Shanghai

Shanghai Hotel Reservations Service
Up to 75% discount, last minute availability with instant reservation confirmation including packages.
www.asiatravel.com

My Shanghai at Amazon
Low prices on My Shanghai. Qualified orders over $25 ship free.
Amazon.com

Shanghai What's On
Comprehensive what's on Shanghai. theater, art, comedy, music, club.
www.echinacities.com

Warning: mkdir() [function.mkdir]: Permission denied in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 12

Warning: mkdir() [function.mkdir]: No such file or directory in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 12

Warning: fopen(/home/templatecore2cache//*cluesnet.com/3d/3d14759e3847530a0dd85f13722c02daadd0f59b.tc2cache) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 130

Warning: fwrite(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 131

Warning: fclose(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /home/webs/affiliatelib2/CacheManager.php on line 132

{{Infobox Settlement|official_name = Shànghǎi Shì|other_name =|native_name = 上海市|nickname =|settlement_type = |motto =|image_skyline = Shanghaihectorgarcia.jpg|imagesize =|image_caption = A view of Lujiazui, a financial district in Pudong.]|image_map1 =|mapsize1 =|map_caption1 =|image_dot_map =|dot_mapsize =|dot_map_caption =|dot_x = |dot_y =|pushpin_map = |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_map_caption =|pushpin_mapsize =|subdivision_type = Country|subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1 = Political divisions of China#County level|subdivision_name1 = Districts and counties of Shanghai|subdivision_type2 = |subdivision_name2 = |subdivision_type3 =|subdivision_name3 =|subdivision_type4 =|subdivision_name4 =|government_footnotes =|government_type = Direct-controlled municipality|leader_title = Communist Party of China|leader_name = Xi Jinping (习近平)] (韩正)|leader_title2 =|leader_name2 =|leader_title3 =|leader_name3 =|leader_title4 =|leader_name4 =|established_title = |established_date = 751|established_title2 = |established_date2 = 991|established_title3 = |established_date3 = 1292|area_blank1_km2 = 1041.21|area_blank1_sq_mi =|population_as_of = 2006|population_footnotes =|population_note = City & density 2006|population_total = 18670000|population_density_km2 = 2945|population_density_sq_mi =|population_metro =|population_density_metro_km2 =|population_density_metro_sq_mi =|population_urban = 13,447,000|population_density_urban_km2 =|population_density_urban_sq_mi =|population_blank1_title =|population_blank1 =|population_density_blank1_km2 =|population_density_blank1_sq_mi =|timezone = [Beijing Time|blank_info = (2006)|blank1_name = - Total|blank1_info = [Chinese renminbiList of China administrative divisions by GDP|blank2_name = - Per capita|blank2_info = ¥List of cities in the People's Republic of China by GDP per capita|blank3_name = Human Development Index (2005)|blank3_info = List of administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China by Human Development Index|blank4_name = Chinese language|blank4_info = Wu (linguistics): Shanghainese prefixes|blank5_info = 沪A, B, D, E
沪C (outer suburbs)|blank6_name = City flower|blank6_info = [Yulan magnolia
(Magnolia denudata)]: wikt:上wikt:海; Pinyin: Shànghǎi; Shanghainese: /zɑ̃'he/; abbreviation: wikt:沪; nickname: wikt:申), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the People's Republic of China and the List of metropolitan areas by population in the world. Widely regarded as the citadel of China's modern economy, the city also serves as one of the nation's most important cultural, commercial, financial, industrial and communications centers. Administratively, Shanghai is a municipalities of China of the People's Republic of China that has Political divisions of China#Province level. Shanghai is also one of the world's busiest ports, and became the largest cargo port in the world in 2005.

Originally a fishing town, Shanghai became China's most important city by the twentieth century and was the center of popular culture, intellectual discourse and political intrigue during the Republic of China era. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Shanghai became the third largest financial center in the world, ranking after New York City and London, and the largest commercial city in the Far East. After the Chinese Revolution in 1949, Shanghai languished due to heavy central government taxation and cessation of foreign investment, and had many of its supposedly "bourgeois" elements purged. Following the central government's authorization of Market economy redevelopment of Shanghai in 1992, Shanghai has now surpassed early-starters Shenzhen and Guangzhou, and has since led China's economic growth. Some challenges remain for Shanghai at the beginning of the 21st century, as the city struggles to cope with increased worker migration, a huge wealth gap, and environmental degradation. Despite these challenges, Shanghai's skyscrapers and modern lifestyle are often seen as representing China's recent China's peaceful rise.

