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A
sight seeing Tour of the City Proper(Brief Introduction ) |
Present-day Shanghai is a city of dichotomies. New buildings are replacing
old structures at a rapid rate, but preservation measures are in effect
that protect and restore those of importance. The Old City is receiving
a facelift, but its classical architecture is being preserved. Gleaming
skyscrapers tower over Buddhist temples. The East has a Western flavor
in Shanghai, but at the same time the creations of a strictly Chinese
culture have not been erased. A walk through downtown turns up astounding
traditional treasures: a teahouse that epitomizes all that was old
China; a classical gardens as quaint and chaotic as any in China;
active temples and ancient pagodas; and a museum of Chinese art and
artifacts that is universally acclaimed as China's best. If the pace
of new Shanghai rivals that of New York City and its nightlife and
its cafes now echo the sophistication of Paris, if the architecture
and avenues recall 19th-century Europe rather than old Cathay, this
is still a Chinese city to the core.
Shanghai is divided by the Huangpu River into Puxi and Pudong. Puxi,
on the west side of the river, is Shanghai as it has always been known.
It is the Shanghai of history and legend. The famous waterfront street
known as ¡®the Bund¡¯ runs along its eastern edge. The riverside boasts
an esplanade that attracts locals and visitors who stroll leisurely
along its length.
Further west, as Nanjing Road turns into Yanan Road and then Hongqiao
Road, which leads to the Hongqiao Airport, one finds many residential
areas designed for the expatriate population. This area is also home
to international schools that cater to foreign children. Servicing
the western side of the city, the Gubei New Area and Hongqiao Development
Zone provide hotels, apartments, restaurants and shopping.
Across the mighty Huangpu River, which served as old Shanghai's eastern
border, a truly new Shanghai is taking shape. Known as Pudong, this
Shanghai East boasts its own modern attractions: the tallest hotel
in the world, the fastest train in the world known as the Maglev,
reaching speeds of 400km/hour from the airport to the inner city,
China's largest stock exchange, and one of the highest observation
decks in Asia, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
Shanghai has been an active port city for several centuries. However,
it became a city of international prominence only after the Treaty
of Nanjing opened it as a port for international trade in 1843 at
the close of the Opium War. Prior to this, Shanghai was a cluster
of fishing villages and a marketing centre, situated as it was at
the junction of the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek, only a short distance
from the mouth of the Yangtze River.
Sections of Shanghai were set aside as settlements for British, French
and American traders as stipulated in the treaty. These areas ultimately
evolved into the French Concession and the International settlement,
which was formed by the joining of what was originally the British
Concession and the American Concession.
Now Shanghai is a city that a visitor can comfortably enjoy and explore
for the first time since those romantic days of the 1930s, when old
Shanghai was a notorious playground for foreign adventurers and a
free-trade show for overseas taipans and exploiters.
Shanghai is the center of China's commerce and industry. It has energy
and confidence, and it has new dreams. Its polluted rivers are being
cleaned up. Greenways and new parks are emerging. Historic neighborhoods,
both Chinese and colonial, are being spared the bulldozer and transformed
into avenues of shops and cafes. New theaters and cultural centers
are attracting top performers from China and abroad.
Shanghai still has a way to go to become the New York or the Paris
of China. It is not yet as prosperous as Hong Kong nor as international.
But the raw complexity of Shanghai is its charm. Only in Shanghai
are so many worlds, East and West, past and present, this elevated
and pinched together, shoulder to shoulder, like a Picasso mural.
This is present-day China on a grand scale, where you can breathe
in the exhilaration of a new century for Asia.
SHANGHAI
FACTS
Geography
China is the fourth largest country after Russia, Canada and the United
States. It is located in Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea,
Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and
Vietnam.
Land area: 9,326,410 sq. km.
Shanghai occupies 6,200 sq. km. and lies in central-eastern China,
facing the East China Sea.
