Shanghai changes at such breakneck speed that any claims of permanence that we impose upon it are questionable. Fads and trends are a dime a dozen here, followed with exaggerated zeal by the locals until they fizzle into obscurity.

Here are ten prominent recent trends that we’ve identified, ranging from restaurants to weekend getaways to the most coveted item in Shanghai right now. It’s like Heidi Klum’s line on Project Runway, “one day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” So come back in a few months, give or take, and the content in this article may well be obsolete. (But then again, you never know—we had hoped that the elaborate wasp nest hairdo was just a fad, but looks like it’s here to stay.)

Last week, hundreds of scholar, experts and entrepreneurs got together at Yinghua International Square for the 600,000-square-meter property's grand opening and talked about the opportunities and challenges of property investment in Shanghai.

A pristine bit of paradise in the Philippines.

About 2,400 km away, a verdant sliver of paradise spanning 650 km from the Mindoro Strait to the edge of Borneo straddles the sapphire Sulu and South China seas. A six-hour flight with a quick stopover in Manila will transport you from the smoggy metropolis of Shanghai to this Elysian buffet.

Author William Gibson once described Singapore as “Disneyland with the death penalty,” and it’s not difficult to see why.

The tiny Southeast Asian city-state gives off an anything-goes, party town atmosphere in its chic clubs and bars. But don’t party too hard – the penalties are severe for law breakers. You can have fun, but controlled fun. There’s a certain sterile weirdness about the place, too. What other country in the world can lay claim to legalizing prostitution, but outlawing chewing gum? Gambling, once outlawed, is now permitted in two mega resorts: Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands.

Here’s the ultimate pampering remedy if you’re suffering from Expo exhaustion – the full-on spa treatment at the next-door InterContinental Shanghai Expo.

The hotel has an entire floor dedicated to rejuvenation and relaxation with a swimming pool, gym and spa surrounded by 12,000 sqm of lush green lawns and a splendid view of the Huangpu. All items are reasonably priced, sold individually (that is, no membership).