Shanghai (上海)

1. Introduction

Shanghai, abbreviated as "Hu" and also known as "Shen," is a municipality directly under the central government of the People's Republic of China. It serves as China's economic, financial, trade, shipping, commercial, upstream manufacturing, and opening-up center. Shanghai is also a port city, the second most populous city in China, one of the most developed cities in the country, and a global city. Located at the center of China's eastern coastline and the easternmost part of the Yangtze River Delta, Shanghai faces the East China Sea to the east, borders Hangzhou Bay to the south, connects with Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces to the west, and has Chongming Island at its northern tip situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Together with surrounding cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces, it forms the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration.

As early as the Neolithic Age, the Shanghai area was already inhabited by ancient settlers. During the Spring and Autumn period, Shanghai belonged to the State of Wu, and in the Warring States period, it was part of the State of Chu. During the Jin Dynasty, the population in Shanghai began to gather, initially developing into a regional fishing port, salt production area, and commercial town. From the Tang to the Yuan Dynasty, the area that is now Shanghai was under the jurisdiction of Huating County and Songjiang Prefecture. Shanghai County was established in 1292. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shanghai developed a cotton textile industry. In 1843, with the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing, Shanghai was officially opened as a treaty port and designated as one of the five major trading ports, where foreign concessions were established. At that time, Shanghai was also the seat of the Su-Song-Tai Circuit. After its opening, many immigrants from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Anhui, Shandong, and other provinces, as well as foreign immigrants, moved to Shanghai. The city began to absorb the traditional Wu-Yue culture from the nearby Jiangnan region and the diverse cultures brought by immigrants from various regions, blending them with modern Western culture introduced after the opening of the port. This gradually formed Shanghai's local "Haipai" culture.

Since the 20th century, Shanghai has become one of China's most important economic centers and one of the largest cities in Asia, often referred to as the "New York of China." After the founding of the People's Republic of China, when the central government implemented a planned economy and focused on developing inland areas, Shanghai provided substantial support for the development of other regions in mainland China. In 1990, the development and opening of Pudong led to rapid economic growth in Shanghai. In 2005, the National Comprehensive Supporting Reform Pilot Zone was established, and in 2013, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone was approved. Shanghai is classified as an Alpha+ world-class city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC), ranking fifth globally in 2020. Shanghai Port is the world's largest container port, and the Shanghai Metro is the longest urban rail transit system in the world in terms of operational mileage. The Shanghai Stock Exchange, one of the three stock exchanges in mainland China, ranks fourth globally in market capitalization. In 2021, Shanghai's GDP reached 4.32 trillion yuan, approximately 669.8 billion USD, successfully surpassing the 600 billion USD mark, ranking fourth in the world after New York, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.

Shanghai boasts attractions such as the Yu Garden, Shanghai City God Temple, Nanjing Road, the Bund, and the Lujiazui skyscraper skyline. It has been rated as a "Three-Star Travel Destination" by the Michelin Travel Guide, the highest level of recommendation. As a nationally recognized historical and cultural city, Shanghai has a rich cultural heritage, with 3,435 immovable cultural relics within its territory. Since 1989, Shanghai has announced five lists of outstanding historical buildings, totaling 1,058 sites.

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2. History

3.1 Early History

Approximately 7,000 years ago, the western part of Shanghai had already formed land, while the eastern areas were gradually formed over the last 2,000 years. The earliest traces of human civilization within Shanghai can be traced back to the Neolithic Age 6,000 years ago, with remains of the Majiabang, Songze, Liangzhu, and Maqiao cultures. During the Jin Dynasty in the 4th to 5th centuries AD, fishermen gathered in the Songjiang and coastal areas, gradually developing into a fishing port and commercial market town. In the tenth year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (751 AD), Huating County was established under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, with its northern boundary reaching today's Hongkou area, the southern boundary to the sea, and the eastern boundary to Xiasha (northern part of today's Hangtou Town in Pudong New Area). This marked the beginning of the establishment of Songjiang City.

During the Song Dynasty, merchants gathered, and the area now known as Shanghai was already referred to as "Shanghai Shi" (market town), also known as Huating Sea. In the third year of the Xianchun era (1267), Huating County of Jiaxing Prefecture established a market town on the west bank of Shanghai Pu (a tributary of the Songjiang River), naming it Shanghai Town. In the fourteenth year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty (1277), Huating County was upgraded to a prefecture and renamed Songjiang Prefecture the following year, governing Huating County. On August 19, the twenty-eighth year of the Zhiyuan era (1291), the Yuan government carved out five townships and twenty-six bao (administrative divisions) — Changren, Gaochang, Beiting, Xinjiang, and Haiyu — located northeast of Huating County on both sides of the Huangpu River, to establish Shanghai County, subordinate to Songjiang Prefecture. This marked the beginning of Shanghai's independent administrative establishment. By the thirty-second year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the Shanghai city wall was built. During the Ming Dynasty, Shanghai County belonged to Songjiang Prefecture of the Southern Zhili Province. At that time, Songjiang Prefecture was said to have "the highest taxes and levies in the world" and was already quite prosperous. The Qing Dynasty followed the Ming system; Shanghai County first belonged to Songjiang Prefecture of Jiangnan Province and, after the division of Jiangnan Province, belonged to Jiangsu Province.

3.2 Early Treaty Port Era

In 1843, according to the Treaty of Nanjing signed between the Qing Dynasty and Britain the previous year, Shanghai officially opened as one of the five treaty ports. In 1845, the Qing and Britain signed the Shanghai Land Regulations, marking the beginning of the history of foreign concessions. Subsequently, France and the United States successively established concessions in Shanghai. Later, the concessions gradually developed into areas not under the jurisdiction of the Qing court, possessing independent judicial and administrative powers. After several expansions, by 1900, the International Settlement covered 33,503 mu, and the French Concession covered 2,135 mu, encompassing most of what is now the core area of Shanghai. Leveraging this unique political system and geographical location, Shanghai gradually developed into the most prosperous economic and commercial center in the Far East after its opening, earning titles like the "Ten-Mile Foreign Market" and the "Paradise for Adventurers." The existence of the concessions shielded the prosperous areas of Shanghai from the impacts of the Taiping Rebellion and the Boxer Rebellion, granting them de facto independent status and extensive international connections. This stable political and business environment created conditions for Shanghai's subsequent sustained prosperity.

3.3 Republic of China Era

Nanjing Road in the 1930s Nanjing Road in the 1930s Shanghai City in 1932 Shanghai City in 1932 View of the Shanghai Bund from the French Concession in 1934 View of the Shanghai Bund from the French Concession in 1934

On November 3, 1911, Shanghai was recovered. After the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912, due to the struggle for central and local power between conservative forces and revolutionaries, the national situation was relatively chaotic, and the Chinese-administered areas of Shanghai were often in a state of disorder. Meanwhile, the concessions maintained relative stability and peace, accelerating development in economy, population, and other aspects. From 1914 to 1936, this period became a phase of high prosperity for the Shanghai concessions.

Before 1927, Zhabei and Nanshi outside the concessions were under the jurisdiction of Shanghai County, Jiangsu Province. Due to the political peculiarity of the concessions, several major political events affecting China in the early 20th century also occurred in Shanghai. In 1919, due to the Paris Peace Conference, Shanghai workers, students, and people from all walks of life held a city-wide general strike, class boycott, and market closure. Starting from June 5 that year, the center of the May Fourth Movement shifted from Beijing to Shanghai. In July 1921, the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in Shanghai, marking the birth of the Communist Party of China. Shanghai also became the location of the CPC Central Committee until 1933. On May 30, 1925, Shanghai students and citizens protested against the Japanese-owned cotton mill owner's shooting of striking workers. The International Settlement police opened fire on the protesters, causing the May Thirtieth Massacre, which triggered a nationwide anti-British movement. On April 12, 1927, the April 12 Incident erupted, involving the Kuomintang's internal purge, bringing the first Kuomintang-Communist cooperation to the brink of collapse.

On July 7, 1927, the Nationalist Government established the Shanghai Special Municipality in areas outside the concessions, simultaneously incorporating 17 townships from the original Shanghai County and Baoshan County of Jiangsu Province, with a total area of 494 square kilometers. Shanghai formally separated from Jiangsu's jurisdiction and came directly under the Executive Yuan. Due to its proximity to the capital Nanjing and its status as a foreign trade center, a large number of financial institutions established their headquarters in Shanghai, further consolidating its position as the national economic and financial center. Both the concessions and Chinese-administered areas of Shanghai experienced rapid development during the subsequent "Golden Decade," earning Shanghai the reputation as the financial center of the Far East. In July 1930, it was renamed Shanghai City. In the 1930s, Shanghai was the largest metropolis and commercial and financial center in the Far East. In 1936, Shanghai became the world's seventh-largest city, hailed as the "Paris of the East" and the "London of the East."

On January 28, 1932, the Japanese army launched a war in Shanghai, bombing Zhabei urban areas and destroying Chinese infrastructure. On October 10, 1933, Wu Tiecheng, then Mayor of Shanghai, delivered a speech at the completion of the Shanghai Municipal Government building, sufficiently revealing the Chinese people's determination to create their own world amidst the aftermath of war.

On August 13, 1937, the Battle of Shanghai broke out, marking the beginning of full-scale war. China and Japan fought fiercely in Shanghai for three months, and Shanghai fell. After the battle, the formerly prosperous markets of Zhabei and Nanshi were severely damaged, and the Chinese-administered areas largely became slums, significantly impacting Shanghai's urban layout for decades to come. The Hongkou area of the International Settlement, originally the Japanese sector (the northern half of the International Settlement), became a Japanese garrison area. However, the French Concession and the part of the International Settlement south of Suzhou Creek, controlled and defended by Britain, the United States, and the Kingdom of Italy, remained under foreign control. As Japan could not forcibly occupy them without risking war with Britain, the US, and Italy, this led to the over four-year-long, abnormally prosperous "Lone Island" period. After the outbreak of the Pacific War in 1941, Japan officially declared war on Britain and the United States. Japanese troops also occupied the concessions on the morning of December 8. The sectors of Japan's ally Italy survived until 1943. From 1943 onward, all concessions ceased to exist. After the victory in the War of Resistance in 1945, Shanghai was taken over by the Nationalist Government.

