been brought in from overseas. Our personal favorite is the river rapids ride, where you don a raincoat and get pelted with other visitors armed with water cannons as you pass by. There’re also the obligatory street-side performances to watch out for, including acrobatics, extreme sports, break dancing and magic displays. Entrance is RMB170 for adults and RMB85 for children over 1.1 meters tall. Kids shorter than that go in for free.
Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District, 0755-2694-9184, sz.happyvalley.cn

12. Learn some history

Splendid China Folk Village

At the 30-hectare Splendid China Folk Village, you’ll be able to see China’s cultural treasures in miniature version, all in one place and ready for you to explore at RMB120. Reduced at a scale of roughly 15:1, the replicas of landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City and the Imperial Palace are now conveniently available in Shenzhen’s own Futian district. Tombs, caves and even Buddha structures from different corners of the country are also on display. Apart from the Miniature Park, Splendid China also houses a Chinese Folk Culture Village showcasing the country’s 56 different ethnic groups. Each group is represented by a beautiful village, and there are dance and music shows daily in each village given by authentic ethnic performers.
Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District, 0755-2660-6526, www.cn5000.com.cn

13. Unwind at a mega-spa

Water Cube
Move over Queen Spa: the biggest and brightest relaxation venue in Shenzhen’s formidable lineup of mammoth massage parlors is the Water Cube. Located right next to Lok Ma Chau station, Water Cube offers a full range of spa treatments and facilities, all in brand spanking new and (relatively) classy surroundings. Relax in the vast indoor Jacuzzi, take a private bath or simply go for a foot massage. You can even get your hair cut, enjoy a round of mahjong, have a full-on Chinese banquet or even shoot some pool—all while wearing a snazzy set of PJs, of course.
1-6/F, Gangchenghuating Building, Yunong Village, Futian District, 0755-8329-6666, http://www.slfspa.com/

14. Get your drink on

Coco Park Bar Street
A shopping complex in the city center, Coco Park is one of the hippest spots in town. Besides countless shops and restaurants, the entire east side of Coco is a bar street with massive open-air drinking areas, popular among youngsters and expats in town. You’ll have no problem finding bars of different styles and vibes; get some friends together and there will be a sizzling party that goes from a quiet post-dinner catch-up to after-midnight mayhem.
Fuhua 3rd Rd., Futian District

15. Get a portrait

Dafen Art Village

If your walls at home are looking plain and drab, forget the generic “pebble” paintings you get in Ikea—hop in a cab and head out to the Dafen Art Village. Consisting of several blocks lined with galleries and workshops (some of which serve excellent coffee), this is the place to come for oil paintings for just about any occasion. You’ll find many reproductions of modern Chinese artworks (some wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood Road gallery) as well as abstract pieces, replicas of works by everyone from Da Vinci to Liechtenstein, paintings suitable for kids’ bedrooms and landscapes—in short, there’s something for just about everyone. Don’t see something you like? You can have a painting commissioned based on a photograph or picture. Always wanted a six-foot high painting of yourself riding a horse? Here’s where you’re gonna get it. Prices are extremely reasonable too—we decorated our whole house with paintings from here—some of them four-foot high—for just RMB900.
Longgang, Buji (say “Dafen Youhua Cuun” to your taxi driver; it should take about half an hour from Luohu in a cab)

16. Go nuts for knickknacks

Light Industrial Products City (Yizhan Centre)
Give your home a revamp by heading to mega mall complex Yizhan Centre for some stylish knickknacks and decorative items. These large multi-level shopping towers have virtually everything, from cushions, lamps, crockery and accessories to whimsical pieces, such as a life-sized horse sculpture donning a lampshade as a hat. There’s one floor dedicated to top-quality silk flowers; another to vases and other pieces that wouldn’t look out of place in Indigo. Be sure to keep your eye on the prize because you can easily get lost in the maze of shops. Unlike Luohu, shopkeepers here are much more friendly and easygoing, but be sure to haggle down inflated prices. For the best way to get there, join a daytime shopping tours organized by the Australian Association of Hong Kong (www.ozhongkong.com, 2530-4461). They start the journey from a meeting point in Central and shuttles shoppers directly to the house wares district (near Liyuan Lu and Meiyuan Road) by coach. If you’re done with the decor, the Association also offers organized tours for Dafen Artist Village. Besides picking up a trolley full of goodies for the house, there’ll also be some lovely ladies to spend the day with.
Yizhan Centre, Meiyuan Rd., Luohu District, www.yizhanzx.com

