Shanghai’s expatriate workers have benefited from the city’s rebirth and tremendous growth of the past 10 years – profiting from local real estate investments, manufacturing opportunities and market liberalisation. The optimistic mood among expats recalls the heady days of the 1920s and 30s when the Chinese port city boasted the most opulent lifestyles and seediest characters on the planet. However, unlike in Shanghai’s heyday, the city is no longer an exotic outpost but a common global workplace, now home to more than 400,000 foreigners. That said, Shanghai remains a honeypot of opportunity – to start a business, develop professionally, pursue artistic endeavours, or just to take it easy and live well doing it. Because of the booming economy, most working expats put in long hours at their jobs – influenced, no doubt, by their live-to-work Shanghainese co-workers.