To mark the reopening of Dior’s boutique at Plaza 66 in Shanghai, Dior is launching a limited-edition selection of iconic pieces in Dior blue, which will be sold exclusively at the Shanghai store.

The reopening of the Plaza 66 boutique also coincides with the World Expo and the Dior Cruise 2011 fashion show, which will be held in Shanghai on May 15th.

After London’s most famous department store Harrods changed hands this weekend, new owner, Qatar Holding is considering a Chinese branch.

The company behind the investments of the Qatari royal family bought the store on May 8 for £1.5 billion after months of negotiating between Qatar Holding’s CEO, Ahmad al-Sayed, and former Harrods owner, Mohammed al-Fayed.

Now, new projects are on the horizon for the British house, including a new luxury online store and expanding the house name brand beyond souvenirs.

2010 has seen a flurry of new hotels opening in Shanghai ahead of the start of the World Expo, which runs for six months from May 1.

Marriott, Peninsula, InterContinental and Fairmont are amongst the brands joining Shanghai’s luxury market.

InterContinental has opened the new Shanghai Expo hotel as the city completes its final preparations for Expo 2010 which begins on May 1.

It opened April 19 as the only luxury hotel on the Shanghai Expo site, offering 400 rooms with views of the pavilions, the Huangpu river and Shanghai skyline.

The French carmaker has just unveiled today the Citroen Metropolis concept which will be premiered at the Shanghai World Fair from 1st of May 2010.

Created by Citroën‘s international design team – based in Shanghai since 2008 – Citroën Metropolis will be on show in the French Pavilion at the Shanghai World Fair from 1st May to 31st October, 2010.

The Citroen Metropolis is a big luxury sedan with a wheelbase bigger than both the Audi A8 or Mercedes S-Class and it just so happens to follow the debut of the BMW long-wheelbase 5 series at the Beijing Motor Show.

The Hurun Research Institute published the 2010 Hurun Wealth Report today for the second consecutive year.

The report analyses the number and distribution of China’s wealthy across the nation’s major cities and provinces.

The report shows that there are 875,000 people with more than RMB 10million (EUR 1.1M / USD 1.47M) in China today, an increase of 6.1% from last year.

This growth has occurred against a background of strong economic performance in China‘s economy.

GDP grew by 8.7% in 2009 to RMB 33.5trillion, and the Shanghai Composite Index rose over the same period from 2300 points to 3000, an increase of 30%.

To celebrate the Universal Exhibition in Shanghai, Chanel is launching the Chanel Shanghai accessories collection inspired by the delights of China.

This limited-edition collection, which includes bracelets, necklaces, handbags and earrings, will debut at Chanel’s five mainland boutiques this May.