Origin of name |p=|lmz=Zånhae
()-->

The two Chinese characters in the name "Shanghai" (see left) literally mean "up" and "sea". The local Shanghainese pronunciation of Shanghai is , while the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation in Hanyu Pinyin is Shànghǎi. The earliest occurrence of this name dates from the Song Dynasty (11th century), at which time there was already a river confluence and a town with this name in the area. There are disputes as to how the name should be interpreted, but official local histories have consistently said that it means "the upper reaches of the sea" (). However, another reading, especially in Mandarin, also suggests the sense of "go onto the sea," which is consistent with the seaport status of the city. The more poetic name for Shanghai switches the order of the two characters, i.e., Haishang (), and is often used for terms related to Shanghainese art and culture. In the West, Shanghai has also been spelled Schanghai (in German language), Sjanghai (in Dutch language), Xangai (in Portuguese language) and Changhaï (in French language), but since the 1990s the Hanyu Pinyin spelling of "Shanghai" has become universal in the West. In Japanese language, Shanghai is written using the same two Chinese characters (), and the Japanese pronunciation Shanhai (シャンハイ) is an approximation of the Mandarin pronunciation.

Shanghai's abbreviations in Chinese are Hù (沪) and Shēn (). The former is derived from the ancient name Hu Du () of the river now known as Suzhou Creek. The latter is derived from the name of Chunshen Jun (), a nobleman of the Chu (state) () in the 3rd century B.C. whose territory included the Shanghai area and has locally been revered as a hero. Sports teams and newspapers in Shanghai often use the character Shēn (申) in their names. Shanghai is also commonly called Shēnchéng (, "City of Shēn").

The city has had various nicknames in English, including "Paris of the East", "Queen of the Orient", and even "The Whore of Asia", a reference to the widespread corruption, vice, drugs, and prostitution in the 1920s and 1930s.

History Pre-nineteenth century Before the formation of Shanghai city, Shanghai was part of Songjiang county (), governed by Suzhou zhou (political division) (). From the time of the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279), Shanghai gradually became a busy seaport, outgrowing its original political jurisdictions. For instance, Songjiang () today is one of 18 districts within Shanghai.

A city wall was built in AD 1553, which is generally accepted as the start of the city of Shanghai. However, before the nineteenth century, Shanghai was not considered a major city of China. Therefore, compared to most other major Chinese cities today, there are few History of China landmarks to be found in the city. The few cultural landmarks to be found are very ancient and typically date to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. This is mostly due to the fact that present-day Shanghai is within the historic cultural center of the Wu Kingdom (AD 222-280).

During the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, Shanghai became an important regional port for the Yangtze River and Huangpu River rivers. It also became a major seaport for the nearby Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, although overseas commerce was still forbidden at that time. A historically important area of this era is Wujiaochang () (now in the Yangpu District), the foundation of the city center. Around the end of the Qianlong era, Shiliupu () (now in the Huangpu District) became the largest port in East Asia.

Nineteenth to early twentieth century The importance of Shanghai grew radically in the nineteenth century, as the city's strategic position at the mouth of the Yangtze River made it an ideal location for trade with the West.

During the First Opium War in the early nineteenth century, British forces temporarily held Shanghai. The war ended with the 1842 Treaty of Nanjing, which saw the treaty ports, Shanghai included, opened for international trade. The Treaty of the Bogue signed in 1843, and the Treaty of Wanghia signed in 1844 together saw foreign nations achieve extraterritoriality on Chinese soil, which officially lasted until 1943 but was essentially defunct by the late 1930s. From the twenties to the late 30s Shanghai was a so-called 'Sin City (description)'. Gangsters wielded a great deal of power and ran casinos and brothels.

The Taiping Rebellion broke out in 1850, and in 1853 Shanghai was occupied by a Triad society offshoot of the rebels, called the Small Swords Society. The fighting destroyed the countryside but left the foreigners' settlements untouched, and Chinese arrived seeking refuge. Although previously Chinese were forbidden to live in foreign settlements, 1854 saw new regulations drawn up making land available to Chinese. Land prices rose substantially.

1854 also saw the first annual meeting of the Shanghai Municipal Council, created in order to manage the foreign settlements. In 1863, the British settlement, located along the western bank of the Huangpu river to the south of Suzhou creek (Huangpu district), and American settlement, located on the western bank of the Huangpu river and to the north of Suzhou creek (Hankou district) joined in order to form the International Settlement. The French opted out of the Shanghai Municipal Council, and instead maintained its own French Concession, located to the south of the International Settlement. Citizens of many countries and all continents came to Shanghai to live and work during the ensuing decades; those who stayed for long periods - some for generations - called themselves "Shanghighlanders". In the 1920s and 30s, almost 20,000 so-called White Russians and Russian Jews fled the newly-established Soviet Union and took up residence in Shanghai. Shanghai Russians then constituted the second-largest foreign community in Shanghai (after the Japanese) and played an important role in the economic and cultural life of the city.

