Shanghai Facts

Shanghai, also named 'Hu' or 'Shen' in Chinese, is one of the four municipalities directly under the Chinese central government.

Shanghai, literally known as 'the port on the sea', is one of the world largest seaports and China major industrial as well as commercial center. With the deepening reform, the city, formerly crowned as the financial, economic and trade hub of the Far East, is playing a leading role in boosting economic development of China. Meanwhile, the city has attracted more and more tourists from home and abroad for its unique charm.

Known to the world as the Oriental Pearl, Shanghai is China major gate to the outside world in the east. As early as in the Tang and Song Dynasties, Shanghai served as a foreign trade port and mercantile ties. And during the the Qing Dynasty, the city turned into a navigation hub and metropolis in southeast China, which attracted countless ships to the Huangpu River. Today, this famous International port has developed into China important center of economy, finance, trade, science and technology as well as culture.

As one of the noted historic and cultural citied in the country, Shanghai has more than 70 sites of historical interest and cultural relics, which best represent the distinctive characteristic of Shanghai regional culture. What is more, Shanghai is the Paradise of gourmets, who may find thousands of restaurants here that serve a complete list of China's major famous cuisines and various foreign foods.

Shanghai also received the name of 'Exhibition of the World Architecture', the city has a collection of buildings with different architectural styles along the Bund and elsewhere of the city. The Financial and Trade Building, the International Convention Center and the Oriental Pearl Television Tower in Pudong Area, flanked by the magnificent Nanpu and Yangpu Bridges, which are connected by the city's elevated inner beltway, and the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Grand Theater on People Square. All these bring the city a brand-new look.

As a modern metropolis, Shanghai has enjoyed very convenient transport facilities. It has two international airport named Pudong and Hongqiao which link Shanghai with most of the domestic and overseas big cities. And there are three railway stations, which see trains running to and from the large and medium-sized cities everyday.

How about water? Shanghai port is the only passenger port in China integrated with sea transport, river transport and inland water transport. It now mainly consists of Shiliupu Passenger Port, Gongping Lu Passenger Port and International Passenger Port.

As to the urban Transportation, Shanghai has an excellent transportation system. Different buses run between the traffic hubs, scenic spots, streets and lanes, together with taxis, magnetic suspension train, special tourist lines and subways.

Area Code: 021

Zip Code: 200000

Area: Shanghai has an area of 2,000 square kilometers

Geography: Located at 31 degrees 14' N and 121 degrees 29' E, the middle point of the coastline of China's mainland. It is also the gateway for the Yangtze River valley.

The city is centred around the Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, and extends outwards in all directions, with the suburbs and satellite towns reaching east to the East China Sea, north and west to Jiangsu province, and south to Zhejiang province over Hangzhou Bay.

The vast majority of Shanghai land area is flat, apart from a few hills in the southwest corner, due to its location on the alluvial plain of the Yangtze river delta.

Population: In 2010, the city permanent population of Shanghai will reach about 19 million, and about half are living in the suburbs. The city population is also characterized by an imbalance between old and young

Administrative Division: Because Shanghai is a city that directly under the Chinese central government, the administration structure is more or less equal to that of a Chinese province. It is divided into 18 county-level divisions: 17 districts and 1 county. The real city center is between Bund to the east, Nanjing Rd to the north, Old City Temple and Huaihai Road to the south. And the most busiest commercial areas include Lujiazui on the east bank of the Huangpu River, and The Bund and Hongqiao areas in the west bank of the Huangpu River.

Climate: The best times to visit Shanghai are in spring or autumn. The city has a subtropical maritime monsoon climate, with four distinct seasons. Generally, the warm spring and cool autumn are the more comfortable seasons. While summer and winter are far less pleasant. Overall, Shanghai enjoys a mild and moist climate.