In 1946, the second phase of the Chinese Civil War broke out, plunging Shanghai's economy into collapse with soaring prices. In 1948, the government issued the "Economic Emergency Decree" in an attempt to reverse the situation, but it ended in failure. After the Shanghai Campaign in May 1949, the People's Liberation Army gained control of the entire city on May 27 and established the Shanghai Military Control Commission of the People's Liberation Army and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. During this time, many personnel, assets, and institutions associated with the Republic of China government and overseas organizations evacuated Shanghai along with the Republic of China government.

3.4 People's Republic of China Era

In 1949, the People's Republic of China established Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, as a centrally-administered municipality, with a total area of 618.02 square kilometers. This included an urban area of 86.66 square kilometers and a suburban area of 531.36 square kilometers. In 1954, the city's area was 630.11 square kilometers. In 1958, ten counties from Jiangsu Province — Shanghai, Jiading, Baoshan, Songjiang, Jinshan, Chuansha, Nanhui, Fengxian, Qingpu, and Chongming — were transferred to Shanghai Municipality, increasing its area to 5,862.88 square kilometers. In 1984, the Shanghai Surveying and Mapping Department and the Shanghai Soil Survey Office remeasured the city's land area. By the end of 1986, the total land area was 6,340.50 square kilometers, with the urban area being 375.44 square kilometers and the suburban counties 5,965.06 square kilometers. The city's water surface area was 121.85 square kilometers. Starting from January 1987, the city officially began using the above data.

In 1956, Shanghai adjusted and reorganized its existing industries, carried out equipment renewal and technological transformation, and renovated, expanded, and built a number of new enterprises. Shanghai's total industrial output value in 1956 increased by 34.3% compared to 1955. During the same period, Shanghai supplied equipment, talent, and technology to various parts of China. During the First Five-Year Plan period, Shanghai provided over 3,000 types of equipment, more than 140,000 kilometers of wires, and 40,000 square meters of steel windows to eight units including the Changchun Automobile Manufacturing Plant. By 1962, Shanghai had become China's largest industrial center, with 220 production categories, accounting for 86% of the national total of 256. From 1953 to 1988, Shanghai cumulatively remitted 472.5 billion yuan in fiscal revenue to the central government and earned 65.8 billion US dollars in foreign exchange for China through exports. Industrial goods transferred from Shanghai's commercial sector to other parts of China reached 288.1 billion yuan. Until before the reform and opening-up, Shanghai's industrial output value consistently accounted for about 30% of the national total.

3.5 Post-Reform and Opening-Up Era

In 1978, mainland China implemented the reform and opening-up policy. In July 1980, Shanghai's first Sino-foreign joint venture after the reform and opening-up, China Schindler Elevator Co., Ltd. Shanghai Elevator Factory, was established. However, during the 1980s, the economies of emerging special economic zones in the south, such as Shenzhen, developed rapidly, and Shanghai's status as the economic center of mainland China was once challenged.Since the Chinese leadership initiated the development and opening-up policy for Pudong in 1990, Shanghai's economy has experienced rapid growth, further solidifying its status as China's economic, financial, and trade hub. The Shanghai Municipal Government is now committed to transforming Shanghai into an international financial center and an international shipping hub, a plan that received approval from the State Council in March 2009.

From May 1 to October 31, 2010, the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China was held. The theme of the Expo was "Better City, Better Life."

In August 2013, the State Council officially approved the establishment of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. At its inception, the zone was centered around the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, supplemented by the airport bonded area and the Yangshan Port Lingang New City. It became a new testing ground for China's economy, implementing reforms in government functions, financial systems, trade services, foreign investment, and tax policies, and vigorously promoting the development of Shanghai's transit and offshore businesses. Although the project faced resistance during its approval process, it ultimately succeeded with the support of Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council. On September 29, 2013, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone was officially inaugurated.

In June 2016, the Shanghai Disney Resort, which had been in preparation for several years, officially opened to visitors in Shanghai's Pudong district. The Shanghai Disney Resort became the first Disney resort in mainland China, the third in Asia, and the sixth in the world.

From November 5 to 10, 2018, the first China International Import Expo was held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). With the slogan "New Era, Shared Future," the expo adhered to the principles and spirit of "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits" in the Belt and Road Initiative. On August 20, 2019, the Lingang New Area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone was officially established. Its goal is to build a special economic zone with greater international market influence and competitiveness, managed with reference to special economic zones, and implementing a series of opening-up measures, talent attraction policies, and preferential measures.

3. Geography

Shanghai is situated on an alluvial plain, and its land area continues to grow due to ongoing silt deposition. Satellite imagery shows the Yangtze River carrying sediment into the sea.

4.1 Topography

Shanghai is located between 30°40′–31°53′ N latitude and 120°52′–122°12′ E longitude, at the forefront of the Yangtze River Delta alluvial plain. It borders the East China Sea to the east, the Yangtze River to the north, Hangzhou Bay to the south, and is adjacent to Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces to the west, marking the central point of China's coastline. By the end of 2013, the city's total area was 6,340.5 square kilometers, with a maximum north-south length of approximately 120 km and a maximum east-west width of about 100 km. The urban area covers 2,648.6 square kilometers. The entire municipality consists of alluvial plains, with only some volcanic hills in the southwest. The average elevation is around 4 meters, featuring flat terrain that slopes slightly from east to west, with few and low-lying mountains. The eastern coastal areas are formed by continuous sediment deposition from the Yangtze River, with areas like Chongming Island and Pudong still expanding. The west features hills such as Sheshan and Tianmashan, all under 100 meters in height. The highest point in Shanghai is Dajinshan Island in Hangzhou Bay, with an elevation of 103.4 meters.

4.2 Environment

The Huangpu River originates from Dianshan Lake in Dianfeng, Zhujiajiao Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai, and flows into the Yangtze River at Wusongkou. It is the last tributary of the Yangtze before it reaches the sea. The upper reaches of the Huangpu River receive water from various rivers flowing out of Taihu Lake, serving as the main channel for Taihu Lake's discharge into the East China Sea.

Shanghai's high population density and low-lying coastal location make it particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise. Located in the Jiangnan water region and at the Yangtze River estuary, Shanghai is not on a major seismic belt, so disasters like earthquakes, floods, and geological hazards are rare. However, its coastal and low-lying position makes it susceptible to tsunamis. The city is crisscrossed with waterways and was once known as a "land of fish and rice." The islands off the eastern coast contain extensive wetlands and mudflats, serving as crucial habitats for migratory birds and important ecological barriers for Shanghai. Situated on the southeastern coast along the Western Pacific typhoon path, Shanghai is often affected by tropical cyclones (typhoons) from the Pacific during summer and early autumn, bringing strong winds, storm surges, and heavy rainfall.

With economic development and a large influx of migrants, Shanghai faces various environmental pollution issues. Air and noise pollution are frequently complained about by residents, and incidents of environmental pollution harming public health have occurred. Shanghai suffers from severe acid rain. According to the 2020 Shanghai Ecological Environment Status Bulletin, the average precipitation pH value in 2020 was 5.38, with an acid rain frequency of 40.2%. Shanghai is also a typical city facing water scarcity due to quality issues, as deteriorating water quality has repeatedly forced the relocation of water source areas for water treatment plants. The Minhang Wujing Riverside area hosts many chemical, energy, carbon, and building material factories, which may be relocated or upgraded. Furthermore, located on the Yangtze River estuary alluvial plain with soft soil foundations, excessive groundwater extraction, construction of high-rise buildings, and underground facilities have led to land subsidence.

The Shanghai Municipal Government has implemented various measures to address these environmental issues. Laws regulate horn honking in urban areas, and noise barriers have been erected along elevated roads to reduce noise impact on nearby residences. The severely polluted Suzhou Creek underwent three phases of large-scale pollution control projects since the 1990s, essentially eliminating pollution and restoring the river's ecology. To counter excessive groundwater extraction, water recharge methods are used to achieve a basic balance, although the land still subsides at a rate of about 6 mm per year.

According to the 2023 Shanghai Ecological Environment Bulletin: Dianshan Lake is in a mildly eutrophic state, with a slight increase in the comprehensive trophic state index. Based on China's national standard Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water, the water quality at monitoring sections of the Huangpu River ranges from Class II to III, while all monitoring sections of Suzhou Creek are Class III. According to the Seawater Quality Standards, 72.1% of the monitoring points in the coastal waters were worse than Class IV seawater quality. Additionally, per the 2023 China Ecological Environment Status Bulletin, Shanghai had 320 days with good air quality (based on the Air Quality Index) in 2023, with 1 day of heavy pollution and no days of severe pollution.

4.3 Climate

Shanghai has a humid subtropical monsoon climate, characterized by hot, rainy summers and mild, drier winters, with four distinct seasons, ample sunshine, and abundant rainfall. The climate is mild and humid, with an annual average temperature of 17.2 °C. Spring (March 15–May 22) and autumn (October 2–November 30) are relatively short, winter (December 1–March 14 of the following year) is moderate in length, and summer (May 23–October 1) is long. There are three rainy periods: spring rain, plum rain (Meiyu), and autumn rain, making the period from May to September the flood season, accounting for about 60% of the annual precipitation. Mid-July to mid-August is the "Fu" dry-hot season, characterized by muggy and scorching heat, with an average temperature of 28.8 °C. On average, there are 14.5 days per year with maximum temperatures exceeding 35 °C. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 4.9 °C. The Xujiahui station in the city center (records since 1872) recorded an extreme maximum temperature of 40.9 °C (on July 21, 2017, and July 13, 2022) and an extreme minimum of -12.1 °C (on January 19, 1893). The Baoshan international exchange station (records since 1951) recorded an extreme maximum of 40.0 °C (on August 19, 2022) and an extreme minimum of -10.1 °C (on January 31, 1977). Influenced by cold air from the Mongolian Plateau and Siberia, frost can occur. When strong cold fronts meet warm, moist air currents, Shanghai may experience sleet or snowfall.