Dine in a swanky restaurant

The importance of Shenzhen as an economic hub has seen an explosion of high-end hotels in the past few years. With the hotels come world-class restaurants where you can treat yourself after a long day trudging around the city. Here are some of our favorites.

17. Belle-Vue

This restaurant is all about the gorgeous view (the “Belle-Vue,” if you will). This European restaurant has two separate areas, The Living Room and The Library, which are a bastion of Grand Hyatt luxury in the middle of Shenzhen; chefs can prepare your meal tableside at one of their cooking stations, and, this being China and all, there is a wide range of wines to choose from to impress your guests. Alternatively, end your weekend on a high note with a luxurious Sunday champagne brunch. Made-to-order, chefs bring delectable dishes, like their sinfully creamy lobster bisque, right to your table.
37/F, Grand Hyatt Shenzhen, 1881 Baoan Nan Rd., Luohu District, 0755 2218-7338

18. China Spice

At China Spice you’ll be able to find specialty dishes from each unique province in China and also fusion creations like Cantonese delicacies with a hint of Sichuan and Chiu Chow. Herbal and healthy medicinal soups are part of the restaurant’s prestigious repertoire, and you can enjoy them in a traditional or contemporary brew depending on your preference. Private dining rooms are available for intimate gatherings.
4/F, Four Points by Sheraton Shenzhen, 5 Guihua Rd., Futian District, 0755-8358-8655

19. Paletto

Enjoy this fine Italian dining experience in Ritz Carlton. Renowned Italian chef Massimo Miglietta cooks up authentic Italian dishes with a modern twist. Choose from a gourmet selection of antipasti, pizza, pasta, grilled seafood and a variety of regional dishes. You should try their two delicious features, wagyu beef tenderloin with black pepper crust, Savoy cabbage, sauteed and creamed potatoes, and the whole wheat chitarra spaghetti in lobster sauce, while you’re there. The restaurant is elegantly decorated with a contemporary touch.
2/F, Ritz Carlton Shenzhen, 116 Fuhua San Rd., Futian District, 0755 2222-2222

20. Shang Garden

Think bistro-style Cantonese dining in a comfortable and laid back atmosphere and you’ve got Shang Garden, Fu Tian Shangri-La’s pride and joy. Headed by chef Anthony Dong, the restaurant serves authentic Huaiyang and Cantonese fare such as their signature steamed egg white with crab roe and double-boiled beef soup with Chinese yam, medlar and red dates (we highly recommend the red dates stuffed with glutonous rice for dessert!). You’ll also be able to enjoy classic, all-you-can-eat dim sum for lunch or a-la-carte in the morning.
Futian Shangri-La, 4088 Yi Tian Rd., Futian District, 0755-2151-3835

David Tang: From connections come corrections

 

 

With friends in high places, the founder of ICorrect.com can afford to push a unique celebrity website

With friends in high places, the founder of ICorrect.com can afford to push a unique celebrity website

James Robinson

The Guardian, Monday 28 March 2011

Eye on the prize ... David Tang has spent weeks drumming up support from the likes of Bianca Jagger for his online venture ICorrect Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Sir David Tang is incredibly well-connected, as anyone who doesn't already know is likely to discover within minutes of meeting the billionaire businessman, socialite and, as of last week, would-be internet entrepreneur. The gregarious restaurateur, born in Hong Kong but educated in England from the age of 13, slips in an account of a recent conversation with Henry Kissinger seconds after settling back in his comfortable chair at a central London members' club to discuss his new website, ICorrect.com. "I would say to Henry Kissinger – as I did – look, people will ask in generations to come, did you bomb Cambodia legally or illegally?" he recalls.

