Transportation Directory - Shanghai China

Description: Shanghai is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of China. The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowing through it. The population of the city proper is the third largest in the world, with 24.89 million inhabitants in 2021, while the urban area is the most populous in China, with 39.3 million residents.

As of 2018, the Greater Shanghai metropolitan area was estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product (nominal) of nearly 9.1 trillion RMB ($1.33 trillion). Shanghai is one of the world’s major centers for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world’s busiest container port.

Population: 26,320,000

Demographics: According to the Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau, about 157,900 residents in Shanghai are foreigners, including 28,900 Japanese, 21,900 Americans and 20,800 Koreans. The actual number of foreign citizens in the city is probably much higher. Shanghai is also a domestic immigration city—40.3% (9.8 million) of the city’s residents are from other regions of China.

History: The western part of modern-day Shanghai was inhabited 6,000 years ago. During the Spring and Autumn period (approximately 771 to 476 BC), it belonged to the Kingdom of Wu, which was conquered by the Kingdom of Yue, which in turn was conquered by the Kingdom of Chu. During the Warring States period (475 BC), Shanghai was part of the fief of Lord Chunshen of Chu, one of the Four Lords of the Warring States. He ordered the excavation of the Huangpu River. During the Tang and Song dynasties, Qinglong Town (青龙镇) in modern Qingpu District was a major trading port.

Established in 746 (the fifth year of the Tang Tianbao era), it developed into what was historically called a “giant town of the Southeast,” with thirteen temples and seven pagodas. A city wall was built for the first time in 1554 to protect the town from raids by Japanese pirates. It measured 10 m (33 ft) high and 5 km (3 mi) in circumference. A City God Temple was built in 1602 during the Wanli reign.

In the 19th century, international attention to Shanghai grew due to European recognition of its economic and trade potential at the Yangtze. During the First Opium War (1839–1842), British forces occupied the city. The war ended in 1842 with the Treaty of Nanking, which opened Shanghai as one of the five treaty ports for international trade. The city flourished, becoming a primary commercial and financial hub of the Asia-Pacific region in the 1930s. Shanghai’s economy was restored—from 1949 to 1952, the city’s agricultural and industrial output increased by 51.5% and 94.2%, respectively. There were 20 urban districts and 10 suburbs at the time.

In 1990, Deng Xiaoping permitted Shanghai to initiate economic reforms, which reintroduced foreign capital to the city and developed the Pudong district, resulting in the birth of Lujiazui. That year, the China’s central government designated Shanghai as the “Dragon Head” of economic reform. As of 2020, Shanghai is classified as an Alpha+ city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, making it one of the world’s Top 10 major cities.

Elevation: 4 m

Climate: Humid subtropical climate. Average annual temperature in Shanghai is 18 C (64 F), the average for July is 19 C (84 F), the average for January is 4 C (39 F).

Attractions: The Bund, Yu Garden, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Xintiandi, Huangpu River

Airports: Shanghai Pudong International Airport PVG

Distance To City Centre: 45 km

Commute Length: 45 min

Average Cost: 55 USD

Peak Times: 6am-9:am, 3pm-8pm