Shanghai Climate Data (1991-2020 averages, extremes from 1951 to present)

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |-------------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|------------|------------|------------|-------------| | Record high °C (°F) | 23 (73.4) | 27 (80.6) | 30.9 (87.6)| 34.3 (93.7)| 36.4 (97.5)| 37.5 (99.5)| 39.7 (103.5)| 40 (104) | 38.2 (100.8)| 36.7 (98.1)| 29.2 (84.6)| 24.4 (75.9)| 40 (104) | | Average high °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) | 10.1 (50.2)| 14.3 (57.7)| 20.1 (68.2)| 25.1 (77.2)| 27.8 (82.0)| 32.4 (90.3) | 31.9 (89.4)| 27.9 (82.2) | 22.9 (73.2)| 17.5 (63.5)| 11.0 (51.8)| 20.8 (69.4) | | Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.9 (40.8) | 6.5 (43.7) | 10.3 (50.5)| 15.7 (60.3)| 20.9 (69.6)| 24.4 (75.9)| 28.8 (83.8) | 28.5 (83.3)| 24.7 (76.5) | 19.7 (67.5)| 13.9 (57.0)| 7.5 (45.5) | 17.2 (62.9) | | Average low °C (°F) | 2.2 (36.0) | 3.6 (38.5) | 6.9 (44.4) | 12.0 (53.6)| 17.5 (63.5)| 21.7 (71.1)| 25.9 | 25.9 | 22.2 | 16.7 | 10.7 | 4.4 | 14.1 | | | -36 | -38.5 | -44.4 | -53.6 | -63.5 | -71.1 | -78.6 | -78.6 | -72 | -62.1 | -51.3 | -39.9 | -57.5 | | Record low °C (°F) | −10.1 | −7.9 | −5.4 | −0.5 | 6.9 | 12.3 | 16.3 | 18.3 | 10.8 | 1.7 | −4.2 | −8.5 | −10.1 | | | -13.8 | -17.8 | -22.3 | -31.1 | -44.4 | -54.1 | -61.3 | -64.9 | -51.4 | -35.1 | -24.4 | -16.7 | -13.8 | | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 69.8 | 64 | 86.5 | 77.1 | 90.2 | 196.7 | 146.9 | 210.1 | 116.5 | 71.4 | 57.5 | 49.3 | 1,236 | | | -2.75 | -2.52 | -3.41 | -3.04 | -3.55 | -7.74 | -5.78 | -8.27 | -4.59 | -2.81 | -2.26 | -1.94 | -48.66 | | Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 10 | 9.7 | 12.2 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 13.7 | 11.9 | 12.5 | 9.9 | 7 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 125 | | Average snowy days | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 4.7 | | Average relative humidity (%) | 73 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 71 | 79 | 76 | 77 | 75 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 73 | | Mean monthly sunshine hours | 110.4 | 115.4 | 136.6 | 157 | 169.7 | 120.7 | 184.7 | 186.5 | 161.2 | 157.6 | 127.1 | 127.1 | 1,754 | | Percentage of possible sunshine | 34 | 37 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 28 | 43 | 46 | 44 | 45 | 40 | 41 | 40 |

Source: National Climate Center

4. Administrative Divisions

Shanghai currently administers 16 municipal districts, which in turn govern 107 subdistricts, 106 towns, and 2 townships. These are further subdivided into 4,588 neighborhood committees (communities) and 1,558 village committees.

When the Shanghai Municipal People's Government was established in May 1949, the total area under its jurisdiction was only one-tenth of its current size. The city's territory was roughly within today's Outer Ring Road, covering an area of 663.5 square kilometers. In 1958, ten counties from Jiangsu Province were transferred to Shanghai, essentially forming the current administrative scope. From 1988 to 2016, all suburban counties were converted into districts. In 1988, Wusong District and Baoshan County were merged to establish Baoshan District, making Baoshan County the first county in the country to be converted into a district. In 2000, Pudong New Area was established, becoming China's first sub-provincial district. In May 2009, the administrative areas of the former Pudong New Area and Nanhui District were merged to form the new Pudong New Area. In November 2015, the former Zhabei District and Jing'an District were merged to form the new Jing'an District. On July 22, 2016, Chongming, Shanghai's last county, was converted into a district, marking the end of the "county" administrative division in Shanghai. The administrative divisions of the city center have undergone several changes, resulting in the current configuration of 7 districts.

Additionally, Shanghai possesses several exclaves and "quasi-exclaves" (without local land ownership) in areas such as Dafeng District of Yancheng City in Jiangsu Province, Xuancheng City, and Huangshan City in Anhui Province. Residents in these areas hold Shanghai household registration and enjoy related benefits and welfare.

| Division Code | Division Name | Hanyu Pinyin | Area (sq km) | Government Seat | Postal Code | Subdistricts | Towns | Townships | Communities | Administrative Villages | |-------------------|-------------------|-----------------------|------------------|---------------------|-----------------|------------------|-----------|---------------|-----------------|----------------------------| | 310000 | Shanghai City | Shanghai Shì | 6340.5 | Huangpu District | 200001 | 107 | 106 | 2 | 4588 | 1558 | | 310101 | Huangpu District | Huángpǔ Qū | 20.46 | Waitan Subdistrict | 200001 | 10 | | | 172 | | | 310104 | Xuhui District | Xúhuì Qū | 54.76 | Xujiahui Subdistrict| 200030 | 12 | 1 | | 306 | | | 310105 | Changning District| Chángníng Qū | 38.3 | Jiangsu Road Subdistrict | 200050 | 9 | 1 | | 185 | | | 310106 | Jing'an District | Jìng'ān Qū | 37.37 | Jiangning Road Subdistrict | 200040 | 13 | 1 | | 264 | 1 | | 310107 | Putuo District | Pǔtuó Qū | 54.83 | Zhenru Town Subdistrict | 200333 | 8 | 2 | | 265 | 7 | | 310109 | Hongkou District | Hóngkǒu Qū | 23.48 | Jiaxing Road Subdistrict | 200086 | 8 | | | 200 | | | 310110 | Yangpu District | Yángpǔ Qū | 60.73 | Pingliang Road Subdistrict | 200082 | 12 | | | 291 | | | 310112 | Minhang District | Mǐnháng Qū | 371.68 | Xinzhuang Town | 201100 | 4 | 9 | | 469 | 114 | | 310113 | Baoshan District | Bǎoshān Qū | 270.99 | Youyi Road Subdistrict | 201900 | 3 | 9 | | 402 | 103 | | 310114 | Jiading District | Jiādìng Qū | 458.8 | Xincheng Road Subdistrict | 201800 | 3 | 7 | | 231 | 141 | | 310115 | Pudong New Area | Pǔdōng Xīn Qū | 1210.41 | Huamu Subdistrict | 200135 | 12 | 24 | | 1019 | 357 | | 310116 | Jinshan District | Jīnshān Qū | 586.05 | Shanyang Town | 200540 | 1 | 9 | | 110 | 124 | | 310117 | Songjiang District| Sōngjiāng Qū | 604.71 | Fangsong Subdistrict| 201600 | 6 | 11 | | 279 | 84 | | 310118 | Qingpu District | Qīngpǔ Qū | 675.54 | Xiayang Subdistrict | 201700 | 3 | 8 | | 146 | 184 | | 310120 | Fengxian District | Fèngxián Qū | 687.39 | Nanqiao Town | 201400 | 3 | 8 | | 160 | 175 | | 310151 | Chongming District| Chóngmíng Qū | 1185.49 | Chengqiao Town | 202150 | | 16 | 2 | 89 | 268 |

5. Economy

6.1 Overview

Shanghai is the economic center of mainland China. From the founding of the People's Republic of China until the early 1990s, Shanghai's industrial output accounted for 10% of the national total, and the fiscal revenue submitted by Shanghai to the central government consistently exceeded 16% of the total central fiscal revenue, accounting for over 80% of Shanghai's local fiscal revenue. Shanghai-made products, represented by brands like Shanghai Watch, covered almost all light industrial goods.

In the 1980s, Shanghai's economic status in China declined rapidly, with slow economic development. In April 1990, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China decided to develop and open up Pudong. Pudong's economy surged more than 60-fold over the next two decades, and Shanghai's economy subsequently maintained an annual growth rate of over 10% for more than ten consecutive years, once again solidifying its position as China's economic, financial, and trade center. Currently, the Pudong New Area accounts for nearly 30% of Shanghai's economy. In July 2013, the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone received national approval, giving Shanghai mainland China's first free trade zone and providing another significant opportunity for economic development.

Shanghai's total regional fiscal revenue grew from 24.2 billion yuan in 1993 to 1,361.7 billion yuan in 2017. In 1993, Shanghai's macro tax burden was around 15%, reaching about 45% by 2017. By the late 2010s, the fiscal revenue Shanghai submitted to the central government accounted for nearly 10% of the central total. In 2021, Shanghai's net contribution to central government taxes reached 929.4 billion yuan, ranking second nationwide. Its GDP accounts for about 4% of China's total. In 2017, the city's GDP was 3,013 billion yuan, ranking 11th globally, with the tertiary sector contributing over 60%. Half of Shanghai's GDP is contributed by non-public sector enterprises. Shanghai's most important industries, in order, are commerce and trade circulation, finance, information technology, real estate, complete equipment manufacturing, and automobile manufacturing. These six pillar industries account for about half of the GDP. The per capita GDP reached 135,305 yuan, which is approximately $20,447 USD at the international exchange rate. As of 2021, Shanghai hosts over 70,000 foreign-funded enterprises, more than 800 multinational corporate headquarters or regional headquarters, and over 500 foreign-funded R&D centers. In 2019, Shanghai accounted for about 13.8% of China's total actual utilized foreign direct investment. As of 2022, Shanghai Port has ranked first globally in container throughput for 12 consecutive years. In 2019, the annual per capita disposable income of Shanghai residents was 69,442 yuan.