after a Japanese bombing run during the Battle of Shanghai in August 1937.The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) fought 1894-1895 over control of Korea concluded with the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which saw Japan emerge as an additional foreign power in Shanghai. Japan built the first factories in Shanghai, which were soon copied by other foreign powers to effect the emergence of Shanghai industry.Shanghai was then the most important financial center in the Far East. Under the Republic of China, Shanghai was made a special city in 1927, and a municipality in May 1930. The Japanese Navy bombed Shanghai on January 28, 1932, nominally in an effort to crush down Chinese student protests of the Manchurian Incident and the subsequent Japanese occupation of northeast China. The Chinese fought back in what was known as the January 28 Incident. The two sides fought to a standstill and a ceasefire was brokered in May. The Battle of Shanghai in 1937 resulted in the occupation of the Chinese administered parts of Shanghai outside of the International Settlement and the French Concession. The International Settlement was occupied by the Japanese on 8 December 1941 and remained occupied until Japan's surrender in 1945.

Jewish asylum during World War II In the 1930s and early 1940s, over 20,000 Ashkenazi Jews fleeing Nazi persecution found refuge in Shanghai, one of the few places in the world that allowed their entry at that time. The Sephardic Jewish community, which was well-established in Shanghai, helped these new immigrants to find jobs and shelter in the foreign settlements of Shanghai. However, under pressure from their Nazi allies, the Japanese required the European Jewish refugees to move to a section in the northeast part of the city that became known as the Shanghai ghetto in Shanghai's Hongkou District. As in the internment camps where other foreigners were interned in Shanghai during the war, conditions were poor; hunger, disease and abuse by the Japanese occupiers took the lives of many.

Communist rule On May 27, 1949, Communist Party of China controlled People's Liberation Army took control of Shanghai. It was one of the only two former Republic of China (ROC) municipalities not merged into neighbouring provinces over the next decade (the other being Beijing). It underwent a series of changes in the boundaries of its subdivisions, especially in the next decade.

In 1949, most foreign firms moved their offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Specifically North Point is where the largest concentration of emigrants would be found. One of the first actions taken by the communist party was to clean up the portion of the population that were considered counter-revolutionaries. Mass executions took place with thousands slaughtered in the hands of the communist party. Places such as the Canidrome (Shanghai) would transform from a greyhound racetrack/ballroom to a mass execution facilitiesTime magazine. "http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,859181,00.htmlTime magazine." ''Kill nice!'' Retrieved on [2007-05-08.Bellucci, Lucille. (2005). Journey from Shanghai. iUniverse Publishing. ISBN 0595343732.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Shanghai became an industrial center and center for revolutionary Left-wing politics. Yet, even during the most tumultuous times of the Cultural Revolution, Shanghai was able to maintain high economic productivity and relative social stability. In most of the history of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Shanghai has been the largest contributor of tax revenue to the central government compared with other Chinese provinces and municipalities. This came at the cost of severely crippling Shanghai's infrastructure and capital development. Its importance to China's fiscal well-being also denied it economic liberalizations that were started in the far southern provinces such as Guangdong during the mid-1980s. At that time Guangdong province paid nearly no taxes to the central government, and thus was perceived as fiscally expendable for experimental economic reforms. Shanghai was not permitted to initiate economic reforms until 1991.

Political power in Shanghai has traditionally been seen as a stepping stone to higher positions within the PRC central government. In the 1990s, there was what was often described as the politically right-of-center "Shanghai clique," which included the president of the PRC Jiang Zemin and the premier of the PRC Zhu Rongji. Starting in 1992, the central government under Jiang Zemin, a former Mayor of Shanghai, began reducing the tax burden on Shanghai and encouraging both foreign and domestic investment in order to promote it as the economic hub of East Asia and to encourage its role as gateway of investment to the Chinese interior. Since then it has experienced continuous economic growth of between 9–15%.

Politics and Administration Politics Shanghai has been a political hub of China since the 20th Century. Many of China's top government officials in Beijing are known to have risen in Shanghai in the 1980s on a platform that was critical of the extreme leftism of the Cultural Revolution, giving them the tag "Shanghai Clique" during the 1990s. Many observers of Chinese politics view the more right-leaning Shanghai Clique as an opposing and competing faction of the current Chinese administration under President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. Shanghai's top jobs, the Party Chief and the position of Mayor, have always been prominent on a national scale. Four Shanghai mayors eventually went on to take prominent Central Government positions, including former President Jiang Zemin and former Premier Zhu Rongji. The top administrative jobs are always appointed directly by the Central Government.

The current Shanghai government under Mayor Han Zheng has openly advocated transparency in the city's government. However, in previous years a complicated system of relationships between Shanghai's government, banks, and other civil institutions has been under scrutiny for corruption, motivated by faction politics in Beijing; these allegations from Beijing did not go anywhere until late 2006. Since Jiang's departure from office there has been a significant amount of clash between the local government in Shanghai and the Central People's Government, an evolving example of de facto Chinese federalism. The Shanghai government looks after almost all of the city's economic interests without interference from Beijing.

