Shanghai, an open city on the coast and a famous historical and cultural city, is a gate to the Yangtze River delta. It is a municipality under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government, the largest economic and trade center, a comprehensive industrial base and the leading port in China.
Shanghai is well known in the world not only for its prosperous cosmopolitan feature but also for its rich humanistic resources. In recent years, a number of modem buildings have been added to the city, such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Library, Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Circus City, Shanghai City-Planning Exhibition Hall and Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai Science & Technology Museum. They have become new scenic sights in Shanghai. Colorful festivities, like Shanghai Tourism Festival and Shanghai China International Art Festival, have attracted an increasing number of tourists from home and overseas.
Shanghai's tourist infrastructure is getting more and more accomplished. By the end of 2002, there were 40 international travel services, 524 domestic travel services and 300 star-rated hotels with about 50,000 rooms. Shanghai is an ideal "paradise for shoppers". There are commercial streets and shopping areas like the famous Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, Huaihai Road, Sichuan Bei Road, Yuyuan Commercial and Tourist Area, the Ever Bright Commercial City, Xujiahui Commercial City and Zhangyang Road Commercial City in Pudong. There, shops stand rows upon rows with large collections of beautiful commodities, meeting the needs of tourists of different levels. Shanghai is also the paradise for gourmets. There are over a thousand restaurants serving the 16 different styles of food in China, such as the Beijing, Sichuan, Guangdong, Yangzhou, Fujian, etc. There are Western restaurants serving French, Russian, Italian, English, German, Japanese and Indian food and also Muslim and vegetarian food. In Shanghai, one can have a taste of all the delicacies in the world. Shanghai is well developed in communications by land, water and air. There are over 40 Chinese and foreign air companies opening about 300 air routes dispatching from Shanghai. Shanghai Railway Station dispatches everyday 80 pairs of trains back and forth from Shanghai. There are the Shanghai-Nanjing, Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Freeways. The Pudong International Airport has opened for traffic. Its annual passenger transport volume will be 20,000,000 person/times. Plus that of the Hongqiao International Airport, it will be 30,000,000 person/times. Subways No.1 and 2 and the light-rail first phase project are in operation. Together with the 10 special tour bus lines connecting Shanghai with neighbouring tourist areas, they will render faster service and more convenience in urban communications to tourists. Recently, the magnetic buoyant train has been opened to the public. It offers travelers a zero height of flight at 430 km/hr.
On Dec. 3, 2002, Shanghai succeeded in winning the bid for the sponsorship of World Expo 2010. The world has given China a share of luck and Shanghai will add more splendor to the world Shanghai is ushering in excellent opportunities for development. People of Shanghai warmly welcome visitors from home and overseas.
Known as the Pearl of the Orient, China's eastern metropolis of Shanghai is steeped in fascinating history. It welcomes a flood of visitors to its streets at all times of the year. It is a very interesting blend of what happens to a city when the east meets the west on a large scale. A stroll though its streets reveals ancient buildings, fascinating parks, temples and museums. Then there are the skyscrapers of ''New''Shanghai, springing up almost daily as the city looks to cement a status as the new financial capital of Asia.
Duolun Road Culture Street, and the Old Streets of Shanghai are the places to go to immerse in the historical and cultural aspects of the city. Visitors can wander ancient and long-ago renamed alleys like Miaoqian Street, Fangbang Middle Road, and Guanyin St. Then visitors can take a tour of the Nongtang residential areas, with their Shikumen (Stone Gate), the French Quarter, Yuyuan Garden, Chenghua Temple, Cite Bourgogne and Xin Tian Di. Visitors whose cultural appetites are not yet sated can head for the Zhujiajiao Ancient Town. Lying 45kms outside of the city, the ''Venice of Shanghai'' provides a fascinating adventure.
On the modern side of Shanghai are skyscrapers like the Jinmao Tower and the Oriental Pearl Radio and Television Tower. Both offer a great panoramic view of the city, and can also be admired from the Bund. This centuries-old waterfront is on the western bank of the Huangpu River.
The Jade Buddha Temple has two beautiful white Jade Buddha statues that were sculpted from a single piece of jade. The Wen Miao temple was originally constructed during the Yuan Dynasty, and today it is the venue of the Sunday's Book Fair. The Sheshan Cathedral and the Shanghai Community Church reminds visitors of the days that Christianity flourished in the city.
The Shanghai Museum is a treasure trove of over 120,000 ancient artifacts from primitive times through to the dynasties, while the Shanghai History Museum has another 240,000 relics to be marveled at. The Shanghai Art Museum displays notable traditional and contemporary works of art, while music enthusiasts cannot miss the Museum of Oriental Musical Instruments.