Like so many good love affairs, mine begins with a fling.

Akin to most expats, I arrived in Shanghai with a short-term contract in hand. I saw the city as just a temporary blip on my life’s radar, a flirtation with a new fate. This year-and-a-half “Eastern sabbatical” was an opportunity to work and travel abroad, expand my Chinese vocabulary beyond ni hao, and taste some real Chinese food (not the Americanized kung pao chicken in white takeout pails I had grown up with, always accompanied by a crushed fortune cookie prophesying that ‘An exciting opportunity lies ahead’). I assumed that afterwards, I would return home to follow life’s fixed course – a house in the suburbs, a car, a dog, and 2.3 children: the American Dream.

But, as I drove for the first time into the city I would grow to call home, the pulsing glow emanating from the endless sprawl of futuristic skyscrapers seduced me – the courtship had already begun. As the cliché goes, it was love at first sight. Unbeknownst to me, Shanghai would become my infatuation, my epicenter, my home for the next decade and beyond, forever altering my prescribed path for the better.

This is a love letter to the city that captured my heart.

Dubbed the “Paris of the East,” Shanghai inherently boasts romance in its name. Home to more than 24 million people, it’s China’s largest metropolis by population. Yet, despite its overwhelming modernity, the city still exudes the sentimental charm of a bygone era.

Situated at the terminus of the Yangtze River along East China’s coastline, Shanghai has welcomed an international influence since the end of the First Opium War – a conflict that resulted in ceding Hong Kong to Britain and opening several ports to British trade. The showpiece of said influence is The Bund, a 1.6-kilometer stretch on the western side of the Huangpu River lined with dozens of opulent landmarks housing international banks, elite hotels, world-renowned restaurants, and picturesque museums, all outfitted in a mix of Art Deco, Baroque and Gothic architectural styles. From sun-up tai chi practitioners and dragon kite flyers to sun-down strollers, the Bund lures in passers-by from all walks of life with its grandeur and panache.

The majestic Lujiazui backdrop in Shanghai’s newer half, Pudong, is a heart-on-the-sleeve ode to architectural prowess, marked by four of the country’s tallest buildings – the Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower, and the iconic Pearl Tower. Brazenly glittering in neon hues of purple, red, blue, and pink, the lights electrify the Huangpu River in a stunning display that would make Paris’ Seine blush.

Over the years, I’ve uncovered new clandestine corners of the Bund, visiting her via different means as our bond strengthens. First, by land: a riverside walking and biking trail that traverses a 25-kilometer stretch of the city. Next, over water: a Huangpu River cruise that affords riders simultaneous views of both banks at a range of price points and duration. For the seasoned ‘Hai-ers, we also witness the Bund in all her glory by air, at the lavish rooftop bars that flank both borders of the river. Here, veteran mixologists serve up sundowners with a side of colonial architecture and a spritz of cultural heritage.

East of the river, the newer side of the city (Pudong), is lined with ritzy shopping complexes, towering office buildings, and cloud-reaching luxury hotels, like the celebrated Ritz-Carlton Shanghai. During the warmer months, the highest (and most spectacular) bar, 58th-floor Flair Rooftop, plays host to weekend parties I have frequented during my Shanghai tenure, featuring globally-acclaimed DJs, drink specials, and Southeast Asian snack pairings – the optimal setting for meeting that special someone.

The west side of the river (Puxi), is brimming with remnants from the city’s life story, like the Waldorf Astoria, housed in the building once home to Shanghai Club, a premier men’s club for British nationals with history dating back more than a century. At the time, the venue’s Long Bar – with its 34-meter bar top – claimed to be the longest in the world. (When famed English playwright and celebrated wit Noël Coward visited the establishment, he pressed his cheek against the bar and exclaimed that he could see the curvature of the earth.) What stands still today is an exact replica of the glamour and glitz of Shanghai’s yesteryear, coupled with an ample spread of cocktails, canapés, Cuban cigars, and live music.

Perpendicular to the bar (and embodying the timeless Shakespearean quote “the world is your oyster”) sits PIИK OYSTER, China's only oyster omakase experience with just eight coveted seats, which I’ve been lucky enough to snag twice in my life. The concept is the creation of Mr. Brian Tong, the Area General Manager of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Greater China and Mongolia.

"We aim to celebrate this illustrious venue that has withstood the test of time," he enthuses, "and make it a new beacon in the culinary landscape of the Waldorf Astoria, where guests can enjoy a starry-eyed evening filled with fine oysters and champagne sips, soaking in the enchanting Bund nightscape for the ultimate sense of romance the city can provide.”

You might fall in love with someone here, but first you’ll fall in love with the city.