To be fair to Tang, who sold his fashion chain Shanghai Tang to luxury goods group Richemont in 2006, name-dropping has become something of an occupational hazard. He has spent weeks drumming up support for his venture, which gives the rich, powerful and influential a platform to respond to online slurs – for a $1,000 a year fee. "Only I know all these people and I have to go and see every one of them," he explains. "For the last two months I have seen every single person, from the most powerful to the most read and talked about to the most controversial."

Tang has smooth-talked or strong-armed many of them into becoming ICorrect members (or "correctors" as he prefers to call them). Bianca Jagger signed up and used the site to explode the myth that she rode into the infamous New York nightclub Studio 54 on a white horse semi-naked. ("I briefly mounted the horse, dressed in a full-length red Halston dress.") Tony Blair's former chief of staff Jonathan Powell, Michael Caine and Stephen Fry have also used the site, which launched earlier this month.
ICorrect is easy to use, although it is currently populated almost exclusively by Tang's friends and acquaintances. An allegation or assertion is set out on the right-hand side, and a celebrity riposte posted next to it. Imagine a virtual version of a graffiti-strewn school toilet, with innuendo and gossip scrawled on the walls – only with space set aside for a right of reply from targets.

All hearsay

When Tang met Kissinger, the former US secretary of state told him to read his autobiography, as he had addressed the Cambodia question in the book. Tang, who does a passable impression of Nixon's former aide, waving his cigar around as he does so, retorted that no one will do so in the future. "The only filing system there is is this parallel space we call cyberspace," he says, and the information that exists in it, "is all hearsay. And that is the problem. If you don't correct things and you just leave them they will repeat themselves again and again and again. And that's it."
That is hardly a new phenomenon but Tang says public figures can now set the record straight for a small fee rather than resorting to the libel courts or the Press Complaints Commission. "If you're somebody to be reckoned with, [the annual fee] is how much it would cost to ring up the solicitor and ask them to write a standard letter."
Tang hopes the site will make money almost immediately as celebrities, sports stars, academics and politicians flock to it. He talks excitedly of global domination. "After I launch it in America I will go to China, Spain, France, Hong Kong. I'm going to have an Arabic [version]." Once he reaches a critical mass of users he believes he can sell members' details to companies who will pay handsomely for access to the world's most exclusive address book (apart from his own). "It will become the first luxury brand on the internet. That's the value, that's the potential."
It is tempting to dismiss ICorrect as a rich man's folly, a hobby for a semi-retired businessman whose companies run themselves (Tang is the exclusive Asian distributor for Havana cigars and owns the China Tang restaurant in London's Dorchester Hotel). Is this really a viable business proposition? Wikipedia is free, after all, and well-known figures – or their PR advisers – are free to visit the site and correct misinformation, while Twitter and Facebook allow celebrities to communicate directly with their public, managing their reputations in real time.
Tang dismisses Wikipedia on the basis that inaccuracies and untruths can be reinstated as well as removed. "Twitter is very impulsive and impermanent," he adds, "and you only have 140 characters. There is no greater 'Emperor' of Twitter than Stephen Fry. He went on ICorrect [and] he goes on for a long, long time. These are serious people who want to go on and explain themselves." Tang concedes well-known figures could use their own websites to right perceived wrongs, but says they are reluctant to do so. "Madonna wants to sell songs and concerts, not to engage in controversies about how she adopts African children. The Prince of Wales wants to promote his good works, not [talk] about the fact that he is a bit crazy talking to plants or eating seven boiled eggs for breakfast. There is a case for setting the negative aspect of your life apart and containing it; [putting it] into a corner to deal with it."