6.2 Tertiary Sector

Core of the Lujiazui business district in Pudong. This area gathers the world's densest cluster of super high-rise buildings, including landmarks like the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower, Shanghai Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center, making it a primary symbol of Shanghai.

The Shanghai Stock Exchange is one of China's three stock exchanges. Before 1949, Shanghai was China's commercial and financial center. At that time, Shanghai was home to state-capital financial institutions known as the "Four Banks, Two Bureaus, and One Treasury" — the Central Bank of China, Bank of China, Bank of Communications, Farmers Bank of China, Central Trust Bureau, Postal Remittances and Savings Bureau, and Central Cooperative Treasury — as well as numerous foreign-funded banks, private banks, native banks (qianzhuang), and trust companies. At that time, domestic banks headquartered in Shanghai constituted 81% of the registered members of the Bankers Association. After the development during the Nationalist Government's "Golden Decade," by the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Shanghai had 105 various private banks, native banks, and trust companies, and 32 foreign banks operating in China. Jiangxi Road, running parallel to the Bund, was dubbed the "Wall Street of the East" because it housed a large number of financial institutions such as Jincheng Bank, Yanye Bank, and Zhejiang Industrial Bank, whose deposits accounted for over one-third of the national total.

Shanghai's financial market was once highly developed with a wide variety of financial instruments. Besides the securities market, it had money markets for interbank lending and discounting, domestic and foreign exchange markets, and gold and silver bullion markets. In terms of capital markets, Shanghai was then the world's third-largest stock market and third-largest bond market, after only New York and London. Shanghai was both the national center for fund allocation and an active international financial hub in the Far East: In 1936, the actual annual transaction volume of Shanghai's gold market reached 31.16 million taels, equivalent to over 11 million US dollars. This figure exceeded the combined totals of Tokyo and Osaka in Japan and also surpassed Paris, France. "Although its daily trading volume was not comparable to London or New York, it surpassed that of France, India, and Japan."

After 1949, some Shanghai capitalists fled to Hong Kong, Taiwan, or elsewhere overseas. Others remained in Shanghai and continued their businesses. Finally, in early 1956, all were replaced by public-private partnerships. In 1950, the Shanghai Stock Exchange was closed by the Shanghai Military Control Commission for involvement in speculation and foreign exchange trading. By the end of 1952, the number of private financial institutions in Shanghai had decreased to just over 60. In early 1956, the government implemented the public-private合营 policy, eventually merging all into a unified Joint Management Office of Public-Private合营 Banks. All capital markets were also closed. Shanghai's status as Asia's financial center was later replaced by Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

On April 1, 1987, the Bank of Communications resumed operations in Shanghai. On November 26, 1990, the Shanghai Stock Exchange was re-established, marking the revival of Shanghai's financial market. In 2002, China UnionPay was founded in Shanghai. In August 2005, the Shanghai Headquarters of the People's Bank of China was inaugurated in Shanghai. In 2016, the New Development Bank became fully operational. Currently, state-owned banks with their headquarters in Shanghai include the Bank of Communications, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, Bank of Shanghai, and Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank, among others.

Due to its convenient geographical location and traditional economic foundation, Shanghai is also the registered location or Greater China headquarters for some state-owned enterprises and multinational corporations, forming a headquarters effect radiating across the Yangtze River Delta and even nationwide. Currently, well-known enterprises with their global headquarters or registered address in Shanghai include: Bank of Communications, China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, China Eastern Air Holding Company, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., China Baowu Steel Group, China UnionPay, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co., Ltd., BOC International (China) Co., Ltd., Guotai Junan Securities Co., Ltd., Haitong Securities Co., Ltd., PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, Ernst & Young (China) Advisory Limited, KPMG Advisory (China) Limited, Shanghai Electric (Group) Corporation, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Jiushi (Group) Co., Ltd. Additionally, a large number of multinational corporations such as Intel, GSK, Unilever, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, Henkel, Dow Chemical, Philips, L'Oréal, Bosch, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Accenture, McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and 17 foreign financial companies including Citigroup, HSBC, Allianz, AIG, Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, ANZ, DBS Bank, UOB, Hang Seng Bank, and Bank of East Asia have their China headquarters in Shanghai.

6.3 Commerce

Shanghai has been China's commercial center since modern times. Since its establishment, due to its location in the affluent Jiangnan plain region and its own developed traditional handicraft economy, Shanghai had already become a famous trading port as early as the Song and Ming dynasties. The Yuan dynasty government established a Maritime Trade Supervisorate (Shibosi) in Shanghai, greatly developing Shanghai's commerce and overseas trade. During the Ming dynasty, Songjiang Prefecture became the national center for textile handicrafts and cotton cloth trade. During the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty, with the lifting of the maritime ban and the establishment of the Jiang Customs, Shanghai's cotton cloth trade expanded rapidly. By the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns, Shanghai was exporting as many as 800,000 bolts of cotton cloth to Britain annually.

After Shanghai opened as a treaty port, foreign goods continuously entered the interior via Shanghai. Shanghai's import trade developed rapidly. By the mid-1850s, Shanghai had surpassed Guangzhou to become the national foreign trade center, and Shanghai's market became exceptionally prosperous. During the Taiping Rebellion (referred to as the Gengshen Calamity), Shanghai, protected by its foreign concessions, was not severely damaged, while surrounding Jiangnan cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou suffered greatly. This attracted a large number of merchants from Suzhou and other places to seek refuge in Shanghai, leading to rapid commercial development and establishing Shanghai as China's commercial center. By 1908, according to the "Shanghai Chinese Merchant Directory," there were a total of 10,534 various enterprises and shops within the concessions, including banks, native banks, stores, factories, and transportation companies. Nanjing Road, now world-famous, had already taken shape by this time.

After the outbreak of World War I, national commerce also developed rapidly. Some later well-known department store companies established themselves on Nanjing Road and other areas of Shanghai at this time. Wing On, Sincere, The Sun, and The Sun Sun were collectively known as the four major department stores on Nanjing Road, selling the latest goods from around the world. During the "Solitary Island" period (Shanghai's occupation during WWII), Shanghai's commerce exhibited a畸形 prosperity.After 1956, with the implementation of the planned economy and the public-private partnership, Shanghai's commerce entered a new era. During this period, state-owned stores primarily sustained Shanghai's commercial operations. Residents relied on ration coupons for daily purchases, ranging from grain and non-staple foods to televisions and bicycles. From 1983 to 1993, ration coupons gradually phased out of Shanghai's commerce, and the market began to implement open supply. Starting from the mid-1990s, modern business models such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience stores began to enter Shanghai. Traditional grocery stores and department stores gradually disappeared or transformed their functions.

By the 1990s, Shanghai had three main commercial streets and several major commercial centers, namely Nanjing East Road, Huaihai Middle Road, Sichuan North Road, Yuyuan, Xujiahui, etc. After another 20 years of rapid development, by the end of 2010, Shanghai's commercial centers had expanded to ten: Nanjing East Road Commercial Center, Nanjing West Road Commercial Center, Huaihai Middle Road Commercial Center, Sichuan North Road Commercial Center, Xujiahui Commercial Center, Zhangyang Road Commercial Center, Yuyuan Shopping Center Commercial Center, Wujiaochang Commercial Center, New Railway Station Nightless City Commercial Center, and Zhongshan Park Commercial Center. Commercial centers gradually expanded from the city's central downtown areas to secondary central urban areas, with their radiation range continuously widening. According to a commercial report issued by the Shanghai Municipal Government in 2010, Zhongshan Park and Wujiaochang were two new commercial centers added on the basis of the original eight.

6.4 Secondary Industry

Light industry is the earliest and most mature industrial sector in Shanghai's development. The silk and textile industries had already reached considerable scale since the Ming Dynasty. After Shanghai opened as a port, due to the prosperity of the Jiangnan region it relied on, coupled with relatively low investment in light industry and quick capital recovery, both Chinese and foreign capital flocked to Shanghai to establish light industry factories, forming intense competition. During the planned economy period, light industrial products produced in Shanghai were sold nationwide, and Shanghai essentially became synonymous with quality and fashionable products. Shanghai's light industrial products, including a series of foods, daily chemicals, watches, bicycles, sewing machines, photographic equipment, instruments, office supplies, etc., comprised over 90 major categories and more than 20,000 varieties, making it the most important base for light industrial production in China. Classic products such as Forever bicycles, White Rabbit creamy candy, Shanghai brand watches, Butterfly brand sewing machines, and Liu Shen Florida water, due to their excellent quality and fair prices, long enjoyed affirmation from a large number of consumers as best-selling brands in the mainland Chinese market. Currently, Shanghai still maintains a large scale in bicycle manufacturing, food production, and daily chemical products.

Since the beginning of the Self-Strengthening Movement, Shanghai has become China's most important industrial base, with the Jiangnan Arsenal marking the starting point of Shanghai's heavy industry. During the Nationalist Government period and the planned economy era, Shanghai's industrial development level was already far ahead nationwide. At that time, Shanghai's industrial output accounted for 10% of China's total. Due to Shanghai's convenient transportation and developed science and culture, many research and production bases for heavy industrial products were located in Shanghai. In the early stages of reform and opening up, due to central policies, the rapid development of southeastern China caused Shanghai's industry to face a crisis of marginalization. However, since the mid-1990s, with the development of the Pudong New Area and the reduction in the proportion of fiscal transfer payments, among other reasons, Shanghai's industry has regained new vitality. Shanghai's industry mainly focuses on metallurgy, petrochemicals, machinery, electronics, automobiles, aviation, aerospace, supercomputers, shipbuilding, and other sectors. Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park gathers a large number of high-end manufacturing industries.

