By Justin G. Ventura

50 years ago, the only time a Chinese would go down underground shelters was to practice in case of an American nuclear attack during the Cold War period. Now Shanghai’s yuppies are drawn to a new concept club aptly called “Shelter,” where they go underground and chill out to the latest dance music in a dungeon like atmosphere.

Shanghai, this mega city of 18.5 million hyperactive residents, has always been China’s most progressive. The most dazzling buildings are here and were even used for the dramatic stunts in the hit movie Mission Impossible III. It is China’s business and fashion capital with one of the world’s most active stock exchanges and where Louis Vuitton has one of its largest flagship stores. It is a city used to being a leader and a trendsetter. The world’s first and only commercially operated magnetic levitation train or the maglev runs in Shanghai at a top speed of 430 kilometers per hour. (Imagine reaching Laoag, Ilocos Norte from Manila in just an hour!)

When you want to glimpse China’s, if not the world’s, most futuristic city, Shanghai will give you an eyeful. Take an easy guess where the World Expo will be held in 2010–Shanghai, of course.

See the rest of this photo essay and more on our special report on China in our March 2009 issue.