BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS

The name of the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai is supposedly inspired by a Tang Dynasty poem that describes the melodic sound of the pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument, that goes, “The fine strings hummed likes lovers’ whispers, / Chattering and pattering, pattering and chattering, / As pearls, large and small, on a jade plate fall.” Though named for ancient words, the bulbous tower itself is the definition of modernity, with a rotating restaurant, a “Space Hotel,” and even an arcade. (