Shanghai

Shanghai is a megacity in eastern China where glass towers and steel skyscrapers line the Huangpu River while low residential blocks with narrow lanes and older shikumen houses extend behind them. The city divides into districts that each fulfill different roles, from financial centers to industrial zones near the outskirts.

A small fishing village expanded quickly after 1842 when the Treaty of Nanjing forced the harbor to open. Foreign settlements emerged along the waterfront and transformed the site into an international trading center through the middle of the 20th century.

Street markets open every day with vendors calling out prices in Shanghainese dialect while neighbors haggle over vegetables, fish and dumplings. Older residents gather before sunrise in public parks to practice slow martial movements or sit together drinking tea and chatting.

The subway system links all major areas and both airports with trains running from early morning until late evening. It helps to buy a rechargeable travel card since handling cash has become harder at many stations.

The tower district holds more buildings above 150 meters (492 feet) tall than any other city worldwide. Many of these structures rose within a single decade during the early 2000s, changing the skyline faster than anywhere else at that time.

Location: People's Republic of China

Inception: 751

Capital city: Huangpu District

Elevation above the sea: 4 m

Reference: 沪

Part of: East China, direct-administered municipality

Shares border with: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Suzhou

Address: Shanghai, China

Website: https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/nw46669

GPS coordinates: 31.23234,121.46910

Latest update: December 14, 2025 23:23