Shanghailander

While Shanghai excels when it comes to nightlife, daytime is when it really shines, particularly for a sunny stroll on the leafy plane tree-lined streets of the Former French Concession, an eminent residential area of Shanghai once designated for the French as a foreign concession between 1849-1943.. Along Wulumuqi Road and the similarly buzzing parallel avenues of Anfu Road and Wuyuan Road is where I’ve passed countless leisurely afternoons. Hand-in-hand with loved ones, I’ve sipped coffee from any of the dozens of trendy cafés (like Shanghailander for Australian-quality coffee and Chinese ingredient-influenced confectionaries, or Azabuya for a Japanese tea-inspired gelato); grabbed a bite at an array of international bistros (like sandwichery Paopao Deli or casual Italian eatery Alimentari); and secured a specially curated gift at one of the many bustling curio and craft stores. (Dutch designer Kate Wood sells one-of-a-kind wooden sunglasses, watches, bamboo bike parts, and locally-made clothes and bags.)

On weekend afternoons, I’ve often found myself at Shanghai’s Marriage Market in People’s Square Park, the largest of its kind in the country. Here, parents of single adults congregate to share details of their unmarried child – age, job, salary, height, Chinese Zodiac sign, and other equally poignant figures – in hopes of finding a suitable spouse. Not a photo in sight, these stats are scrawled on posters, taped to tree trunks, balanced against open umbrellas, or hung from lampposts. While some may find this business-style approach to matchmaking off-putting, there’s something romantic to be said about this pre-cursor to modern-day dating apps that keeps me returning time and again.

Shanghai’s romance continues further afield, as visitors can drive hours from the city center and still technically be within its limits that cover more than 6,340 square kilometers. Moving towards the outskirts provides a glimpse into what Shanghai was like 100 years ago: a cluster of riverside settlements and farming villages. Enter Zhujiajiao, a 1,700-year-old water town located in Qingpu District, just 48 kilometers from downtown – the perfect location for a day trip or weekend getaway. Christened the “Venice of Shanghai” for its twisting canals and cobblestone alleys, it’s one of the oldest settlements in China, with archaeological findings dating back 5,000 years, and one of the country’s most well-preserved ancient streets

Down a small side street off of Bei Dajie, I have fallen head over heels for Jing Ting, a refurbished Qing Dynasty cultural relic that’s been converted into an upscale bed and breakfast. The property’s trio of courtyards offer a four-season experience, with sakura trees blossoming in spring, lotus flowers blooming in summer, the scent of sweet osmanthus buds filling the air in autumn, and a plum blossom tree sprouting in winter. The connected 700-year-old teahouse sees one of the widest tea selections in South China, presented alongside local snacks like youdunzi (fried radish cakes) and chou doufu (a version of the China-famous street snack, stinky tofu).

The town’s showstopper– the Fangsheng Bridge – is the largest, longest, and tallest stone arch bridge in all of Shanghai, ideally observed via private ingot boat cruise that winds through the maze of waterways and bridge-covered channels, at once nostalgic and transcendent.

Retracing steps across the city I’ve called home for the majority of my adult life, revisiting the experiences I’ve undergone and the moments I’ve shared with the people I’ve come to love as family, has been a rite of passage. This pilgrimage, predicted by that aforementioned fortune cookie, carried me down a trajectory towards becoming who I’m meant to be. As it prophesied, my Shanghai fling evolved into an opportunity of a lifetime, a love story with the city that made me who I am today.

Other Must-visit Destinations and Date-night Establishments

Mr & Mrs Bund

Globally-famed chef Paul Pairet’s retro French eatery serves up family style brasserie fare, recast for a modern table. Don’t miss the terrace with its sweeping Bund views.

Fu He Hui

A beacon for exquisite vegetarian fine dining, the restaurant’s menu, under the guidance of Chef Tony Lu, honors seasonal and regionally-sourced produce from across China.

Highline

This restaurant and lounge bar within the Ascott Hotel offers a spacious 360-degree patio overlooking the Xintiandi neighborhood, decorated with sleek interiors that lend themselves to nights out and formal occasions alike, preferably with bubbles in hand.

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

An extension of the eponymous 3 Michelin Star restaurant in Hong Kong, Chef Bombana and Turin-native Executive Chef Nicólo Rotella have recreated the same luxe, fine dining affair on the North Bund, a now 2 Michelin Star venue.

Coquille

One of Shanghai's most elegant and exclusive yet “fun” dining restaurants, Coquille is a seafood bistro boasting the extravagance of the 1920s coupled with drool-worthy French fare, executed to satiate, with added showmanship flair.

Zotter Chocolate Theatre 

Located in a 100-year-old warehouse building, this organic chocolate factory offers daily tasting tours where guests can learn about the entire production process, from bean to bar.

*This article was originally published here as the cover story of the February 2025 of Malaysia Airlines' in-flight magazine, Going Places.