Currently, in the transportation industry, Shanghai Volkswagen and Shanghai GM have become important bases for small and medium-sized passenger car production, Sunwin Bus is an important base for large vehicle production, and Shanghai Alstom Transportation Equipment Co., Ltd. undertakes production in rail transit. In the aviation industry, Shanghai is the R&D base for China's aviation industry and the headquarters base of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., the manufacturer of large domestic passenger aircraft. Additionally, the shipbuilding industry, led by Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, is also a major pillar industry in Shanghai, with an annual shipbuilding capacity exceeding ten million tons. In metallurgy and petrochemicals, Shanghai Baosteel and Shanghai Petrochemical also hold leading positions in the domestic industry, with Baosteel Group ranking third among global steel enterprises.

6.5 Primary Industry

Shanghai, belonging to a subtropical monsoon climate, experiences distinct four seasons. The annual average temperature is 15.5°C. Since meteorological records began, the highest temperature recorded is 40.6°C, and the lowest is -12.1°C. The first frost typically occurs in mid-November, and the last frost ends in early April of the following year, with an average annual frost-free period of 225 days. The average annual sunshine hours reach 1934.4 hours, with a total solar radiation of 4670 megajoules per square meter, half of which is photosynthetically active radiation. The average annual effective accumulated temperature is 2630°C·days. Rainfall is abundant, with 130 rainy days per year and an average annual rainfall of 1145.4 mm. Light, heat, and water are generally in sync with the seasons, providing relatively superior agricultural climate conditions. Since ancient times, Shanghai has been a land of fish and rice, with relatively high yields of rice, fisheries, and vegetables. Early after Shanghai opened as a port, with urbanization, agricultural land and fishing rivers decreased or were buried, significantly impacting agriculture relying on traditional farming methods. Since the 1990s, Shanghai's agriculture has begun to develop towards high technology and mechanization.

Shanghai's traditional agriculture mainly involved intensive farming, focusing on fisheries, salt production, and crop cultivation. As early as the Qin and Han dynasties, the Shanghai area was already described as "vast coastal areas with salt fields in sight." By the Yuan Dynasty, Songjiang Prefecture alone had five of the 34 salt fields in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, becoming an important salt-producing area. Additionally, the crisscrossing water networks and suitable climate in the Jiangnan region made it the most suitable area for fisheries and rice cultivation. During the Tang Dynasty, thin rice from the Shanghai area was sent as tribute rice to the capital, Chang'an. During the Wuyue Kingdom period, Huating County extensively built water conservancy facilities such as weirs and sluices, providing better guarantees for agricultural cultivation. In the Song Dynasty, Huating County's rice yield per mu could reach two to three dan, making it a high-yield grain area in China at that time. Entering the Ming Dynasty, besides grain production, the Shanghai area began to extensively cultivate cash crops such as cotton due to reforms in textile technology. Coupled with Huang Daopo's reforms, Songjiang cotton cloth became famous nationwide, with extremely high production, praised as "clothing the world."

In 1988, under the leadership of then-Mayor Zhu Rongji, to address the supply of urban grain, agricultural, and non-staple foods, the "Vegetable Basket Project" began construction, leading to the rapid development of Shanghai's agricultural modernization. By the early 1990s, modern agriculture had achieved significant results. Currently, Shanghai's agriculture has basically achieved modernization, relying on six aspects: high technology, standardization, mechanized production, water conservancy construction, agricultural parks, and agricultural insurance subsidies to form a modern agricultural network.

By 2013, Shanghai achieved a total agricultural output value of 32.537 billion yuan. This included: crop cultivation, 17.456 billion yuan; forestry, 971 million yuan; animal husbandry, 6.765 billion yuan; fisheries, 6.155 billion yuan; and agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery services, 1.19 billion yuan. Municipal farms outside Shanghai's administrative area achieved an agricultural output value of 1.881 billion yuan. Throughout the year, the city's grain sown area was 168.51 thousand hectares; grain output was 1.1415 million tons; and aquatic product output was 275,900 tons. By the end of 2013, Shanghai had 1,069 enterprises and 4,797 products obtaining agricultural product quality certification. Among these, there were 151 green food production enterprises with 215 green food products; 911 pollution-free agricultural product production enterprises with 4,557 pollution-free agricultural products; Shanghai had cumulatively built 320 standardized livestock and poultry farms and 217 standardized aquaculture farms; cumulatively built 86.5 thousand hectares of facility farmland and 107 vegetable standard gardens. By year-end, the city had 288 leading agricultural industrialization enterprises and 3,200 farmer professional cooperatives.

6. Transportation

7.1 Buses

The earliest buses in Shanghai appeared in 1908. By 2011, the city had over 1,100 bus routes and nearly 17,000 buses, including 358 trolleybuses operating on 13 urban routes. The bus network covers every administrative village, with a daily passenger volume of 7.7 million.

7.2 Rail Transit

Rail transit is another important mode of urban transportation, sharing passenger traffic equally with buses. It includes 20 metro lines, 1 APM line, 1 maglev line, 1 regional railway (Jinshan Railway), 1 guided tram line (suspended from June 1, 2023), and 2 tram lines (Songjiang Tram). The earliest metro line officially opened to the public in April 1995. As of December 30, 2021, the total operational length of the Shanghai Metro is 831 kilometers (including the maglev line), ranking first in the world and making it one of the busiest urban metro systems globally. The metro network densely covers the central urban area and connects most districts and counties, with an average daily weekday ridership exceeding 9 million.

7.3 Taxis

Taxis in Shanghai began in 1908, peaking in the 1930s. Since the 1980s, the taxi industry has revived, with approximately 50,000 operational taxis citywide, and taxi stands have been gradually established. Ferries were once a crucial transportation mode, connecting both sides of the Huangpu River and linking Chongming Island with downtown Shanghai. However, with the construction of tunnels and bridges across the Huangpu River and Yangtze River, the importance of ferries for passenger transport has significantly declined, replaced by numerous sightseeing cruise ships on the Huangpu River.

7.4 Highways

The urban area of Shanghai features a main road network shaped like the Chinese character "申," consisting of the North-South Elevated Road (north-south direction), Yan'an Road Elevated Road (east-west direction), and Inner Ring Elevated Road (ring road), totaling 55 kilometers and exclusively for motor vehicles. Expanding outward from the Inner Ring Road are the Middle Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, and the Ring Expressway. Additionally, underground tunnels have been attempted to alleviate road congestion.

Lupu Bridge over the Huangpu River

Due to numerous rivers, Shanghai has built many bridges and tunnels. Dozens of bridges, such as the Waibaidu Bridge, span the Suzhou River running through the city. The first bridge over the Huangpu River was the Songpu Bridge, built in 1975, while the first bridge downstream was not completed until 1991. By 2012, there were over 20 bridges and tunnels across the Huangpu River. In 2003, the Lupu Bridge was completed, once the longest arch bridge in the world by main arch length. In 2009, the Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel and Bridge were completed, ending Chongming Island's reliance solely on boats for cross-river travel.

Downtown Shanghai connects to suburbs or neighboring cities via over ten provincial-level expressways, in addition to multiple national-level expressways and national highways.

7.5 Aviation

Terminal 2 of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport

Aerial View of Shanghai Pudong International Airport

International Airports

• Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport
• Shanghai Nantong International Airport (planned)

Shanghai is one of China's three major aviation hubs, with two international airports: Hongqiao and Pudong. In 2019, they handled 121.79 million passengers and 4.057 million tons of cargo and mail annually. The two airports recorded 784,000 aircraft movements yearly and serve as hub airports for China Eastern Airlines and Air China. On December 12, 2016, Shanghai became the first Chinese city to exceed 100 million annual airport passengers. Globally, before Shanghai, only London (UK), New York and Atlanta (USA), and Tokyo (Japan) had achieved this, making Shanghai the fifth city to join the "100-million passenger club." The cargo throughput of the two airports is also expected to rank third globally for nine consecutive years.

Hongqiao Airport was built in Shanghai's western suburbs in 1921 and began systematic operations in 1929. After multiple expansions, it is now part of the Hongqiao Transport Hub. Pudong International Airport opened in 1999 and quickly became one of China's busiest airports, with flights covering 73 countries and regions worldwide and 62 domestic cities, including direct cross-strait flights.

Additionally, eight airlines are based in Shanghai: China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Spring Airlines, Juneyao Air, China Cargo Airlines, Shanghai International Cargo Airlines, Yangtze River Express, and Great Wall Airlines.

The Hongqiao Transport Hub is a large transfer center integrating an airport, railway station, bus station, and metro station. The image shows its railway station waiting hall.

7.6 Railways

Shanghai has two top-class stations and two first-class stations, with Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai West Railway Station, Shanghai South Railway Station, and Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station being the most important. The earliest railway in Shanghai was the Wusong Railway, built in 1876, which was also the earliest operational railway in China. By 1909, both the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway and Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway were operational, forming the existing main railway lines into and out of Shanghai.

Shanghai currently has two existing main railway lines: Beijing-Shanghai and Shanghai-Kunming, as well as intra-city lines like the Jinshan Railway and Pudong Railway. For high-speed rail, the Shanghai-Nanjing / Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu Railway (with the Shanghai-Nanjing section sharing tracks with the Shanghai-Nanjing High-Speed Railway), Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, and Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway have been successively opened.

7.7 Maritime Shipping

Shanghai Port rapidly became China's largest port after opening. Initially, terminals were concentrated along the Huangpu River. Later, as the river's depth became insufficient for large container ships, Shanghai completed the Yangshan Deep-Water Port on islands in the East China Sea in 2005. It is connected to the mainland by a 32-kilometer cross-sea bridge and uses specialized port oil depots to refuel ships. The port's customs, port administration, and shipping administration fall under Shanghai's jurisdiction, but its location, Shengsi County, is administratively part of Zhejiang Province. By 2008, Shanghai Port had over 1,200 various berths, including 137 productive berths of 10,000 tons or more, with a total quay length of 115 kilometers, an annual throughput of 581.7 million tons, and a maximum berthing capacity of 150,000 tons. By 2010, Shanghai Port had become the world's largest container port.