By 2006, Shanghai's actual level of autonomy has arguably surpassed that of any autonomous regions, raising alarm bells in Beijing. In September 2006, the Shanghai Communist Party Secretary Chen Liangyu, Shanghainese in origin and often clashing with central government officials, along with a number of his followers, were removed from their positions after a probe into the city's pension fund. Over a hundred investigators, sent by the Central Government, reportedly uncovered clues of money diversion from the city's pension fund to unapproved loans and investments. Chen's abrupt removal is viewed by many Chinese as a political manoeuvre by President Hu Jintao to further secure his power in the country, and retain administrative centralism. In March 2007 the central government appointed Xi Jinping, who is not a Shanghai native, to become the Party Secretary, the most powerful office in the city.

Subdivisions Shanghai is administratively equal to a Chinese province and is divided into 19 Political divisions of China#County level: 18 district of Chinas and 1 county of China. There is no single downtown district in Shanghai, the urban core is scattered across several districts. Prominent central business areas include Lujiazui on the east bank of the Huangpu River, and The Bund and Hongqiao areas in the west bank of the Huangpu River. The city hall and major administration units are located in Huangpu District, which also serve as a commercial area, including the famous Nanjing Road, Shanghai. Other major commercial areas include the classy Xintiandi and Huaihai Road in Luwan district and Xujiahui in Xuhui District. Many universities in Shanghai are located in residential areas of Yangpu District and Putuo District.

Nine of the districts govern Puxi (literally Huangpu River west), or the older part of urban Shanghai on the west bank of the Huangpu River. These nine districts are collectively referred to as Shanghai Proper (上海市区) or the core city (市中心):

Huangpu District, Shanghai ()
Luwan District (卢湾区 Lúwān Qū)
Xuhui District (徐汇区 Xúhuì Qū)
Changning District (长宁区 Chángníng Qū)
Jing'an District (静安区 Jìng'ān Qū)
Putuo District (普陀区 Pǔtuó Qū)
Zhabei District (闸北区 Zháběi Qū)
Hongkou District (虹口区 Hóngkǒu Qū)
Yangpu District (杨浦区 Yángpǔ Qū)

Pudong (literally Huangpu River east), or the newer part of urban and suburban Shanghai on the east bank of the Huangpu River, is governed by:

Pudong New District (浦东新区 Pǔdōng Xīn Qū) — Chuansha County until 1992

Eight of the districts govern suburbs, satellite towns, and rural areas further away from the urban core:

Baoshan District (宝山区 Bǎoshān Qū) — Baoshan County until 1988
Minhang District (闵行区 Mǐnháng Qū) — Shanghai County until 1992
Jiading District (嘉定区 Jiādìng Qū) — Jiading County until 1992
Jinshan District (金山区 Jīnshān Qū) — Jinshan County until 1997
Songjiang District (松江区 Sōngjiāng Qū) — Songjiang County until 1998
Qingpu District (青浦区 Qīngpǔ Qū) — Qingpu County until 1999
Nanhui District (南汇区 Nánhuì Qū) — Nanhui County until 2001
Fengxian District (奉贤区 Fèngxián Qū) — Fengxian County until 2001

Chongming Island, an island at the mouth of the Yangtze River, is governed by:

Chongming County (崇明县 Chóngmíng Xiàn)

As of 2003, these county-level divisions are further divided into the following 220 Political divisions of China#Township level: 114 town of Chinas, 3 township of Chinas, 103 subdistricts. Those are in turn divided into the following Political divisions of China#Village level: 3,393 neighborhood committees and 2,037 village committees.

List of towns:

Anting, Jiading District
Huamu, Pudong
Pengpu, Zhabei District
Beicai, Pudong
Qibao, Minhang District
Sheshan, Songjiang District
Sijing, Songjiang District
Nanqiao, Fengxian District
Xinzhuang, Minhang District
Jiangwan, Yangpu District

Economy and demographics at night, the location of several major banking branches. at Shanghai's Pudong financial district. buildings. Luwan District.Shanghai is often regarded as the center of finance and trade in mainland China. Modern development began with economic reforms in 1992, a decade later than many of the Southern Chinese provinces, but since then Shanghai quickly overtook those provinces and maintained its role as the business center in mainland China. Shanghai also hosts the largest share market in mainland China.

Shanghai is one of the world's busiest ports. In 2005, Shanghai ranked first of the world's busiest ports in terms of cargo throughout, handling a total of 443 million tons of cargo. In terms of container traffic, it is the third busiest port in the world, following Singapore and Hong Kong.

