Shanghai is a renowned international metropolis drawing more and more
attention from all over the world. Situated on the estuary of Yangtze
River, With a population of close to 20 million, Shanghai serves as the
most influential economic, financial, international trade, cultural, science
and technology center in East China. Also it is a popular tourist destination,
visitors can sense the pulsating development of modern China.
In addition
to its modernization, Shanghai's multicultural flair endows Shanghai with
a unique glamour. Here, one finds the perfect blend of cultures, the modern
and the traditional , and the western and the oriental. New skyscrapers
and old Shikumen lanes together draw the skyline of Shanghai. Western
customs and Chinese traditions intertwined, form Shanghai's culture, making
a visitor's stay truly memorable.
As the largest
city in China and an economic, commercial and financial center, Shanghai
is vital to China's future. No other city in China is more vibrant and
fascinating or has such a unique colonial past.
Shanghai, literally
'Above the Sea', is a port city on the Huangpu River, where the Yangtze
River empties into the East China Sea. Originally a fishing and textiles
town, Shanghai gained its identity after it was opened to foreign powers
by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. The British, French, Americans, Germans,
and Russians moved in, setting up their distinct Western-style banks,
trading houses, and mansions, leaving a permanent architectural legacy.
The city flourished as a cosmopolitan and thriving commercial and financial
center, dubbed the "Pairs of the East" in 1920s and 1930s. Shanghai,
in spite of being the cradle of Chinese Communism, was neglected during
the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1990, Shanghai was
chosen to spearhead modern China's reform and opening up, which resulted
in intense development. In addition, Shanghai has often been the inspiration
for novels, films and cocktails. Shanghai is probably the most evocative
city for an outsider to visit in all of China. Beijing may be more mysterious,
but Shanghai offers half-understood, semi-mythical images.
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Shanghai is always a fun to tour. The commerce river of Shanghai, the
Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, is lined up with a
gallery of different architectures, known as the Bund, beckoning to
curious visitors and smart locals alike. Although erected during different
periods in varying styles such as Gothic, Romanesque or Baroque, those
fifty-two buildings stand together in perfect harmony. When night falls,
the two most famous - Bank of China Building and the Peace Hotel - are
bathed in lavender lighting, and are the most telling witness to the
past century of the Bund. Mansions, garden estates, clubs and cathedrals
built by Westerners a century ago are scattered throughout the city.
There is even a synagogue, built during the days of an unprecedented
Jewish immigration to China. Traditional treasures, though not so many
as in Beijing, turns up on a walk through the chaotic old city: a teahouse,
active temples, ancient pagodas and quintessential southern-Chinese
classic gardens such as the Yuyuan Garden. Across the Huangpu River
from the original settlement of Puxi is Shanghai's future, the Pudong
New Area. Its modern and ever-expanding skyline includes the emblematic
Orient Pearl Tower, the highest observation decks in Asia, the soaring
modern art-deco Jin Mao Tower and the 101-floor World Financial Centre
featuring the Park Hyatt hotel, the tallest hotel in the world.
In 2004,
Shanghai hosted the inaugural A1GP World Cup of Motorsport and later
that year Time magazine called Shanghai the 'world's most happening
city.' In October 2007 Shanghai hosted the first Special Olympic Games
ever held in Asia. Shanghai's centre-stage status continued in 2010
when it hosted the World Expo.
Easily China's
richest city and the leading trendsetter in fashion, design and the
arts, Shanghai is the best city in China for dining and shopping. Locals
in Shanghai, considered frank, efficient, and progressive, are creating
China's most outward-looking, and modern metropolis, replete with legions
of futuristic skyscrapers, glitzy restaurants, bars, hotels, brand awareness
and shopping savvy, competing with rival Asia cities such as Hong Kong,
and Singapore.
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