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Shanghai 上海
In 1884 at guns point Shanghai was "opened" for the outer world. Foreign settlements with help of hired police ran into a body of the city by high fences and iron walls. They separate Shanghai from the laws of the reste country. They transformed it into paradise for the international adventurers, moneymakers and other lovers of easy money. High stone building - former banks, offices and hotels still stand on The Bund from those times. When 145 years ago Ivan Goncharov, russian writer, has swum up to the city on frigate "Pallada", he wrote: "Shanghai is seen... Ships and junks, beautiful European buildings, gilded joss-house, Protestant churches, gardens - all crowds like unclear heap without any perspective - as the church stands on water while ship on land... " Such Shanghai was seen by our ancestors. And what can we see today? I hope my site will help you to learn modern Shanghai... Shanghai perhaps is most noisy city in the world, because of automobiles and bicycles signals, boats and barges hooters in a fog. 
Nanjing Road Shanghai has more, than in any Chinese city, universities and schools, scientific research institutes and laboratories. There are about 150 markets and two thousand restaurants. Also Shanghai is the most industrially advanced city of the country. The one sixth national income of China falls to the share of Shanghai. Three million qualified workers, one hundred thousand engineers and technicians, two hundred thousand employees work at the industrial enterprises of the city. They produce foodstuff and lorries, outer garments and colour TV sets, machine tools, ships, electronic devices and much, much another. Shanghai people... It's a special people. They are business, vigorous, benevolent and, as they say, "canny". There are records which Shanghai people will not concede to anybody. They consider that wisest elders and most charming girls live in Shanghai. The old age in China is surrounded with honour. This tradition descends from an ancient wise man Confuciy. The elderly man receives to his name a prefix "lao". That means "honourable", "respectable"... The Shanghai girls are trendsetters in China. Hairdresses, attires, fashionable raincoats, multicoloured umbrellas and many others at first are passed tests in the Shanghai streets and only then receive the right on life in other cities, including metropolitan Pekin. 
In Longhua Temple As a rule the modern Shanghai family consists of three members. It's the answer of Shanghai people to government demographic policy in family planing. It's not necessary to agitate for this principle in such overpeopled city. Shanghai, also named as "Hu" or "Shen" for short, is situated at 31°14' north latitude and 121°29' east longitude with Jiangsu Province lying to the north of Shanghai and Zhejiang Province to the south. Literally speaking, Shanghai means "on the sea"; it is so named perhaps because it is located in the middle of China's east coastline just to the south of the mouth of the Yangtze River. Shanghai, like the rest of China, is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Its entire administrative area, including all surrounding suburbs, townships and farmland, covers totally 6341 sq.km. (about 2,440 sq.miles). The well known Pudong New Area occupies around 523 sq.km. and Chongming Island is the third largest island in China. 
Lujiazui CBD area Shanghai's total population is around 16 million, of which about 8 million live in the city proper. In addition, there is a huge floating population of 2 to 3 million, most of which is itinerant workers. On average, there are also around 50,000 foreigners living and working there. Thanks to the good location, Shanghai enjoys a pleasant climate, with distinct climates in each season. The yearly average temperature is around 18°C and the annual precipitation is about 1,240 mm. Magnolia is the city flower of Shanghai. Being a municipality under the direct jurisdiction of Central Government, Shanghai is China's largest metropolis, the leading port, the most important economic and trade center and a comprehensive industrial base. It has maintained the longest period of contact with foreign countries among all the cities in China . Up to now more than half of Fortune 500 companies have made their investments in Shanghai. Shanghai is world-famous not only for its prosperous cosmopolitan features but also for its rich humanistic resources. Shanghai has experienced tremendous changes in the recent 20-odd years. Today's Shanghai is characterized by the variety of life, the diversity of cultures and the vigor of developments. Besides, Shanghai boasts its about 40 universities and one thousand scientific institutes. In the end of conversation about the Shanghai records it is possible to express Shanghai police opinion that in Shanghai the most disciplined drivers. Ther are four and a half of millions bicycles and huge quantity of automobiles simultaneously in the city. It is considered that if a driver can pass all NanJing Road street by car without breaking traffic regulations, the person can get a driving licence at once. Such driver will not afraid of travels on the most dangerous highways of London and Paris, New York and Moscow... |
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