Politicians next

Tang hopes corporations will also sign up – paying $5,000 a year – and points out that Chelsea Football Club, sports management group IMG (which represents Tiger Woods and Roger Federer) and Norman Foster & Partners have already done so. "These are not insubstantial companies," he notes. He is targeting politicians next. His overheads are low, and so he reckons 500 members will be enough to cover his costs. He thinks ICorrect, in which he is the sole shareholder, will make a small amount of money this year.
Tang insists he is not seeking vengeance against the media: "It wasn't out of frustration." He says he has never complained to a newspaper, although he knows most of the editors, naturally. The "socialite" label irritates him because he stopped going out when he turned 50. "It's better than being called a paedophile," he reflects. "I suppose for 25 years I did go out."
When pressed, Tang says he believes journalistic standards have fallen, although he could simply be afflicted by a form of selective myopia that seems restricted to the wealthy and powerful, a condition that grows worse when a sufferer's friends and associates are written about regularly. In any case, does he really trust the rich and famous, people he describes as "prima donnas" and "divas", to tell the unvarnished truth on his site?
He says it might not matter, providing there are no fakes – new members must prove they are who they say they are – and no inflammatory or libellous content. "We are not in the business of policing the content, except that obviously I would be entirely stupid if I didn't monitor either defamation or incitement to crime.
"You have to be slightly careful about accepting controversial figures," Tang muses. "If you ask me, would I accept Nick Griffin or Gary Glitter – probably not, because I can do without the hassle." When asked if allowing propaganda to be published on ICorrect unchallenged would undermine the credibility of the site and embarrass him personally, Tang begins to rant about the long list of despots who have been the guests of the Queen.
"They all rolled up in open carriages up the Mall, stayed in Buckingham Palace, and they were entertained regally by ... Her Majesty. And afterwards they all go mad, or we discover they were [mad all along]. But that's part of life. What can we do?"
Bar any dictator from using the site, perhaps? "Yes, but let's say Gaddafi wanted to join ICorrect tomorrow and it all turns out to be bullshit. It could actually form a very valuable piece of information for historians and psychologists," Tang argues unconvincingly.
He believes celebrities might even use the site to indulge in acts of contrition. "It could also become [a forum for] apologia. If I were Naomi Campell I might well have said I should not have used the word 'inconvenient' in the Charles Taylor [trial in the Hague]." Americans love apologia, he says, his eyes lighting up at the prospect. "You need Tiger Woods to say 'I'm very sorry, I shouldn't have done this'." That may be fanciful, but Tang is convinced ICorrect will give many well-known figures the opportunity to have "the final word".

Curriculum vitae

Age 56
Education The Perse, Cambridge, University of London (BA Hons Philosophy)
Career 1983 lecturer, Peking University 1985 executive, Algy Cluff 1989 director, First Pacific 1990 founder and chairman, China Club Hong Kong 1995 founder, luxury clothing company Shanghai Tang 1996 becomes exclusive distributor for Cuban cigars in Canada and south-east Asia 2003 adviser, Tommy Hilfiger USA, Asprey & Garrard, Savoy Hotel Group 2011 founder, ICorrect

Sir David Tang's heaven and hell

Sir David Tang receives his knighthood from the Queen 

Caroline Shearing

2:43PM BST 18 Apr 2008

Hong Kong businessman Sir David Tang talks to Caroline Shearing about his best and worst holiday experiences.

Great holidays...

Which was your best holiday?

My best holiday was probably my 50th birthday in August 2004. Fifty of my favourite friends came to Bhutan from all over the world. That each of them bothered to make the difficult journey put me on a high.

The sun shone most days, and we were always cooled by the evening showers. Overall, it was a perfect balance between our urban sensibilities and a spiritual sense of the wilderness.

And the best hotel you have stayed in?