The 2000 census put the population of Shanghai Municipality to 16.738 million, including the floating population, which made up 3.871 million. Since the 1990 census the total population has increased by 3.396 million, or 25.5%. Males accounted for 51.4%, females for 48.6% of the population. 12.2% were in the age group of 0-14, 76.3% between 15 and 64 and 11.5% were older than 65. 5.4% of the inhabitants were illiterate. As of 2003, the official registered population is 13.42 million; however, more than 5 million more people work and live in Shanghai undocumented, and of the 5 million, some 4 million belong to the floating population of temporary migrant workers, a large proportion of whom are from Anhui Province as well as Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province Provinces. The average life expectancy in 2003 was 79.80 years, 77.78 for men and 81.81 for women.

Shanghai and Hong Kong have had a recent rivalry over which city is to be the economic center of China. The city had a Gross domestic product per capita of ¥55,153 (ca. US$ 7,116) in 2006, ranked no. 1 among all 659 Chinese cities. Hong Kong on the other hand, possessed an unparalleled Gross domestic product per capita of ¥310,021 (ca. US$ 37,400). Hong Kong has the advantage of a stronger legal system, international market integration, superior economic freedom, greater banking and service expertise. Shanghai has stronger links to both the Chinese interior and the central government, in addition to a stronger base in manufacturing and technology. Shanghai has increased its role in finance, banking, and as a major destination for corporate headquarters, fuelling demand for a highly educated and modernized workforce. Shanghai has recorded a double-digit growth for 14 consecutive years since 1992. In 2005, Shanghai's nominal GDP posted an 11.3% growth to 915.4 billion yuan (US$117 billion).

As in many other areas in China, Shanghai is undergoing a building boom. In Shanghai the modern architecture is notable for its unique style, especially in the highest floors, with several top floor restaurants which resemble flying saucers. For a gallery of these unique architecture designs, see Shanghai (architecture images).

The bulk of Shanghai buildings being constructed today are high-rise apartments of various height, color and design. There is now a strong focus by city planners to develop more "green areas" (public parks) among the apartment complexes in order to increase the quality of life for Shanghai's residents, quite in accordance to the "Better City - Better Life" theme of Shanghai's Expo 2010.

Historically very Western in lifestyle, Shanghai is increasingly a critical center of communication with the Western world. Examples include the opening of the Pac-Med Medical Exchange in June of 2004, a clearinghouse of medical data and a link between the Chinese and westernised medical infrastructures. In medicine and other humanitarian fields, China is actively seeking input of first world nations to improve living conditions and trade status. Arguments for and against modern Chinese leadership question the genuine influence the influx of western culture and technology will have on vast Chinese interior, outside of the densely populated, often visited urban centers. The Pudong district of Shanghai contains contemporary architecture and "modern"-feeling districts, in close proximity to major international trade and hospitality zones. Visitors to Shanghai find free public parks manicured to startling perfection; in distinct contrast to the massive industrial installations which reveal China's Environment of China. Shanghai's international diversity is perhaps the world's foremost window into the rich, historic and complex society of today's China.

Geography and climate Shanghai faces the East China Sea (part of the Pacific Ocean), and is bisected by the Huangpu River. Puxi contains the city proper on the western side of Huangpu River, while an entirely new financial district has been erected on the eastern bank of the Huangpu in Pudong.

Geographical coordinates:

Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa). Shanghai experiences all four seasons, with freezing temperatures during the winter season and a 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) average high during the hottest months of July and August. Temperatures extremes of -10C (14F) and +41C (105F) have been recorded. Heavy rain is frequent in early summer. Spring starts in March, summer in June, autumn in September and winter in December. The weather in spring, although considered the most beautiful season, is highly variable, with frequent rain and alternating spells of warmth and cold. Summer is the peak tourist season, but is hot and oppressive, as the humidity makes it almost impossible for people not used to the environment to breathe properly. Clothes tend to get fairly wet after minutes of walking. Autumn is generally sunny and dry, and the foliage season is in November. Winters are typically grey and dreary, with little or no snowfall. The city has a few Typhoon spells during the year, none of which in recent years have caused considerable damage.

Astronomical phenomena The previous total solar eclipse to be seen from People's Square(Shanghai) () occurred on May 10, 1575.

The next total solar eclipse that will be seen from Shanghai will be solar eclipse of 2009-Jul-22.

Transportation car, the longest cross sea bridge in the world.Shanghai has an extensive public transportation system, largely based on buses, and a rapidly expanding metro system. For a city of Shanghai's size, road traffic is still fairly smooth and convenient but getting more congested as the number of cars increases rapidly.

Shanghai has the world's most extensive bus system with nearly one thousand bus lines. The Shanghai Metro (subway and elevated light rail) has five lines (numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) at present. According to the development schedule of the municipal government, by the year 2010, another 8 lines will be built in Shanghai. Bus and metro fares run from ¥1 to ¥4 depending on distance (or between 12 to 50 US cents).

