Welcome to Shanghai!

 

The enormous metropolis of Shanghai is a city of changes. Melding old with new, Shanghai is the most populous city in China, with more than 23 million residents. Shanghai is a wonderful host city for ISAKOS, as more than 9 million of the 23 million residents of the city are from outside of China!

Particular points of cultural interest include Yuyuan Gardens (豫园) (in Old City), which if full of classical Chinese architecture. For a taste of 1920s Shanghai, head for the stately old buildings of the The Bund or the French Concession – this area is becoming known for boutique shopping and fantastic restaurants! For art aficionados – the Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆) has an impressive Ancient Bronze exhibit, as well as other traditional art offerings. Zhujiajiao Water Town (朱家角镇) is known as the Venice of Asia. This more than 400-year-old classic, water village is home to a five-arch bridge spanning the Cao Gang River. The city is located about 40 minutes from downtown Shanghai, but is home to quaint shops and restaurants serving local favorites. Visitors can stroll the maze of paths and bridges, and take a boat ride to view the residences of this nicely-preserved water village.

Chinese shoppers account for more than 47% of the global luxury goods market around the world, so Shanghai is a wonderful city for shopping! Shanghai’s premier shopping street is Nanjing Road (南京东路), or visitors can visit the Yuyuan Bazaar for Chinese crafts and jewelry, not far from The Bund. For those interested in boutique shopping, head to the French Concession Streets Xinle Lu (新乐路), Changle Lu (长乐路) and Anfu Lu (安福路), starting from east of Shaanxi Lu (陕西路). This section of the city features tree-lined streets with small boutiques of clothing and accessories, where young Shanghainese looking for the latest fashions shop.

History

The modern Shanghai didn't take shape until the 17th century when a complex web of canals was built to drain the region. After the first Opium War in 1842, change was rapid. The international settlement was established, autonomous and immune from Chinese law and is now one of Shanghai’s major tourism attractions. The world’s greatest houses of finance and commerce descended on Shanghai in the 1930s. The place had the tallest buildings in Asia and more motor vehicles on its streets than the rest of China put together. By the 1990s, the wheel had turned full circle. Invitations went out again to foreign capital to help reinvent this whirlwind metropolis - and met with success.

Location

Bordering Jiangshu and Zhejiang province on the west, Shanghai is washed by the East China Sea on the east and Hangzhou Bay on the south. North of city, the Yangtze River pours into the East China Sea. It also assumes the central location along China's eastern costal line. Thanks to its advantageous geographic location, it has now become an excellent sea and river port, boasting easy accesses to a vast hinterland and the world.

Climate

Shanghai enjoys generous sunshine, abundant rainfall and four distinct seasons, with freezing temperatures during the winter season and a 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) average high during the hottest months of July and August. Occasionally, the summer temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Winter is typically grey, and summers can be quite humid. A coat is necessary in winter, while suits ore fit for other seasons.

Spring and autumn in Shanghai are cool and crisp, and generally agreed as the best time to be there, but ore relatively short compared with summer and winter.

March to May: A period of warm weather, blue skies and sunny days before the rainy season. Rainy Season: May to September.

Source:
"Shanghai Panorama." Shanghai Meeting and Incentive Travel Planner 2008-2009.
http://www.meet-in-shanghai.net/marketings/downloads/downloads/09shanghai001-023.pdf. Pages 10-19.

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