As of last November, South Koreans can travel to China without a visa. Shanghai in particular has seen a sharp rise in visitor numbers since then. In addition to landmarks such as the Pearl Tower, an unassuming house in the financial district of Xintiandi attracts Korean visitors. The South Korean exile government established its headquarters here in 1919 after Japanese colonial authorities in South Korea had taken increasingly violent and repressive action against the population. During a visit, former South Korean President Kim Young-sam described the place as a „sanctuary of independence.“