Taxis in Shanghai are plentiful and market competition has driven taxi fare down to affordable prices for the average resident (¥11 (¥14 after 11pm) or a little over one US dollar for 3 km). Before the 1990s, bicycling was the most ubiquitous form of transportation in Shanghai, but the city has since banned bicycles on many of the city's main roads to ease congestion. However, many streets have bicycle lanes and intersections are monitored by "Traffic Assistants" who help provide for safe crossing. Further, most motorists in China were raised riding bikes and so are fairly careful of them. Further, the city government has pledged to add 180 km of cycling lanes over the next few years. With rising disposable incomes, private car ownership in Shanghai has also been rapidly increasing in recent years. The number of cars is limited, however, by the number of available number plates available at public auction.

In cooperation with the Shanghai municipality and the Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co. (SMT), German Transrapid constructed the Shanghai Maglev Train in 2002, from Shanghai's Longyang Road subway station in Pudong to Pudong International Airport. Commercial operation started in 2003. The 30 km trip takes 7 minutes and 21 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 431 km/h (267.8 miles per hour). Maglev trainTwo Rail transport in the People's Republic of Chinas intersect in Shanghai: Jinghu Railway (Beijing-Shanghai) Railway passing through Nanjing, and Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway (沪杭线 Hu Hang Line).Shanghai has two main railway stations, Shanghai Railway Station and Shanghai South Railway Station. A Maglev train route to Hangzhou (Shanghai-Hangzhou Maglev Train) might begin construction in 2007. A high-speed railroad to Beijing is also in the works.

More than six national expressways (prefixed with "G") from Beijing and from the region around Shanghai connect to the city. Shanghai itself has six toll-free elevated expressways (skyways) in the urban core and 18 municipal expressways (prefixed with "A"). There are ambitious plans to build expressways connecting Shanghai's Chongming Island with the urban core.Within Shanghai itself, there are elevated roads, which appear expressway-like in road conditions (direction-separated lanes). Tunnels and bridges are used to link Puxi to Pudong.

Shanghai has two airports: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the latter of which has the third highest traffic in China, following Beijing Capital International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport. Pudong International handles more international traffic than Beijing Capital however, with over 17.15 million international passengers handled in 2006 compared to the latter's 12.6 million passengers. Pudong airport has most passengers from abroad (The Business Times: January 9 2007)

As of December 2005, Shanghai's port, including the newly opened Yangshan deep water port (洋山深水港), is the largest in the world. The Donghai Bridge with a total length 32.5 km, is the longest cross-sea bridge in the worldList of bridges by length. It links Shanghai on the mainland to the Yangshan islands.

Culture Language The vernacular language is Shanghainese, a dialect of Wu dialect; while the official language is Standard Mandarin. The local dialect is mutually unintelligible with Mandarin, and is an inseparable part of the Shanghainese identity. The Shanghainese dialect today is a mixture of standard Wu Chinese as spoken in Suzhou, with the dialects of Ningbo and other nearby regions whose peoples have migrated to Shanghai in large numbers since the 20th Century.

Nearly all Shanghainese under the age of 40 can speak Mandarin fluently. Fluency in foreign languages is unevenly distributed. Most senior residents who received a university education before the revolution, and those who worked in foreign enterprises, can speak English. Those under the age of 26 have had contact with English since primary school, as English is taught as a mandatory course starting at Grade 1.

Art Songjiang School and Huating School Songjiang School (淞江派) is a small painting school during the Ming Dynasty. It is commonly considered as a further development of the Wu School, or Wumen School (吴门画派), in the then cultural center of the region, Suzhou. Huating School (华亭派) was another important art school during the middle to late Ming Dynasty. Its main achievements were in traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy and poetry, and especially famous for its Renwen painting (人文画). Dong Qichang (董其昌) is one of the masters from this school.

Shanghai School The Shanghai School (海上画派 Haishang Huapai or 海派 Haipai) is a very important Chinese school of traditional arts during the Qing Dynasty and the whole of the 20th century. Under efforts of masters from this school, traditional Chinese art reached another climax and continued to the present in forms of the "Chinese painting" (中国画) or guohua (国画) for short. The Shanghai School challenged and broke the literati tradition of Chinese art, while also paying technical homage to the ancient masters and improving on existing traditional techniques. Members of this school were themselves educated literati who had come to question their very status and the purpose of art, and had anticipated the impending modernization of Chinese society. In an era of rapid social change, works from the Shanghai School were widely innovative and diverse, and often contained thoughtful yet subtle social commentary. The most well-known figures from this school are Ren Xiong (任熊), Ren Yi (任伯年), Zhao Zhiqian (赵之谦), Wu Changshuo (吴昌硕), Sha Menghai (沙孟海, calligraphist), Pan Tianshou (潘天寿), Fu Baoshi (傅抱石) and Wang Zhen (Wang Yiting) (王震).

