Shanghai Shànghǎi 上 海 16.0 Million Est
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◀ Shang Dynasty Comprehensive index starts in volume 5, page 2667. Shanghai Shànghǎi 上 海 16.0 million est. 2008 pop.; administrative district est. pop. 18.7 million China’s most populous city first rose to world As an administrative district, Shanghai is the equiva- prominence in the nineteenth century. In lent of a province. It covers an area of 6,341 square kilome- the twentieth century, it has been at the fore- ters (for comparison, Tokyo is 2,187 square kilometers and front of China’s economic and international the London metropolitan area is 2,263 square kilometers.) It is located in the center of eastern China on the coast, development. at the mouth of China’s largest river, the Yangzi (Chang), which enters the East China Sea. Shanghai is divided into eighteen districts and one he city of Shanghai is the largest in China; of Chi- county—Chongming Island. The city center of Shanghai na’s four province-level municipalities (the other is on the west bank of the Huangpu River. The inner nine three are Beijing, Tianjin, and Chongqing), only districts are in the east-bank area, as is the new district Chongqing outranks Shanghai, due to its larger rural of Pudong, which belonged to Chuangsha County un- population. Shanghai is the eighth-most-populous city til 1992. The outer eight are further away from the urban in the world. center. Boats on Suzhou Creek in Shanghai. The creek, also known as the Wu- song River, cuts through the city and is crossed by a number of impressive bridges. Photo by Paul and Bernice Noll. 1945 T © 2009 by Berkshire Publishing Group LLC 1946 Berkshire Encyclopedia of China 宝 库 山 中 华 全 书 CHINA SHANGHAI Shanghai Shanghai History British, Americans, and French all leased land in Shang- hai for their international settlements. These areas were There is evidence of human settlement in Shanghai from autonomous zones that were outside the jurisdiction of as early as 6,000 years ago. Historically, Shanghai was a Chinese law. fishing town, though from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) In 1927, Shanghai was officially established as a city of onward, it also was an important region for cotton manu- the Republic of China; it became a municipality with the facture and for shipping. Its ascendancy on the world stage status of a province in May 1930. In the lead-up to World began when the 1842 Treaty of Nanjing, which ended the War II, Japan invaded China; it occupied Shanghai from First Opium War with Great Britain, designated Shanghai 1939 to 1945. In 1943, Great Britain and the United States one of five seaports to be opened for foreign trade. The (joined later by France) signed a treaty with the Republic © 2009 by Berkshire Publishing Group LLC Shanghai n Shànghǎi n 上海 1947 of China to renounce their leased territory in Shanghai, Economic Growth which they returned to China at the end of the World War II. The five years from 1945 to 1949 were the only period Shanghai was able to become a center of international during which Shanghai was purely under the control of trade and finance as a consequence of the national policy the Republic of China; in 1949 that control shifted to the of reform and openness laid down by Deng Xiaoping, who new People’s Republic of China. led China after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. Shanghai has special significance in China’s political When China adopted market socialism, Pudong (East development and international relations during the twen- Shanghai) was declared a “special economic zone.” Eco- tieth century. Shanghai was the place where the Chinese nomic development was encouraged in this region, which Communist Party was founded and where it held its First flourished. This led to Shanghai’s expanding its develop- National Congress in 1921. On February 28, 1972, Shang- ment of the new area of eastern Shanghai while at the hai was the place where the “Shanghai Communiqué” same time renovating the old area of western Shanghai, between the People’s Republic of China and the United divided by the Huangpu River. Six bridges across the States was signed—the outcome of President Richard river were built to connect the two zones, along with two Nixon’s visit to China (the first visit of an American presi- tunnels under the river and a new international airport dent) and the start of normalization of relations between in Pudong to supplement Shanghai’s Hongqiao Interna- the United States and China. tional Airport. In 2005, Shanghai was ranked the world’s Shanghai skyline, with a view of the Pearl Tower. Photo by Tom Christensen. © 2009 by Berkshire Publishing Group LLC 1948 Berkshire Encyclopedia of China 宝 库 山 中 华 全 书 busiest port in terms of cargo throughput. Shanghai’s prime minister. Xi Jinping, party secretary for Shanghai, port is also the largest in the world, and Donghai Bridge, was elected in 2008 by the Seventeenth National Con- which links Shanghai to the Yangshan Islands, is the lon- gress of the Chinese Communist Party and the National gest cross-sea bridge in the world, with a total length of People’s Congress to be vice chairman of the People’s 32.5 kilometers. Republic of China and possible successor of Hu Jintao when his term as general secretary of the Chinese Com- munist Party and chairman of the People’s Republic of Special Features China ends. The Pudong district in eastern Shanghai has developed into a modern international trade center and is home to Looking Forward one of the tallest towers in Asia, the landmark Oriental Pearl Tower, as well as the Jin Mao tower, which is the Shanghai is at the forefront not only in economic devel- tallest skyscraper in China. opment, but also sustainability initiatives. With nearly The city center is in western Shanghai. One can find half the nation’s rural population expected to move into old, historical buildings, including the old headquarters urban areas by 2030, sustainable cities are a high priority, of foreign trading houses, in the part of Shanghai known and one notable initiative was planned for Dongtan, near as the Bund, along the bank of the Huangpu River. Shang- Shanghai, although the project has run into considerable hai’s most modern architecture, including the Shanghai difficulties, including the 2006 arrest of its main Polit- Museum and Shanghai Grand Theatre, are found in the buro sponsor, Chen Liangyu. The future of the project Peoples’ Square. is uncertain. Shanghai has more universities than any other city in Shanghai’s hosting of the 2010 World Fair (Expo 2010), China, being home to sixteen national universities, one with the theme “Better City, Better Life,” has prompted military medical university, eleven public universities be- the city to develop four new subway lines and to imple- low the national level, and six private universities. The ment improvements and extensions on four others. Or- most famous, Fudan University, is a comprehensive re- ganizers have announced that the expo will center on search university. Its late president, Xie Xide, established innovation and interaction, with participants focusing China’s first center for America studies at Fudan Univer- on the urban theme. China hopes to attract two hundred sity, and under Xie’s tenure, presidents Ronald Reagan nations and 70 million visitors to Expo 2010. and Bill Clinton both gave speeches at the university Teh-Kuang CHANG when they visited China. Shanghai is not only a leading city in the economic, educational, and international arenas, it also is a cradle Further Reading of national leadership. The positions of secretary and Denison, E. (2006). Shanghai: The story of China’s gateway. mayor of Shanghai became stepping stones to national Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Academy. power in the People’s Republic of China. Jiang Zemin Kirk, M. (Ed.). (2009). China by numbers 2009. Hong was party secretary of Shanghai before he became the Kong: China Economic Review Publishing. general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Yu Xuanmeng & He Xirong. (Eds.) (2004). Shanghai: Its eventually chairman of the People’s Republic of China. urbanization and culture. Washington, DC: Council Zhu Rongji was mayor of Shanghai before becoming for Research in Values and Philosophy. Shanghai Communiqué ▶ © 2009 by Berkshire Publishing Group LLC.