Lying on the estuary of Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River, Shanghai is regarded as the economic capital in mainland China. It's one of the most developed cities in China. Besides its leading role of economic development, Shanghai also serves as the important cultural, financial, trading and industrial centers of China. The importance of Shanghai grew radically since the influx of Westerners who divided Shanghai into different concessions and made it into an international port city after the first Opium War. Undergone its heyday from the 1920s to the late 1930s and the economic reform since 1992, Shanghai now becomes one of the leading cities in East Asia.
If compared to Paris in its 1930s, Shanghai nowadays is more like New York. Arriving in Shanghai, immediately, you will be overwhelmed by all the crowds, autos, malls and skyscrapers. As the largest city in mainland china in terms of population (18 million) and density (2,945/kmq, Shanghai is a booming melting pot of East and West. Since 1992, Chinese from other provinces have kept moving to Shanghai to seek better working and living opportunities, including people from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Global enterprises swarm into Shanghai, which has brought along large amount of foreigners, especially westerners.
Shanghai offers you a wide choice of sightseeing, shopping and living. At the Bund, facing Pudong (east side of the river), you can feel the excitement and vitality of the city. Architectures of world famous banks and skyscrapers erect on both sides of the river with cargo ships bustling on. Jinmao Tower in Pudong is the tallest building mainland China and ranks the fifth in the world. The nearby Shanghai World Financial Center, the world's tallest building to be, is now under construction and will be complete by 2008. Strolling around French Concession and Nanjing Road, you may find that modern Shanghai is swaying over fashions and fads. Shopping malls, tiny shops and flagship stores are emerging on almost every main street, making Shanghai a shopper's paradise. Also you will never worry about finding bars, restaurants, bookstores, museums, or galleries in main commercial centers of Shanghai. Shanghai at night is a sleepless city with dazzling neon lights and flashing billboards along the street sides. People keep going it and out of bars, parties, restaurants, and cinemas till late night. The most attractive part of Shanghai is that Western and eastern cultures coexist in the metropolis. You can appreciate European architectures on hustling avenues as well as local residency at the quite backstreets. No wonder Shanghai is fancy land for you to explore and will always surprise you.
History
The history of Shanghai can be dated back to the Warring States period (453-221BC). It had been a small fishing village until the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1126) when Shanghai became an important seaport and an area for growing cotton.
Since the first Opium War in the 19th century, due to its ideal location, westerners had come into Shanghai according to the treaties signed with the emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Britain, France and America continued to open their concessions in Shanghai, which was rather a divided territory at that time. Also it had been the shelter for refugees mainly from Europe from 1919. So Shanghai was greatly influenced by Western cultures. By the 1920s and '30s, Shanghai was titled ¡°the Paris of the east¡±. It's overflowed with foreigners, vehicles, factories, nightclubs and opium dens. The world's greatest houses of finance and commerce descended on the fifth largest city in the world by 1934. Shanghai had reached its zenith by the 1930s, and then, for the West, the Shanghai party was over.
The establishment of People¡¯s Republic of China in 1949 ended the foreigners control over Shanghai. During the next 50 years, Shanghai had undergone dramatic changes, yet the economic development was maintaining a stable condition. With the economic reform, Shanghai government launched a series of new strategies to attract foreign investments In the beginning of the 1990s. The biggest move was to open up Pudong (east of the river), once a rural area of Shanghai. The strategies succeeded, and now Pudong has become the financial district of Shanghai, with numerous skyscrapers. Today Shanghai's goal is to develop into a world-class financial and economic center of China, and even Asia.
Climate
The most comfortable seasons in Shanghai are from March to early June and from September to November. The "Plum Flower Rain" season (frequent light rain) is from mid-June to early July. Always take an umbrella with you even if it¡¯s not raining for the moment. July and August are extreme hot and humid, with temperature always above 30¡ãC and sometimes as high as 40¡ãC. September remains hot, yet quite cool at night. In winter, it usually snows lightly for 1 or 2 days and the temperature mostly stays above 0¡ãC.
raymondo
2009-8-28 11:57:05
i ave only lived in Shanghai for 9 months, and have experienced both sides of the river, Pu Dong, and Puxi, i am moving back to the Xin Tiandi area of Puxi. I LOVE SHANGHAI!!!
1500619686
2008-1-23 18:37:53
is a wonderful city but almost everywhere traffic jam at all time especially on highway and the central of shanghai. my last day in shanghai on 21/01/2008 and suppose to depart in Pudong Airport at 1600hrs, leaving my hotel from The Bund at 1315hrs but was caught on the traffic jam for nearly 2hrs and was late to board for the flight. This is really TERRIBLE
helenaye
2007-12-26 13:07:31
The NYC of China!
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