In literature, the term was used in the 1930s by some May Fourth Movement intellectuals, notably Zhou Zuoren and Shen Congwen, as a derogatory label for the literature produced in Shanghai at the time. They argued that so-called Shanghai School literature was merely commercial and therefore did not advance social progress. This became known as the Jingpai (Beijing School) versus Haipai (Shanghai School) debate.

Modern China Because of Shanghai's status as the cultural and economic center of East Asia for the first half of the twentieth century, it is popularly seen as the birthplace of everything considered modern in China. It was in Shanghai, for example, that the first motor car was driven and the first train tracks and modern sewers were laid. It was also the intellectual battleground between socialist writers who concentrated on critical realism (pioneered by Lu Xun and Mao Dun) and the more "bourgeois", more romantic and aesthetically inclined writers (such as Shi Zhecun, Shao Xunmei, Ye Lingfeng, Eileen Chang). while playing golf in this 1930s Shanghai advertisement.Besides literature, Shanghai was also the birthplace of Cinema of China & theater. China’s first short film, The Difficult Couple (Nanfu Nanqi, 1913), and the country’s first fictional feature film, Orphan Rescues Grandfather (Gu'er jiu zuji, 1923) were both produced in Shanghai. These two films were very influential, and established Shanghai as the center of Chinese film-making. Shanghai’s film industry went on to blossom during the early Thirties, generating Marilyn Monroe-like stars such as Zhou Xuan. Another film star, Jiang Qing, went on to become Madame Mao Zedong. The talent and passion of Shanghainese filmmakers following World War II and the Communist revolution in China contributed enormously to the development of the Hong Kong film industry.

Many aspects of Shanghainese popular culture ("Shanghainese Pops") were transferred to Hong Kong by the numerous Shanghainese emigrants and refugees after the Communist Revolution. The movie In the Mood for Love (Huayang nianhua) directed by Wong Kar-wai (a native Shanghainese himself) depicts one slice of the displaced Shanghainese community in Hong Kong and the nostalgia for that era, featuring 1940s music by Zhou Xuan.

People of other provinces Only very few residents are descended from original inhabitants of the old walled city. Nearly all registered Shanghainese residents are descendants of immigrants from the two adjacent provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang who moved to Shanghai in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. These are regions that generally speak the same family of dialects as Shanghainese - Wu (linguistics). Much of pre-modern Shanghainese culture is an integration of cultural elements from these two regions. The Shanghainese dialect reflects this as well.

Despite this somewhat heterogeneous origin to the Shanghainese population, there has been a strong sense of Shanghainese identity, founded upon cultural and economical superiority up to the Chinese Revolution and to the present day. The Revolution was a humbling experience for Shanghai as a whole, as it was brought into line by the Communist regime, whose ideology favoured grass-root agriculture and industry, and opposed bourgeois excesses, which Shanghai stood for in the eyes of many. While most in China viewed the Shanghainese as bourgeois and arrogant, the Shanghainese reciprocally eyed the rest of the country as "provincials" (乡下人; xiangwunin in Shanghainese). After the nationwide chaos of the Cultural Revolution and towards the 1980s, perception of Shanghai was greatly improved among other Chinese.

Tensions have been refueled in the past decade by migrants from all over China who do not speak the local dialect and therefore use Mandarin as a lingua franca. Rising crime rates, littering, harassive panhandling, and an overloading of the basic infrastructure (mainly public transportation and public schools) associated with the rise of these migrant populations (over 3 million new migrants in 2003 alone) have been generating some ill will from the Shanghainese. The new migrants are easy to spot by the Shanghainese, and are often targets of both intentional and unintentional discrimination. Efforts have been made by the local Shanghai municipal government to provide adequate welfare for the migrant populations in Shanghai, while also being cautious not to further increase the burdens of the native-born population.

Shikumen lanes in Xintiandi, this tribute to old Shanghai is now a high end restaurant and shopping center.One uniquely Shanghainese cultural element is the shikumen (石库门) residences, which are two or three-story townhouses, with the front yard protected by a high brick wall. Each residence is connected and arranged in straight alleys, known as a lòngtang (弄堂), pronounced longdang in Shanghainese. The entrance to each alley is usually surmounted by a stylistic stone arch. The whole resembles terrace houses or townhouses commonly seen in Anglo-American countries, but distinguished by the tall, heavy brick wall in front of each house. The name "shikumen" literally means "stone storage door", referring to the strong gateway to each house.

The shikumen is a cultural blend of elements found in Western architecture with traditional Jiangnan (Jiangnan) Chinese architecture and social behavior. All traditional Chinese dwellings had a courtyard, and the shikumen was no exception. Yet, to compromise with its urban nature, it was much smaller and provided an "interior haven" to the commotions in the streets, allowing for raindrops to fall and vegetation to grow freely within a residence. The courtyard also allowed sunlight and adequate ventilation into the rooms.

