"It was the same for me last year and the year before, " Davydenko, who qualified for 2008's season-ending event in Shanghai, told the ATP Tour Web site.

CNN: Davydenko, Verdasco boost London hopes with Paris wins

Lang played the final concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Guangzhou and Shanghai and set off on a tour of various European halls.

NEWYORKER: The Olympian

Le Tour Traveller's Rest, housed in a former towel factory, is Shanghai's best youth hostel and leaves most of the city's budget accommodation hanging out to dry.

BBC: The sharpest rooms in Shanghai

Yu found some work as a tour guide for a trickle of curious American Jews seeking what signs remained of the Jewish community in Shanghai.

CNN: The Ghosts of Shanghai