"MacKiwi's new Shanghai Page" a Shanghai Travel Page by MacKiwi

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<center><b>SHANGHAI</b></center>

<b>This is the view from the Puxi district of Shanghai across the famous Bund and the Yangtze River to the new commercial district development of Pudong. This photo was taken on 20th Dec 2001.</b>

<b>Shanghai City covers 145 km with a population of some 12 million. Shanghai is a special city in every respect. Only 50 years ago, it was still considered one of the most important metropolises of the world, as the trading and banking center of Asia, as a city of extremes, an EI Dorado for adventurers.

Foreigners lent Shanghai its appearance, making it more Western than Chinese. Twenty-story-high building reach skyward; there are vast hotel complexes, villas and palaces that a visitor from the West can more easily identify than a temple, for they were built according to Western architectural style by former business and military men.

The colonialists have long gone now, but their buildings remain, and the bustling life and activities of a large Chinese city prevail around them. A special kind of people lives here. The people of Shanghai are feared by some and loved by others, for they are especially brisk, smart, flexible and ingenious and make more of their appearance than other Chinese. In Shanghai, one is always ahead of the times - trends are set here. It was in Shanghai that make-up was first used and people risked wearing fashionable Western clothes. Things that leave people in speechless amazement elsewhere in China are often already old hat in Shanghai.

The people of Shanghai are talented merchants and clever politicians, many of them are invested with high positions in the government, economy and administration. Shanghai also has its own special political tradition. In 1925, students and workers jointed together to protest demonstrations against feudalism, capitalism and poor government. In March 1927, the city experienced an uprising of 800,000 workers.

The city has made great social and economic progress since 1949. The Shanghai of the past had unsolvable economic problems, a dreaded underworld, masses of unemployed, beggars and homeless, thousands of prostitutes and pimps. Today, it presents itself as an orderly large city where everyone has enough to live on and no ragged coolies and beggars loiter about.

Shanghai is the largest city in China and a trade and manufacturing center. Almost one-half of all national and international trade is transacted in shanghai, which has trade relations with 115 countries. Shanghai is also China's most important port. There are 275 different shipping connections with foreign ports worldwide. Inland shipping is conducted on the Yangze River to the interior as far as Sichuan. The two airports have inland and foreign connections.</b>

<Center><b>For info on CHINA in General visit <a href=http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/.148459/72/?s=A>My China Page</a> and travelogues</b></center>

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<center><font color=blue>All photos taken by myself are digitally marked. Please do not use them without permission</font><font color=red
© David Macleod 2002 (copyright)</font>
<center><font color=blue>For enquiries, please email: <A HREF="mailto:david@mackiwi.com">david@mackiwi.com</A></font>