Shanghai Overview
The word "Shang
Hai" is literally translated to "above the sea"
as the city of Shanghai was built 500 years ago on the bank
of the Yangtze River Delta, with East Sea in the east and Hangzhou
delta in the south. Shanghai summers are hot and humid with
temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius. The rainy season begins
in June. Fall is mostly mild. In winter (January to February)
temperatures can reach below freezing. Spring begins again in
March.
Housing a population
of over 16 million at present, it was once a small town supported
by fishing and weaving before the first Opium War. Late in 1990,
the central government started developing the area, and Shanghai
has since become the well-known booming metropolis city.
A first sight
at Shanghai is an overwhelming impression of towering skyscrapers
and the sheer number of bicycles. Shanghai story usually begins
at the Bund, where many buildings constructed in various foreign
styles are well preserved. Western tourists will feel a sense
of familiarity when strolling around the long street, which
resembles those in European cities. This blending of eastern
and western styles has given the Bund a reputation as a "World's
Fair of Architecture." A visit to the Old City section
gives an overview to buildings of the 1920s and 1930s style.
A good collection is displayed in Yu Garden, a well-restored
Suzhou-style garden created during the Ming Dynasty. The garden
is immensely popular with local residents and visiting Chinese.
Jade Buddha Temple in northwest is the most popular Buddhist
temple in Shanghai, drawing both worshippers and tourists.
Pudong, the
east side area of the Huangpu river, has been transformed from
farmland to mega-metropolis. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, with
a giddy height of 468 meters, stands as the world's third tallest
TV tower and has become the new symbol of Shanghai. The 88-floor
Jin Mao Mansion is another outstanding building in the Pudong
New Area. Because of its brightly illuminated skyscrapers, Shanghai
enjoys international fame as the "Pearl of the Orient".
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