Shanghai Tower: China’s Urban Jungle

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“Maybe you’re the runner up 
But the first one to lose the race 
Almost only really counts in 
Horseshoes and hand grenades”

– Green Day – “Horseshoes and Handgrenades”

Many people will tell you that second place is really just the first loser but the Shanghai Tower in the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone of China hasn’t let that keep them down.

Taking out the metaphorical silver medal in the World’s Tallest Building Awards, Shanghai Tower is 632 meters tall and has 128 floors above ground and five more below.

It is beaten only by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa which stands 828 meters tall with 163 levels.

Haunting History: The Sordid Past of Mumbai’s Beloved Taj Hotel

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“Light is the left hand of darkness and darkness the right hand of light.
Two are one, life and death, lying together like lovers in kemmer,
like hands joined together, like the end and the way.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness

While this may seem a strange quote to open with, it is surprisingly fitting for today’s topic.

The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai is one of the most elegant structures in history and arguably holds its own as one of the most attractive hotels in India even in the present day.

In the early 80s the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel & Tower was ranked the fifth best hotel in the world for two years running and upgrades made in the 90s ensured that the hotel kept up with the times.

It’s past, however, is nowhere near as beautiful as its façade.