Well now I’m curious. Inspired by the other city threads.
Since there’s already a thread for the Middle East, it doesn’t count for this thread even though it’s technically part of Asia.
Tokyo.
toe-key-yo
The first that came to mind was Hong Kong, but when I think for a few seconds more: Tokyo.
Pyongyang… no wait, Hong Kong.
Singapore.
imo, singapore and HK are city-states with potent economies. there’s nothing that stands out about them, historically, politically, or culturally.
Now I’d say Beijing. 10 years ago I might have said Tokyo.
For some reason when I thought Asia the first thing that came to mind was Istanbul, but then most of it’s in Europe. My second thought was Tokyo.
Tokyo
Most of the touristic sites are on the European side, but the city is pretty well 50/50.
I’ll argue my choice a little:
China maybe the more powerful and important country (though I’d say that’s debatable), but I don’t think China is dominated by Beijing the same way Tokyo dominates Japan, culturally, economically or simply as the proportion of the countries population that lives in it. Depending on how you measue it, Tokyo is the largest city in the world by population (Beijing isn’t even the largest city in China), and Tokyo’s GDP is more then a third of that of the entire country of China, nvm Beijing.
Plus, 50 years of Japanese cultural exports have given Tokyo a place in the minds of the rest of the world that Beijing doesn’t have (though Hong Kong does).
I’ve been to Beijing and it’s not as great as you’d think.
Agreed.
Tokyo followed by Shanghai.
The only choices really are Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. I’d rate Singapore as a distant last. Seoul is not international. Sydney is in the Asia timezone but that’s about it. Taipei, KL, Jakarta just don’t cut it. Anything else is waaaay down the list.
My first thought was Tokyo, but I am a little surprised that no cities in India are on your shortlist, or anyone else’s choice. No Mumbai/Bombay?
I guess it all comes down to how you define the term “greatest”
Kuala Lumpur.
Samarkand
France?
Interesting. I’ve been there, but it’s prime has long since gone… the Russians didn’t do anything good there for the time they had it. Better choice than Ashkabad though!