Shanghai, Melbourne, Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur: the big four Asia-Pacific cities

Travel planning has shifted from “where” to “why”: the so‑called whycation asks what you want from a trip and then finds the place that delivers it. Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur each make a clear case when you start with motive rather than map, offering distinctive experiences that can be missed on standard lists.

Shanghai condenses Chinese history. Jing’an temple invites contemplation of 2,500 years of culture, while Yan’an Road leads past Great World — now a food complex with a virtual‑reality room — toward the Bund and the Huangpu River, where the Power Station of Art now sits.

Hilton Shanghai City Center places guests in the middle of this story; its Cheng Chung Design interiors blend western comfort with local style, and the hotel offers curated heritage performances and four local itineraries for solo explorers, with easy connections to the Jing’an temple and the Bund by foot or DiDi.

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