The best modern hotel in the world is Amanjiwo in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This is the only faultless hotel I have been to and it happens to be the most beautiful hotel built in recent times. It's next to Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

The best classic hotel is Villa Feltrinelli at Lake Garda, because Bob Burns, when he took it over, understood everything about what a grand hotel should be. The bathroom in the best suite is the best in the world – the shower is unparalleled in the universe.
What do you need for a perfect holiday?
Both exercise and rest are essential. Sitting by the pool all day, inert, is boring. Not sight-seeing is boring. Not getting one's physical condition fit during a holiday is boring. Eating and drinking and smoking too much is also excruciatingly boring. If you do boring things during a holiday, then you feel absolutely awful at the end of it.
What do you always take with you?
I always take a PG Wodehouse for laughs and the poems of TS Eliot (and a reference book so that I can finish off my annotations to his erudite and pretentious references!). I never forget to bring some Mozart and Scriabin and Mahler for the ears and Barry Humphries's wondrously clever anthology of 1930s classics.
Where do you want to go next?
I want to sail from Hong Kong to Shanghai, into the Whampoa River up the Soochow Creek and be moored off the Bund (the embankment) for a couple of nights. I am arranging to charter the Kalizma, on which Richard Burton proposed to Elizabeth Taylor, which is in the East, but we must wait for calm seas as the East China coast can be rather rough.
What's your best piece of travel advice?
The best advice I can give on travel is to avoid airports at all costs – unless you go private. The commercial airport is now so utterly ghastly with unimaginably rude people who pass themselves off as "security officers". Their pettiness makes me cringe with rage.

...and disasters?

Which was your worst holiday?
My worst holiday was in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, whose colonial past had degenerated into sheer collapse, unlike that of neighbouring India. It was a depressing anti-climax when I was expecting much.
The worst moment was when I went to a casino and was unceremoniously escorted out by the manager. I had psoriasis on the back of my hand and they had detected it on their cameras. They accused me of being a leper and infecting their customers. Later that night I dined with the Prime Minister and his wife and she also had psoriasis, so I recommended that they enlighten their people.
And your worst experience on holiday?
A terrible thing happened to me when I first arrived in Nairobi years ago. I was asked if I had had the yellow fever injection. I hadn't, but joked that I didn't need it because I was yellow. The pun was not appreciated, and I was bunged into a cell for a couple of hours. Rather unpleasant, I have to admit.
What's the biggest packing mistake you've made?
I always pack too many books, being greedy on choice but I always end up only reading 25 per cent of them.
Which is the worst hotel you've stayed in?
The worst hotel I have stayed in is one off Eaton Place in London. The space, the food, the service... all too dreadful for words.
What do you avoid on holiday?
I avidly avoid crowds.
What do you hate about holidays?
I hate it when I know that there are only two days left. I also then hate having to decide what I should send out for laundry. Do I take it home or not? Such a boring question and immensely taxing.

• Sir David Tang is a Hong Kong businessman.

A life in the day: David Tang

From The Sunday Times

May 20, 2007
The entrepreneur David Tang OBE, 52, was born in Hong Kong. His businesses range from the ultra-chic boutique chain Shanghai Tang to aviation and gold-mining. He has two grown-up children from his first marriage, and lives in Hong Kong with his wife, Lucy