This style of housing originally developed when local developers adapted terrace houses to Chinese conditions. The wall was added to protect against fighting and looting during the Taiping rebellion, and later burglars and vandals during the social upheavals of the early twentieth century. By World War II, more than 80% of the population in the city lived in these kinds of dwellings. Many of these were hastily built and were akin to slums, while others were of sturdier construction and featured all modern amenities such as the flush toilet.

During and after World War II, massive population increases in Shanghai led many shikumen houses to be heavily subdivided. For example, the spacious living room is often divided into three or four rooms, each lent out to a family. These cramped conditions continue to exist in many of the shikumen districts that have survived recent development.

The landlords who leased (subletted) the shikumen out to other families were called "erfangdong"(二房东), or "second landlord" as many of them acquired the shikumen buildings from its original owner ("dafangdong"大房东). These landlords families usually share the same shikumen building with the tenants.

Fashion in downtown Shanghai.Other Shanghainese cultural artifacts include the cheongsam (Shanghainese: zansae), a modernization of the traditional Chinese/Manchurian qipao (; Shanghainese: jibô) garment which first appeared in the 1910s in Shanghai. The cheongsam dress was slender with high cut sides, and tight fitting. This contrasts sharply with the traditional qipao which was designed to conceal the figure and be worn regardless of age. The cheongsam went along well with the western overcoat and the scarf, and portrayed a unique East Asian modernity, epitomizing the Shanghainese population in general. As Western fashions changed, the basic cheongsam design changed, too, introducing high-necked sleeveless dresses, bell-like sleeves and, the black lace frothing at the hem of a ball gown. By the 1940s, cheongsams came in transparent black, beaded bodices, matching capes and even velvet. And later, checked fabrics became also quite common. The 1949 Communist Revolution ended the cheongsam and other fashions in Shanghai. However, the Shanghainese styles have seen a recent revival as stylish party dresses. The fashion industry has been rapidly revitalizing in the past decade, there is on average one fashion show per day in Shanghai today. Like Shanghai's architecture, local fashion designers strive to create a fusion of western and traditional designs, often with innovative if not controversial results.

Religion Due to its cosmopolitan history, Shanghai has a rich blend of religious heritage as shown by the religious buildings and institutions still scattered around the city.

Taoism has a presence in Shanghai in the form of several temples. The largest temple administered by the Shanghai Taoist Association is the City God Temple, at the heart of the old city, which is dedicated to three historical figures who are seen as protectors of the city. Other traditional temples include the Wen Miao Market dedicated to Confucius, and a temple dedicated to the Three Kingdoms general Guan Yu.

Buddhism has had a presence in Shanghai since ancient times. The Longhua temple is the largest temple in Shanghai, and was founded in the Three Kingdoms period. Jing'an Temple, located in downtown Shanghai, was also first built during the Three Kingdoms period. Another important temple is the Jade Buddha Temple, which is named after a large statue of Buddha carved out of jade in the temple.

There has been a sizeable Muslim population in Shanghai for centuries. They are served by a number of mosques, such as the

BBC - Weather Centre - 5 Day Forecast in Celsius for Shanghai, China
The BBC Weather five day forecast for your selected town or city, showing the temperature in Celsius.

V&A - China Design Now - Shanghai: Dream City
The V&A is the world s greatest museum of design and the arts: its collections cover two thousand years up to the present, in virtually every medium and from Britain, Europe ...

Shanghai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shanghai (Chinese: 上海; pinyin: Shànghǎi; Wu (Long-short): Zånhae; Shanghainese (IPA): [zɑ̃'he]; abbreviation: 沪; nickname: 申), situated on the banks of the Yangtze ...

Shanghai Hotels. Save More on Cheap Accommodation in Shanghai
Shanghai hotels and accommodation - cheap, fast and secure reservation service provided by HotelClub Shanghai

SHANGHAI BLUES

Hilton Shanghai hotel - Hotels in Shanghai - Hilton International
Book a room at the Hilton Shanghai hotel, Shanghai online at Hilton.co.uk ... Explore cosmopolitan Shanghai from the modern Hilton Shanghai hotel, set in the prestigious former ...

Shanghai travel guide introduction - Time Out Travel
A guide to the sights and attractions of Shanghai, China ... From fishing village to super-city in 50 years, then forgotten by the world until its revival began in the early '90s ...

Shanghai city guide, China - Time Out Travel
Shanghai, China travel guide with information on hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping and sightseeing. ... From fishing village to super-city in 50 years, then forgotten by the ...

Shanghai Post
Shanghai News and analysis on current news, Shanghai business, finance, economy, sports and more. Searchable news in 44 languages from WorldNews Network and Archive ... Business ...

China-Britain Business Council - Offices in China - Shanghai
China-Britain Business Council, China Offices: CBBC Shanghai Unit 1701-2, Westgate Tower, 1038 Nanjing Road W Shanghai 200041, Peoples Republic of China...