Where To Beat The Heat in Shanghai

Veering between sweltering heat and torrential rain, the weather in Shanghai during the summer can be unpredictable at best. Keep cool with these fabulous indoor pursuits.

The Shanghai skyline is studded with starchitectural wonders, but if you value your sanity then you can forget a trip up the iconic tourist-swamped Oriental Pearl Tower. Instead, skip over to the dazzling, bronze bamboo-grooved Fosun Foundation Art Centre. Conceived by Brit powerhouse duo Norman Foster and Thomas Heatherwick, the Insta-worthy edifice will wow, but nip inside for an equally impressive rotation of contemporary art exhibits and performances.

Complete your cool, crowd-free foray with a swish evening at bar-diner hideout and boutique cinema, Cinker Pictures. Slip into a Millennial-pink banquette for Hollywood-inspired sips, before choosing from an array of well-executed Euro-tinged eats in the restaurant, followed by an exclusive screening of an indie film for afters. Book in advance, via the Cinker Pictures’ WeChat page or by phone, or pop into the box office to bag your spots in the luxe 30-seat theatre.

We’ve rarely met a massage we didn’t like, but The Peninsula Spa offers an indulgent 5-star pamper experience like no other. A menu of blissful, holistic therapies riff on Ayurvedic, Chinese and European traditions, including a chakra-aligning hot-stone ritual, jetlag-busting aromatherapy rub, seaweed facial, salt and oil scrub, plus complete top-to-toe packages. For ultimate style points, finish with a leisurely dip in the mint-green, Art Deco, mosaic-embellished pool, followed by tea on the leafy vista-wrapped terrace. Aaah...

Fosun Foundation Art Centre / 600 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu / Huangpu / +86 21 6305 5118 / 10am-8pm Tue-Sun / fosunfoundation.com

Cinker Cinema / 3-4/F / Taikoo Hui / Nanjing Xi Lu / Jing’An / +86 21 6266 1708 / 11am-2am daily

The Peninsula Spa / 3/F / The Peninsula / +86 21 2327 6599 / 11am-midnight Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight Sat-Sun / peninsula.com