Interview by Sue Fox

I wake at 5.45am with four dogs on the bed: Hot and Cold, our westies, Chilly, a big labrador, and Hemington — a cross between a labrador and a cocker spaniel. I check the time on my Ball watch — it fluoresces in red, blue and green. I buy pyjamas from Charvet in Paris, who embroider “Do not disturb DT” or “DT sleeping” on the pocket. The most luxurious thing is to change your fine Egyptian-cotton pyjamas and sheets each day. I go to my study, where I’m very spoilt. My housekeeper brings me orange juice, fruit and coffee made with freshly pulverised Colombian beans. Every other day she adds a touch of cardamom to sharpen the taste. In the loo, I switch on the BBC World Service.
Sitting at my desk, I watch Sky News and read the South China Morning Post, Herald Tribune and Financial Times. I don’t have a laptop — I’ve never touched a mouse in my life — but this summer I’m launching an internet company. I check my BlackBerry for e-mails and go through the papers delivered from the office the previous night. I’m meticulous about answering e-mails within 24 hours. One of three secretaries — she’s the Lara Croft of dictation — deals with my business matters. On January 1 the government banned smoking in offices.
I smoke Punch Double Corona Cabinet cigars, cut in half, and hardly go to the office any more. I’d rather be at home.
The next three hours, from 9 to 12, are my time. I shower using Kiehl’s plainest shampoo and Roger & Gallet soap, sitting on a built-in seat with water raining down on me from a huge shower head. I say hello to Lucy, then get on my cross-trainer. We love to crack a joke in the morning, but we’re competitive about keeping fit. In the last 18 months I’ve lost 35lb. Wherever I am in the world, my office faxes crosswords from the Telegraph and Times. I make a start on the easier Telegraph, aiming to finish as much as possible in the 35 minutes I’m on the cross-trainer. Then I do weights, with an opera DVD playing on screen.
When I came to England at 13 I hadn’t heard of Mozart, Bach or Beethoven. Now classical music is an integral part of my life. I own a 9ft Steinway grand. There’s no point having anything less, especially if you’re not good. I’m working on the last movement of the Moonlight Sonata. I get terribly cross knowing I don’t pay enough attention to fingering. We amateurs are very sloppy on fingering. I’m lucky to get half an hour at the piano. The phone rings constantly. My businesses — apart from Shanghai Tang, restaurants and clubs — have involved oil exploration, cigars and gold-mining. I’m doing many things, including a new hotel. And I’m president of the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation and founder chairman of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund and Down’s Syndrome Association. In autumn 2005 I begged the government to take on one or two young Down’s-syndrome people in the civil service. After six months, I’d heard nothing. Now triumph! The government has employed two Down’s-syndrome youngsters at the post office.
I have lunch in one of my two Hong Kong places: the China Club or Cipriani. Then I have meetings, which I hate.
I travel a great deal, giving speeches every other week. I’m chairman of a company selling private jets, and I have generous friends who might lend me a plane or let me hitch a ride. If I have to fly commercial, I use British Airways Special Services. I just take a briefcase. I have clothes in most of the places I go — suits made by Welsh & Jeffrey, tailors to Eton. I didn’t go to Eton, but my mother always said people will think you did if you wear suits by their tailor.
As a child I adored my grandmother, but my grandfather was a nightmare. He founded the Kowloon bus company and became one of Hong Kong’s greatest philanthropists. When we grandchildren wanted to see him, we had to go through his secretary. Then the Chinese Almanac had to be consulted. When my father, barely a year old, was very ill, my grandfather was alarmed at the prospect of the premature death of his only son. To comfort him, my great-grandmother — believing my father would die — lied to him out of kindness. She told my grandfather he shouldn’t grieve because the family soothsayer had said my father would blacken his life. He miraculously recovered, but it was too late. My grandfather considered his son as one who must not be near him, lest his own life become adversely affected. So he sent him away with my grandmother and never asked to see them again.
I’m grateful to have a lifestyle I enjoy. But I wouldn’t go crazy if I were to lose it tomorrow. I can cook. I could go to the supermarket — the most hideous thing — and I know how to use the launderette. Since turning 50 I’m not as sociable. By 5pm I want to be home with Lucy, my books, poetry and my piano. Our cook makes dinner — Chinese, Indian or European. Unless it’s to the cinema, I hate going out. I used to buy the two seats in front of us so no big heads got in the way, but Hong Kong’s cinemas are better now, so I’ve stopped.
I read and go to bed late. Before I go to sleep I watch 24 or a bit of crap on television. Lucy and I laugh a lot. But as we slide into those newly ironed crisp sheets, both of us say: “Thank God.” We live in fear that this can’t last. Something is going to go wrong

葡萄酒餐吧走红伦敦

撰文：John Stimpfig ，编译：FT中文网实习生 姜红叶 2011-07-07 (www.ftchinese.com)

