Whether it is royalties or titans of industry, breakthroughs in architecture and engineering are often fueled by projections of wealth, power, influence, and culture. As wealth rises, so do buildings and bridges, estates and temples. As powers fall, they decay, slowly crumbling, waiting for fortunes to change and hoping for revivals to come. The architectural contrasts—ancient and modern—of Hangzhou and Shanghai vividly embody China’s historical and contemporary significance: rise, fall, and rise again. Take a train ride across the 'backbone of China,' and between departure and arrival, spend five days bearing witness to millennia of culture, and a new age of wealth, power, influence.

The Bund, Shanghai Tower, Leifeng Pagoda, Xi Lake, and Lingyin Temple