The Bund

Architecture lovers flock to the Huangpu River's western side to stroll the Bund, a waterfront tourist magnet in central Shanghai. There's a glorious mishmash of of late-19th- and early-20th-century styles here, from Gothic Revival to Art Deco. Walk by the Peace Hotel—first opened in 1929 as the Cathay Hotel—to behold its copper pyramid roof turned aqua with age. (Talk about aging gracefully.) Then hit the marble floors inside the HSBC Building (number 12) to admire its domed ceiling's eight mosaic morals depicting the 12 zodiac signs.