In addition to cargo, Shanghai Port schedules 2,258 passenger flights monthly and hosts 58 international cruise ship calls annually. On November 28, 2019, the Shanghai Municipal Leading Group for Promoting the Construction of the Shanghai International Shipping Center was established, with the Mayor of Shanghai as the group leader and a Deputy Mayor as the deputy leader.

7. Education

During the Yuanyou period of the Northern Song Dynasty, Huating County had already established a county school. After Shanghai opened as a port, foreign missionaries and church organizations began to establish various types of schools in Shanghai. In 1850, the French Catholic Jesuit order established China's first Western-style modern secondary school, St. Ignatius College, which is today's Xuhui High School in Shanghai. In 1863, Li Hongzhang petitioned to establish Shanghai's first new-style Chinese school, the Shanghai Guang Fangyan Guan (School of Foreign Languages). The American Episcopal Church founded St. John's College in Shanghai in 1879, which began offering university courses from 1892. The Nanyang Public School, founded in 1896, was one of China's earliest modern universities. By 1936, Shanghai had 34 institutions of higher education. After the outbreak of the Battle of Shanghai, most universities relocated inland with the Nationalist government and returned in 1945, while Shanghai began implementing the national education system.

In May 1949, all public schools and national universities in the city were taken over by the People's Liberation Army. Private schools were reorganized, and missionary and foreign-funded schools were taken back. Most notably, the two missionary universities, St. John's University and the University of Shanghai, were abolished during the 1952 reorganization of colleges and departments, with their teaching staff reassigned to other institutions. During the 1952 reorganization, some Shanghai institutions partially or wholly moved inland, while some faculty from universities in other regions relocated to Shanghai.

Currently, Shanghai is home to 10 key universities under the "211 Project," among which Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, and East China Normal University are part of the "985 Project." In October 2012, China's first Sino-American cooperative international university, New York University Shanghai, was established in Lujiazui, Pudong. In September 2013, Shanghai and the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly established the small-scale, international research university, ShanghaiTech University.

In terms of basic education, Shanghai's net enrollment rates for children of appropriate age in kindergarten, primary school, and junior high school are close to 100%. The enrollment rate for senior high school education is 98%. The number of students in regular institutions of higher education exceeds one million, with a gross enrollment rate of about 70%. In the 2009 and 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Shanghai students ranked first among all participating countries and regions in mathematics, science, and reading.

The city currently has over 100 scientific research institutions, 100,000 research personnel, and more than 100 professional and technical training institutions. Shanghai has produced renowned scientists such as geneticist Tan Jiazhen, microsurgery experts Chen Zhongwei and Zhang Disheng, hepatobiliary surgery expert Wu Mengchao, and hematology experts Wang Zhenyi and Chen Zhu.

Shanghai's public scientific research and design institutions include:

Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences Innovation Academy for Microsatellites, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute China Ship Scientific Research Center (CSSRC) Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute The 32nd Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation The First Research Institute of Telecommunication Science and Technology East China Electric Power Design Institute Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd. Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (Group) Co., Ltd.

8. Population

According to 2019 statistics, Shanghai had a total of 24.2814 million permanent residents. This included 9.7771 million permanent non-local residents and 14.5043 million permanent residents with local household registration, making it the city in the People's Republic of China with the largest non-registered permanent population. Currently, ethnic minorities among Shanghai's permanent residents number 118,000, with the Hui ethnic group comprising over 70,000. In addition to permanent residents, there are 1.03 million non-local residents holding residence permits. Furthermore, 160,000 foreigners reside in Shanghai year-round.

By the end of 2020, according to the main data released from the Seventh National Population Census: Shanghai's permanent population was 24,870,895 people. Compared to the 23,019,196 people from the Sixth National Population Census, this represents an increase of 1,851,699 people over ten years, a growth of 8.0%. The average annual increase was 185,170 people, with an average annual growth rate of 0.8%.

In terms of population structure, Shanghai is facing a severe aging problem. The current average life expectancy for people with household registration in Shanghai is 83.66 years, with 81.27 years for males and 86.14 years for females. The population aged 65 and above is 2.3298 million, accounting for 10.1% of the total population. By 2019, the number of centenarians reached 2,657. It is projected that by 2030, the elderly population aged 60 and above will exceed 5 million.

Shanghai's fertility rate is at an extremely low level. According to population censuses and sample surveys, since 2000, Shanghai's total fertility rate has been between 0.67 and 0.74, only one-third of the replacement level.

Since its opening as a port, people from various regions rapidly flocked to Shanghai. Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Anhui were the main origins of Shanghai residents, who integrated with the local Shanghai populace to form the Shanghainese who constitute the main body of the city's citizens today.

Before 1843, Shanghai was primarily inhabited by local residents. With the rapid growth of trade after its opening and a relatively stable political environment, large numbers of compradors originally in Guangdong, wealthy merchants from the Wu-Yue region fleeing the Taiping Rebellion, and people from northern Jiangsu escaping floods left their native places and settled in Shanghai. By 1949, the population of the entire Shanghai area was 5.0292 million, with 4.1894 million in the urban area. It also attracted numerous political, business, cultural, and artistic figures from modern Chinese history, such as the Soong family, Rong Yiren, Run Run Shaw, Xu Beihong, and Hu Die.

After 1949, due to various political movements like supporting inland areas and the "Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside" movement, a certain number of Shanghai residents were relocated to various parts of China, such as Anhui, Yunnan, and the three northeastern provinces. Some wealthy individuals emigrated to Hong Kong or moved to Taiwan via Hong Kong around the 1950s. After 1978, large numbers of Shanghai-educated youth and those who had supported inland areas returned to Shanghai. In the 1990s, with the wave of emigration, many Shanghai residents immigrated to Japan, Australia, the United States, and other places.

Furthermore, before 1949, a significant number of British, French, and other foreign nationals resided in Shanghai. During World War II, as an area that could be entered without a visa or guarantee, Shanghai accepted a large number of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution from Europe. After the 1990s, with the increase in business activities, Shanghai once again attracted many foreign nationals.

Although the natural growth rate of Shanghai's registered population has been negative since 1993, the city grants household registration to over 20,000 people annually through talent introduction programs, allowing the registered population to maintain consecutive yearly increases. Shanghai long maintained strict control over household registration, but this has relaxed somewhat in recent years. Additionally, with the sharp increase in the floating population, Shanghai is facing various population-related issues. Primarily, the city's land, water, environment, transportation, and other resources are under heavy pressure. Furthermore, most crimes are committed by the floating population, impacting Shanghai's public security. Data shows that as of 2012, the population density in Shanghai's central urban area was 2.4 times that of Tokyo, 3.5 times that of London, and 4.8 times that of Paris. Taking 2012 as a baseline, Shanghai's population might exceed the city's carrying capacity within three years.

9. Religion

Religious Beliefs of Shanghai Residents (2012) Chinese Folk Religion or No Religion (86.9%) Buddhism (10.4%) Protestantism (1.9%) Catholicism (0.7%) Other (0.1%)

In contemporary Shanghai, as in many other parts of mainland China, there are five officially recognized religions conducting corresponding activities: Taoism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. These religions experienced a decline after 1949 and were significantly impacted during the Cultural Revolution, but have gradually recovered since. By 2009, there were 887,600 religious adherents, with Buddhists constituting the largest group. Historically, Shanghai was also home to many other religions, such as Judaism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Sikhism, of which only historical sites remain today.

Buddhism and Taoism in the Shanghai region can both be traced back to the Sun Wu period of the Three Kingdoms era. Currently, there are 125 open temples, with the Longhua Temple, founded during the Three Kingdoms period, being the oldest. In 1949, Shanghai had 236 Taoist temples, but only 27 remain today. The most famous is undoubtedly the City God Temple of the Zhengyi Dao tradition, which hosts grand temple fairs annually. Its surrounding area has become a well-known commercial district in Shanghai, densely packed with various snack restaurants, antique shops, and small commodity markets, making it a major tourist attraction. Another famous Taoist temple is the Baiyun Guan (White Cloud Temple) of the Quanzhen Dao tradition. Islam first entered Shanghai with Arab merchants trading in Shanghai Town during the Song Dynasty. There are currently seven mosques, with adherents concentrated among ten ethnic minorities including the Hui and Uyghur peoples.

Catholicism and Protestantism were introduced in modern times by missionaries. In the 36th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1608 AD), Catholic missionaries from Italy began preaching in Shanghai. After 1949, the development of Catholicism in Shanghai faced difficulties due to prolonged discord between the Holy See and the Chinese government. Among the 107 Catholic churches remaining in Shanghai, the Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan, located in the Sheshan area of Shanghai's western suburbs, is grand and imposing. It is the largest Catholic church in the Far East and an important Marian pilgrimage site. Protestantism appeared latest in Shanghai, introduced by British missionaries in 1843, the year the port was opened. Shanghai has as many as 169 Protestant churches, a significant number of which are designated as Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units. Most are located in the city center, making them popular tourist attractions as well.

10. Culture

Shanghai's culture is known as "Haipai Culture." The foundation of Haipai Culture is rooted in the traditional Wu-Yue culture of the Jiangnan region, and it gradually evolved into a unique culture distinct from other parts of China by incorporating Western cultures from Europe and America after the city's opening as a port. The origin of "Haipai" is said to be related to the Shanghai School of Painting during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. The predecessor of the Shanghai School of Painting was the Songjiang School of Painting, represented by Dong Qichang. Later, with the commercial prosperity of Shanghai, more and more people began to make a living by selling paintings, and the name "Shanghai School of Painting" gradually became widely known.

