Shanghai has great historical appeal and is a lively and interesting Chinese metropolis. Shanghai is one of China’s financial locomotives, and it has so many sights and modern landmarks, which is a showcase for the entire world of Chinese progress and prosperity in the global economy.
Enjoy the view of all the high-rise buildings and exciting works of modern architects, not least along the city’s port, where the district of Pudong rises impressively towards the old center. Skyscrapers stand beautifully next to each other, and from several of them you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Shanghai.
Shanghai is not only made of modern glass and steel, on the contrary, it has buildings and cultural influence from both ancient China and from the colonial powers that have traded there. Some of Asia’s best-known European-style buildings at The Bund provide a fine perspective on the city’s history.
You will also find Chinese temples that complete the impression of new and old from different cultures being close together. And if you fly to Shanghai Airport you can take a Maglev train ride to the city center at up to 431 kilometers per hour/267 miles per hour. That is unforgettable as well.
The area’s early settlement
Shanghai’s history goes far back, and before the actual urban development, the area was part of Songjiang Province, which was ruled from nearby Suzhou. With the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the development of the area began into a small town that primarily played a role as a port.
Shanghai was founded
in 1553 is considered to be Shanghai’s beginnings as a real city. It was here that city walls were built that created a structure in the scattered settlements. The city continued to play an important role as a port, but it was not until the 19th century that a major development of the city took place. Despite Shanghai’s size today, it is a relatively young city where there are not many old traditional Chinese buildings, such as Beijing and Nanjing.
Great development and Opium of the 19th Century
In the 19th century, Shanghai’s commercial significance increased due to its favorable location close to the mouth of the Yangze River. In particular, this was attractive to Western countries that would otherwise not have access to the closed ports of China.
The first opium war ended with the signing of the Nanjing Treaty in 1842. Here, China had to relinquish Hong Kong to the British as well as open some ports for Western trade access, including Shanghai, which was perhaps the most interesting of them all. Other agreements in the following years expanded the foreign rights of the city and the port.
Taiping 1850
The national Taiping rebellion started in 1850 and lasted until 1864. It became one of the bloodiest times in Chinese history, where defeat to foreign powers and natural disasters occurred repeatedly, in the rebels’ opinion, without the proper reactions of the Manchurian Qing- dynasty. Shanghai’s territories under foreign rule remained out of conflict and were therefore targets of many refugees from the many battles in China.
After some fighting in Shanghai’s area in 1853, a city government was established the following year. The overseas territories were intended to be coordinated, not least by the increasing number of Chinese migrants.
Years around 1900
During the war against Japan in 1894-1895, China had to renounce Formosa, present-day Taiwan, and Japan, alongside England, France, Russia and the United States, became one of the foreign nations with dominion in part of Shanghai.
The Japanese were the first to build factories in the city, and soon after, others of the foreign powers also followed. It became the starting point for Shanghai’s major industrialization, which over time made Shanghai the absolute economic powerhouse in the country, based on more than just the major port and financial sector, which was the largest and most developed in the Far East.
The growth also led to an expansion, where in the early 1900s the city’s old defense walls were demolished.
Continued boom
Shanghai’s great importance to China eventually required a special establishment of the political organization in the city. In the period until 1927, Shanghai was part of Jiangsu Province, whose main city was Nanjing, but now the city was established as a special administrative zone that was equated with China’s provinces. In 1930, Shanghai formally became its own municipality, its own province, allowing for even better structuring and planning of the city’s future.
1930s to the People’s Republic
At the beginning of the 1930s, there was a growing need for independence among the Chinese in the partly foreign city. Japan carried out bombings in the city in 1932, and after a few years of fighting and rebellion, the city was conquered by Japan in 1937. The Japanese era lasted until 1945.
During World War II, Shanghai became a refuge for Jews, among others. The historical role of the city as a very international and tolerant city was thereby maintained.
In May 1949, the Chinese Communist Party seized power in the city, which meant the relocation of many foreign companies and trade offices that instead chose British Hong Kong as the seat of the Far East.
Communism and Shanghai Today
In the 1950s and 1960s, Shanghai again experienced a great industrial growth period. In the People’s Republic of China, Shanghai was the center of production and trade throughout the years. With modern China’s new economic boom initiated in Guangdong Province in 1980, Shanghai came to the fore as one of Asia’s economic mastodoners.
Developments really took off after 1991, when new initiatives to achieve both Chinese and foreign investment were implemented. The People’s Republic leader, Jiang Zemin, was former mayor of Shanghai, and he led the establishment of the new and impressive city you meet today.
With some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, the district of Pudong is the best example of what has shot up in recent decades. One of the crowns of the work was Shanghai’s status as host of the 2010 world exhibition, Expo2010.
Overview of Shanghai
Shanghai has great historical appeal and is a lively and interesting Chinese metropolis. Shanghai is one of China’s financial locomotives, and it has so many sights and modern landmarks, which is a showcase for the entire world of Chinese progress and prosperity in the global economy.
Enjoy the view of all the high-rise buildings and exciting works of modern architects, not least along the city’s port, where the district of Pudong rises impressively towards the old center. Skyscrapers stand beautifully next to each other, and from several of them you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Shanghai.
About the upcoming Shanghai travel guide
About the travel guide
The Shanghai travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Chinese city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Shanghai is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Shanghai and China
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Shanghai you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
The Bund • Oriental Pearl Tower • Maglev • Lovely Gardens • Temples
Overview of Shanghai
Shanghai has great historical appeal and is a lively and interesting Chinese metropolis. Shanghai is one of China’s financial locomotives, and it has so many sights and modern landmarks, which is a showcase for the entire world of Chinese progress and prosperity in the global economy.
Enjoy the view of all the high-rise buildings and exciting works of modern architects, not least along the city’s port, where the district of Pudong rises impressively towards the old center. Skyscrapers stand beautifully next to each other, and from several of them you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of Shanghai.
About the upcoming Shanghai travel guide
About the travel guide
The Shanghai travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Chinese city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Shanghai is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Shanghai and China
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Shanghai you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
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