高级酒吧一直是葡萄酒爱好者的去处，但他们很少在此同时进餐，也不会专程去餐厅品酒。然而，位于伦敦查令十字街头的Terroirs餐厅就将餐厅与酒吧结合，不仅提供多达三百余种葡萄酒的酒单，也供应地道纯正的法式烹饪。这个倡导“美酒美食，原味原汁”（Great food and great wine sourced with an eager eye for provenance）的地方，既注重品酒体验，也讲究美食搭配，得到了伦敦最权威的餐馆评论的赞赏。最近一两年，新型葡萄酒吧已成为了伦敦热门的饮食趋势。
新型葡萄酒餐吧的另一个创新在于光鲜雅致的自动供酒机，只要在选择酒种后刷一下预付的品酒卡，它就能分毫不差地取配好酒。在Kensington酒房，面对四十余种杯装酒（￡4.15起），客人们通过供酒机，有了更多自信去探索平时鲜少考虑的不知名品种。
被誉为“品酒家新宠”的 28°-50°葡萄酒工坊，因其老板私下从酒农处直接采购珍贵酒品，省去了中间渠道的获利加价，价格远低于市面上的零售价，因此广受青睐。一些葡萄酒商店（wine shop）不仅启用网络销售，在线下还效仿典型的意大利品酒间（enoteca）设置品酒区，让客人走进店里，先品酒再购买。还有多家酒吧将私家客房（private room）改造成为承办秘密酒宴、品酒会、酿酒师晚宴以及葡萄酒课程的包厢，以吸引更多顾客。
在葡萄酒供应的方面，乏味平淡的品牌正被来自精品制造商的佳酿所取代。Kensington酒房里，数量庞大的葡萄酒宝藏包括来自西班牙Jumilla港口、南美patagonia高原以及澳大利亚Eden Valley的葡萄酒，还有上好的勃艮第（Burgundy）、波尔多（Bordeaux）和托斯卡纳（Tuscany），以及1989年的Lynch-Bages（￡362）和1998年的Sassicaia（￡242） 等一百二十种瓶装酒。“我们还会轮换不同的品种，好让人们每次都能有新鲜的享受。”酒房的主人Richard Okroj介绍道。
值得一提的新兴酒种包括天然葡萄酒，适合口味质朴、偏好家庭作坊式葡萄酒的人群。始于巴黎和东京的天然葡萄酒革新（Natural Wine Movement），核心理念在于拒绝葡萄酒生产中的一切添加剂，酿造出以葡萄质地为导向的葡萄酒。这些酒几乎一律来自微型的葡萄栽培园，各个园区只负责几公顷的葡萄种植。然而，这样的葡萄酒挺难对付，“天然葡萄酒卖的并不容易——尤其当它拥有难以驾驭的口味和不同寻常的小气泡时。”Bar Battu酒馆的主人Simon Binder解释道。尽管如此，这些另类的葡萄酒还是吸引了越来越多爱猎奇的行家。
这样的新潮“酒水库”，最终会怎么演变——是酒吧，还是变相的餐馆？“早先的时候，这些食物并不对所有人的胃口，只有百分之十五的收入来自食物，但现在已经超过了百分之三十，原因就在于我们雇佣了更好的厨师。”Artisan & Vine酒馆的主人O’ Mara谈到这种趋势时说道。这些酒吧越来越重视搭配酒饮的菜肴品质。“几乎每个走进类似Terroirs的人都会下意识将其当作传统的葡萄酒吧，我却认为它更趋近餐馆。”著名美食评论家Peter Harden与同事每月至少来一次Terroirs，在他看来，它是引领小碟菜美食趋势的先驱，“这很符合我们今天的饮食习惯。客人们喜欢对菜肴细嚼慢咽、自主选搭，同时配上一杯好酒。这是一种有趣、入时而又精致的风尚。”
本文根据FT旗下奢侈品杂志《如何消费》（How To Spend It）2011年5月号“Toast of the town”编译。

本文的网址：http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001039429