11.1 Exhibition Culture

In the 1860s, the French established China's first museum in Shanghai to display specimens of flora and fauna from the Yangtze River basin. Today, the city has over a hundred museums. The Shanghai Museum, located in the center of People's Square, houses more than one million cultural relics, making it the largest museum in Shanghai. Additionally, the Shanghai Auto Show, which began in 1985, is also quite influential. Apart from large museums such as the Shanghai History Museum, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, and Shanghai Urban Construction Archives, Shanghai also has specialized museums like the Lu Xun Memorial Hall, Shanghai Symphony Music Museum, Shanghai Youheng Museum, and Shanghai Radio Museum, which are gradually opening to the public for free.

In ancient times, book collections in Shanghai were mainly private. After the city's opening as a port, modern libraries emerged, with the Xujiahui Catholic Library built by the Jesuits in 1847 being the most famous. After the establishment of the Republic of China, the Shanghai Municipal Library began trial operations in 1936, and libraries gradually appeared in universities. The largest public library in Shanghai is the Shanghai Library, with its main building located on Huaihai Middle Road. It holds 52 million volumes of books, newspapers, and periodicals, as well as over 150,000 old records and audiovisual materials. It also conducts book exchange programs with more than 150 public libraries worldwide.

11.2 Culinary Culture

Shanghai cuisine, locally known as "Benbang Cai," originally consisted of home-style dishes prepared by local residents. Later, as immigrants from various regions arrived, Shanghai cuisine began to absorb different regional styles, blending into today's Benbang Cai, characterized by rich oil and dark soy sauce, light and refreshing flavors, mellow and delicious tastes, and balanced saltiness. In addition to common cooking techniques, Benbang Cai is skilled in using fermented rice wine for flavoring, which is highly characteristic of the Jiangnan region. Currently, the most famous Benbang restaurants are century-old establishments like Lübolang and Shanghai Old Restaurant. Well-known dishes include "Eight-Treasure Duck," "Fermented Rice Wine Stew," "Shrimp Roe with Sea Cucumber," and "Salted Pork and Bamboo Shoot Soup," while "Stir-Fried Shrimp" and "Braised Fish Tail" are popular home-style dishes. Additionally, "Shengjian Mantou" (pan-fried buns) and "Xiaolong Mantou" (soup dumplings) are famous representatives of Shanghai snacks.

Moreover, due to the influx of immigrants after Shanghai's opening as a port, restaurants serving cuisines from all over China can be found in the city. Among them, Cantonese cuisine is most famously represented by Xinghualou and Xinya Cantonese Restaurant, while Su cuisine is represented by Dexing Guan. Ningbo-style dishes can be enjoyed at the Ningbo Tangtuan Shop.

Western culinary culture entered the city along with Shanghai's opening as a port. The Old German Restaurant, opened in 1853, was the first Western restaurant in Shanghai. Initially, Western restaurants mainly catered to foreign customers. In 1910, the De Da Western Restaurant opened, becoming a Western restaurant accessible to people from all walks of life. After the October Revolution, due to the influx of Russian emigrants, Russian-style Western cuisine once became the model for popular Western dining, with borscht being particularly favored by the common people. Today, Shanghai has numerous restaurants serving dishes from various countries, with styles from all over the world. Western pastries, introduced along with Western cuisine, became popular among ordinary people due to their relatively lower prices compared to formal Western meals.

The staple food in the daily diet of Shanghai residents is primarily rice, occasionally supplemented with wontons, noodles, and other dishes. Traditional family breakfasts often consist of leftover rice from the previous night cooked with water to make "paofan" (rice porridge), accompanied by pickles, salted eggs, and fermented tofu. Breakfasts offered at street stalls commonly include soy milk, fried dough sticks, sesame cakes, and "cifan" (glutinous rice rolls), which are collectively referred to by Shanghai locals as the "Four Heavenly Kings."

11.3 Literature

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, Lu Ji and Lu Yun from Huating County were renowned literary figures of their time. After 1919, due to the unique political system of the concessions, Shanghai attracted many celebrities and quickly became a base for the New Culture Movement. Literary schools such as the Left-Wing Writers Association, the New Sensationists, and the Mandarin Duck and Butterfly School gathered in Shanghai. Renowned writers like Lu Xun, Guo Moruo, Mao Dun, Ba Jin, Ye Shengtao, Yu Dafu, Wang Zaoshi, Ding Ling, and Zhang Ailing also engaged in creative work in Shanghai, producing famous works set in Shanghai, such as Midnight.

After the 1980s, Haipai literature saw the emergence of well-known writers like Ye Yonglie, Ye Xin, and Wang Anyi. Han Han, who gained fame with his novel Triple Door, sparked much discussion with his unconventional style, leading to what is known as the "Han Han phenomenon." Today, Shanghai has become a cradle for many writers, with an increasing number of Chinese-language writers choosing Shanghai as their base for literary creation, including Chen Sihe, Jin Yucheng, Qin Wenjun, Zhao Lihong, Sha Yexin, Ning Caishen, Xu Jilin, Xu Zechen, Cai Jun, Luo Luo, and other well-known authors.

11.4 Art

During the Ming Dynasty, the Songjiang School of Painting, led by Dong Qichang, gradually rose to prominence and dominated the painting style of the Jiangnan region during the Qing Dynasty, producing masters like Gu Fang.

In the late Qing Dynasty, the Shanghai School of Painting, represented by Wu Changshuo and Li Shutong, emerged in traditional painting and calligraphy, focusing primarily on flowers, birds, fish, and insects. During the Tongzhi reign, the Tushanwan Painting Studio, established by missionaries, introduced Western art as China's earliest fine arts education institution. After the establishment of the Republic of China, with renowned artists like Zhang Daqian, Liu Haisu, Xu Beihong, Feng Zikai, and Yan Wenliang settling in Shanghai, the city gradually became a center for Chinese fine arts. Art forms such as photography, woodcut, sculpture, cartoons, and comic strips began to flourish, producing famous works like Sanmao.

Currently, Shanghai's art exhibition venues are primarily centered around the Shanghai Art Museum, supplemented by art and creative districts like M50 (50 Moganshan Road) and Tianzifang. In traditional fine arts, the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, established in the 1960s, represents the Shanghai Chinese painting community. Since 1996, the Shanghai Biennale has become an important platform for cultural exchange between Chinese and foreign art.

11.5 Quyi and Traditional Theater

In the late 19th century, theatrical performances became a major form of leisure and entertainment for the public. In the early 20th century, "monodrama" gradually emerged in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, often performed by a single person in the Wu dialect. By the late 1920s, by absorbing elements of spoken drama and traditional comedic storytelling, "huajixi" (comic theater) emerged in Shanghai, primarily using the Shanghai dialect and other Wu dialects. The Great World amusement center, opened in 1912, gradually became an important performance venue.

As the "Four Great Kunqu Troupes" from Suzhou, the "Pihuang" of Anhui troupes, and Peking opera art successively entered Shanghai, "pingtan" (storytelling and ballad singing) also expanded from Suzhou to Shanghai, leveraging linguistic and geographical advantages. With the popularity of commercial radio, pingtan art developed rapidly. By the 1930s, there were as many as 103 pingtan programs broadcast daily. After the 1920s, Shanghai gradually developed its own Haipai Peking opera style, led by Zhou Xinfang and Gai Jiaotian, attracting Peking opera masters like Mei Lanfang to reside in Shanghai. During the same period, the "Xiaogeban" from Sheng County, Zhejiang (now Shengzhou, Zhejiang), began to promote Yue opera as a new theatrical genre on Shanghai stages. Meanwhile, Shanghai's local traditional singing styles, integrated with modern theatrical forms, gave rise to the unique Shanghai opera, known as "Huju."

By 2012, Shanghai's main traditional theater troupes included the Shanghai Peking Opera Theater, Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, Shanghai Yue Opera Theater, and Shanghai Huju Opera Theater. The Kunqu Opera Troupe frequently performs in other countries and regions, and Peking opera exchange activities are regularly held. With the help of television media, talent shows like Yue Nu Zheng Feng have emerged. Troupes such as the Shanghai Comic Theater, Shanghai People's Comic Theater, and Shanghai Youth Comic Theater have also begun performing on television. In particular, the program Lao Niang Jiu ran for 12 years from 1995, becoming one of the longest-running TV programs in Shanghai. In 1999, the Shanghai Circus World was completed for acrobatic performances and has long staged the show Era: Intersection of Time. Additionally, regional Quyi forms such as Pudong storytelling and Songjiang drum storytelling have gradually gained recognition through recent development and inheritance, and were included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

11.6 Modern Theater

In the late 19th century, spoken drama appeared in Shanghai's missionary schools, initially performing excerpts of famous Western plays in English. The Ugly History of Officialdom, staged in 1899, is recorded as the earliest known play. In 1907, Uncle Tom's Cabin was publicly performed at the Lyceum Theatre, marking the formation of early spoken drama. After the New Culture Movement, young students and intellectuals often used spoken drama to express their views. By the 1920s, musicals like Sparrows and Children began to emerge.

The National Conservatory of Music, established in 1927, and the Shanghai People's Art Theater, Shanghai Opera House, and Shanghai Theatre Academy, founded in the 1950s, are now the main performance institutions and professional training centers for modern theater in Shanghai. Spoken drama is centered around the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, while musical and opera performances primarily rely on international performance teams. The Shanghai Concert Hall and Shanghai Grand Theatre have also been renovated and constructed, subsequently staging Broadway classics like Les Misérables and Cats, as well as Puccini's classic operas La Bohème and Turandot.Today, Shanghai has become the backdrop city for numerous stage plays and theatrical productions. Examples include "Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land," created and directed by Chinese theater master Stan Lai; "Shanghai Beach," directed by Li Yi; the large-scale drama "Big Brother," produced and performed by the Shanghai Theatre Academy; and the dark comedy with grotesque elements, "The Scholar and the Executioner." Many plays full of Shanghai-style charm are staged at various performance centers across the city, including the Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Shanghai People's Stage, Yihai Theatre, Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Lyceum Theatre. Among them, many outstanding works have gone abroad, touring internationally and receiving countless accolades.