Population
Shanghai (includes rural Shanghai): 17,780,000 (July 2003)
Ethnic Groups
Han Chinese make up the majority of China's population (91.9%). Zhuang,
Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other
nationalities make up only 8.1%.
Language
The official language in China is Mandarin but distinct dialects are
spoken throughout the country. In Shanghai, all Chinese citizens speak
Mandarin but Shanghainese mostly speak Shanghaihua.
Government
Communist state. Chairman elected by the National People's Congress
for five-year terms. Administrative divisions: 23 provinces, 5 autonomous
regions and 4 municipalities.
Religion
China is officially atheist, but traditionally pragmatic and eclectic.
Some 2% to 3% of the population practice Daoism (Taoism), Buddhism
and Islam. An estimated 1% are Christians.
Climate
Weather during November to April is the coldest and temperatures range
between 3.5oC to 13.7oC (38.3oF to 56.7oF). January to February temperatures
can reach below freezing. Weather in May, June, September and October
is cooling, ranging between 18.6oC to 23.5oC (65.5oF to 74.3oF). Climate
in July and August starts to turn warm and temperature can go up to
28oC (82.4oF). Shanghai summers are hot and humid with temperatures
reaching 40 degrees Celsius. The rainy season begins in June.
Annual rainfall
1200mm (47.2 inches)
Time Zone
The entire country recognizes one time zone. Daylight savings is not
recognized.
GMT + 8 (GMT +7 during daylight savings)
Currency
The Chinese currency is called 'Renminbi' (RMB) meaning the People's
Money. Also is referred to as 'Yuan' or 'Kuai' as slang.
Shanghai,the largest city in China,is one of the three municipalities
under the direct jurisdiction of the central government on our country
, the other two being Beijing and Tianjin.Lying mid-way on China¡¯s
east coast, meanwhile, it is the gateway to the Yangtze River basin.Greater
Shanghai covers a total area of 6200 square kilometers or 2388 square
miles.
The Bund
The Bund, a must for all visitors to Shanghai, is famous at home and
abroad. On the bund stand many tall buildings of different styles
which belongs to a CBD. They used to be the political, economic and
cultural headquarters of Shanghai. Besides , may foreign banks , clubs,firms
and newspaper agencies were also clustered here. From the architectural
point of view , these high rise buildings are identical in their architectural
tone and their skylines are harmonious though they were designed by
different architects at different times.
Jade Buddha Temple
The Temple stands at Jiangning Rd corner of Anyuan Rd which belongs
to JingAn district,The temple built in Qing Dynasty,There are five
buildings in the temple i.e the Heavenly King Hall, the Grand Hall,
the Hall of Reclining Buddha, the Jade Buddha Chamber,and the Abbot'room.
Yu garden of City God Temple
Yu Garden is a famous private residential garden which belongs to
old down town of City God Temple, the garden built in 1559, of the
three types i.e court garden, temple garden and residential garden
in China Yu garden belongs to the last.
Chinese Opera and Chinese Acrobatics
Chinese Opera, a major Chinese theatrical form,enjoys great popularity
both at home and abroad..To many foreign theatregoers, it is almost
synonymous with China¡¯ s classical theatre.
Chinese Acrobatics
Chinese acrobatics was laready an independent and highly skilled art
some 2,000 years ago. Han dynasty acrobatics programs included items
such as tight rope walking, along with conjuring tricks such as legerdemain,knife
swallowing and fire eating. These acrobatics acts are vividly depicted
in tomb wall paintings,painted bricks,stone engravings and pottery
figurines dating from the Han Dynasty excavated in recent years in
Shangsong ,Sichuan ,etc.
A Boat Excursion on the Huangpu River
Perhaps you would like to get a general idea of the Huangpu River<
would¡¯t you? In the contemporary history of China, the river has been
wellknown in the world becauseships from numerous countries has once
ridden and many of them are still riding on it.¡¡¡..
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