Though no longer China's tallest building, having recently been eclipsed by the neighboring World Financial Center, the Jin Mao Tower (Jin Mao Dasha) remains Shanghai's most elegant and distinctive skyscraper. It also still proudly houses the world's highest hotel, post office and bar.

Situated in the heart of the Lujiazui financial district, the Jin Mao's design is based on the lucky number eight: 88 floors soar upward, divided into 16 segments, each 1/8 smaller than the preceding one. Architecturally a blend of the monumental Art Deco of the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings and the balanced composition of the traditional Chinese pagoda, the Jin Mao renews the long-standing Shanghai tradition of blending Western and Chinese styles, resulting in a dynamic hybrid that beautifully compliments the Bund's colonial-era façades across the Huangpu River.

The interior is as impressive as the exterior, featuring expansive vaulted spaces in the entrance lobby and the stunning Grand Hyatt Shanghai atrium, which spirals upwards from the 56th to the 87th floor. From the 88th floor, visitors can either look down into the atrium or out across the Shanghai cityscape all the way to the mouth of the Yangzi (atmospheric conditions permitting, of course). The 87th floor is home to the world's highest bar, Cloud 9, and its mezzanine Sky Lounge.

Dining options include the swank Shanghainese Club Jin Mao (86th floor) and Canton (56th floor) along with a selection of smaller and somewhat less expensive restaurants in the On Fifty-Six dining area. The larger Jin Mao complex includes J-Life, an upscale shopping and entertainment space sitting alongside the tower, and the Jin Mao Concert Hall, which favors Western chamber music and small Chinese traditional music ensemble performances.