11.7 Music

Early music in Shanghai was primarily traditional Jiangnan silk and bamboo music. After Shanghai opened as a port, Western music was introduced. In 1878, the Shanghai Wind Music Association established a wind band, which later became the predecessor of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. By the 1930s, Shanghai's popular music entered a period of prosperity. Songs such as "Night Shanghai," "By the Suzhou River," "Night Jasmine," "When Will You Return?," "Rose, Rose, I Love You," "If Without You," "Congratulations," and "Sending Longing Under the Bright Moon" were all composed and popular during this period. In addition to popular music, given the political situation at the time, most musicians in Shanghai also composed patriotic songs, giving rise to works like "Graduation Song" and "Broadsword March." "March of the Volunteers," now used as China's national anthem, was also composed in Shanghai by the renowned musician Nie Er.

After 1949, Shanghai's popular music and film soundtracks were replaced by revolutionary songs, with few new works emerging. This phenomenon persisted until the end of the Cultural Revolution. In 1978, the "Shanghai Spring" Music and Dance Festival resumed, later evolving into the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival. With the restoration of music education, Shanghai gradually produced famous artists such as Kong Xiangdong, Huang Ying, and Liao Changyong. To popularize classical music, Shanghai People's Broadcasting Station established the Sunday Broadcasting Concert, which continues to this day. Renowned artists and groups like Itzhak Perlman, Seiji Ozawa, Yo-Yo Ma, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the New York Philharmonic have also performed at the Shanghai Concert Hall, Shanghai Grand Theatre, and Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Since April 2012, Shanghai's first outdoor symphony concert—the Chenshan Grassland Broadcasting Concert—has been held at the Green Theatre of Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden near Sheshan Mountain, taking place annually in spring and summer. The Chenshan Grassland Broadcasting Concert promotes the concept of "enjoying flowers, music, and life," inviting world-renowned orchestras to perform with high-quality productions.

In terms of popular music, local production and bands in Shanghai began to recover gradually after the 1970s. In 1993, to encourage the development of popular music in Shanghai and China, Shanghai Oriental Radio established a professional pop music chart known as the Oriental Billboard. Local pop music also nurtured stars like Mao Amin and Hu Yanbin. Internationally famous singers and bands such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Linkin Park, Bee Gees, Hayley Westenra, Ayumi Hamasaki, The Rolling Stones, TVXQ, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and John Legend have all held concerts in Shanghai.

11.8 Film and Television

In August 1895, films known as "Western shadow plays" appeared in Shanghai. In 1909, the Asia Film Company was established, becoming China's earliest film company. Between 1921 and 1931, Shanghai's various film companies produced over 650 feature films. With the rapid development of the film industry, stars like Ruan Lingyu, Hu Die, Zhou Xuan, Zhao Dan, Shangguan Yunzhu, Li Minghui, and Wang Renmei became household names in China. Many private film companies were shut down in the 1950s. Shanghai's film industry was primarily composed of state-owned entities such as Shanghai Film Studio, Shanghai Animation Film Studio, and Shanghai Film Dubbing Studio, which were later reorganized into the Shanghai Film Group in 2003. After 1949, many famous revolutionary-themed films like "Fighting North and South," "The Red Detachment of Women," and "The Letter with Feathers" were produced by Shanghai Film Studio. Established in 1957, Shanghai Animation Film Studio is China's largest animation production base, creating classics such as "Where Is Mama?," "Havoc in Heaven," "Ne Zha Conquers the Dragon King," "The Legend of Sealed Book," "Three Monks," and "Lotus Lantern."

With the development of globalization and the further rise of the film industry at home and abroad, more and more Chinese and foreign films, including "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "The Crossing," "Mission: Impossible III," "Tiny Times," "The Shanghai Gesture," "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," "Perhaps Love," "The Painted Veil," "Soulmate," "The Golden Era," "Bodyguards and Assassins," and "Skyfall," have chosen Shanghai as a filming location.

The Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) is the first internationally recognized film festival in China. Held annually in June in Shanghai, the festival was first held in 1993 and gained recognition from the International Federation of Film Producers Associations as a competitive feature film festival in 1994. The Shanghai International Film Festival consists of four main parts: the competition for the Golden Goblet Awards, international film screenings, the international film market, and the Golden Goblet International Film Forum and Asian New Talent Awards. In 2004, the Media Awards were added. This has become a significant achievement for the development of Shanghai and Chinese-language cinema.

In terms of television dramas, Shanghai also has many well-known works reflecting the city's characteristics. For example, "Sixteen-Year-Olds in Bloom," co-produced by Shanghai Television and China Central Television, uses several Shanghai middle schools as settings to depict the lives and thoughts of students growing up after the reform and opening-up. It was re-aired across the country for over a decade. "Debt of Love" directly addresses the lingering issues of the Cultural Revolution's "Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside" movement, authentically recording the urban and social landscape of Shanghai in the early 1990s. It also has a Shanghainese dialect version, making it widely watched even over a decade after its initial release.

11.9 Cultural Activities

Shanghai regularly hosts cultural events throughout the year. The Shanghai Television Festival, established in 1986, is China's earliest international television festival and was certified by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations in 1994. It is currently China's only competitive feature film festival. The Shanghai International Film Festival, founded in 1993, is also well-known both domestically and internationally. The Shanghai Tourism Festival, established in 1990, is a cultural event held annually from September to October, primarily promoting international tourism. During the Shanghai International Arts Festival, numerous art exhibitions, concerts, and cultural displays are held, featuring artists from around the world. The Shanghai Book Fair is held annually in mid-August at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, while the Shanghai International Music Fireworks Festival usually takes place at Century Park. Additionally, since 2001, Shanghai Fashion Week has been held annually in October in downtown Shanghai.

11.10 Architecture

Shanghai's ancient architecture, largely preserved from the Ming Dynasty, consists mainly of residential buildings and private gardens. Apart from government offices, schools, and temples, few other types of structures remain. Most residential buildings feature Jiangnan-style brick-and-wood frame bungalows. In Shanghai, aside from the Old City, many such buildings can still be found in suburban towns. Among Shanghai's private gardens, the Yu Garden is relatively well-preserved, while ancient residential areas like Qibao Town in Minhang, Zhujiajiao Town in Qingpu, and Xinchang Town in Pudong remain largely intact.

After Shanghai opened as a port, with the establishment of concessions and the influx of European and American culture, Western-style villas and houses began to be built. Shanghai also saw the emergence of various architectural styles, earning it the nickname "Exhibition of World Architecture." Among these, the financial buildings along the Bund are particularly famous, such as the former headquarters of the Bank of China with its Chinese-style architecture, the eclectic-style Customs House, the neoclassical-style HSBC Building, and the Sassoon House, which features American Art Deco skyscraper style. Many of these are now protected as Shanghai's Excellent Historical Buildings. Due to the significant population increase during this period, the uniquely Shanghai-style Shikumen residences also emerged, remaining the most common residential style in Shanghai until the 1980s.

Since the 1990s, Shanghai has undergone extensive urban architectural and infrastructure renovations, constructing numerous modern-style commercial office buildings, large shopping malls, and high-rise residential buildings. By 2008, there were over 2,000 buildings with more than 30 floors, with the Lujiazui area in Pudong being a prime example. Landmarks such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center have become iconic symbols of Shanghai. The 632-meter-tall Shanghai Tower, completed at the end of 2014, is the tallest building in Shanghai.

11. International Sister Provinces/States (Counties/Prefectures)

Due to the establishment of concessions, the foreign affairs activities of the Chinese authorities in Shanghai primarily focused on delineating concession land and handling matters related to Chinese citizens within the concessions until the abolition of extraterritoriality in 1946. For a long period after 1949, Shanghai's external exchanges were nearly suspended. Since the 1990s, Shanghai has gradually hosted numerous important international conferences and large-scale events, progressively strengthening its exchanges with the world.

Additionally, as a former concession area, many countries have established consular institutions in Shanghai, most of which are consulates general. The history of Shanghai establishing sister-city relationships with foreign cities began in the 1970s. By the end of 2017, Shanghai had established friendly relations with 85 regions worldwide.

13.1 Shanghai Cooperation Organization

On April 26, 1996, the heads of state of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan held their first meeting in Shanghai. From then on, the "Shanghai Five" meeting mechanism was formally established. From June 14 to 15, 2001, the heads of state of the "Shanghai Five" held their sixth meeting in Shanghai, during which Uzbekistan joined the "Shanghai Five" as a fully equal member. On June 15, 2001, the heads of state of the six countries held their first meeting and signed the "Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization," officially founding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

On June 9, 2017, at the Astana Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, India and Pakistan officially joined the organization. This marked the first expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization since its establishment in 2001.

13.2 Targeted Assistance and Development

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Shanghai has provided substantial support to other regions of mainland China in economic, cultural, technological, and educational aspects (excluding fiscal transfers after Shanghai's contributions to the central government). This support has played a significant role in promoting the industrial modernization of China, which was then an agricultural country, as well as the economic development and livelihood security of other provinces. As of 2019, Shanghai's targeted assistance and development regions include Shigatse City in Tibet; Shache, Zepu, Yecheng, and Bachu counties in the Kashgar region of Xinjiang; 74 counties across 13 prefectures in Yunnan; Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai; and Zunyi City in Guizhou Province. On November 18, 2021, the newly established Kashgar People's Radio Station, supported and guided by the Shanghai Frontline Command for Xinjiang Assistance, began broadcasting.

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There are various theories regarding the origin of the name "Shanghai." One suggests that Shanghai derived its name from the Huangpu River. Another theory posits that it was named because the area "lies above the sea." Yet another explanation is that it was named Shanghai because "overseas merchant ships landed here." The "Book of Jin" and the "Book of Liang" frequently mention "Hudu." Shanghai is also known as "Shen," a name that comes from the legend that the western region of Shanghai was once the fiefdom of Lord Chunshen, a noble of the Chu State.

Huangpu District

Pudong New Area

Ethnicity

Han (98.8%) Hui (0.35%)

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