The City of Shanghai - Research Paper Example

Introduction Shanghai is the most populous of The Republic of China and also the busiest container port in the world. With an estimated population over 23 million it is also the largest city in the world and one of the main financial centers. The city lies on the eastern coast of China about 1067km south of Beijing. City which was once home to fishing colonies and the handicraft industry underwent rapid urbanization due to its advantageous geographical location. By the early 19th century the city became an excellent sea and river port which was the heart of trade between the Asian countries and West. Today Shanghai has emerged as a Global city and a major business hub. Considered to be one of the fastest developing cities in the world, it plays a pivotal role in China’s economy. It is also one of the world’s top centers of commerce in terms of global financial flow. Shanghai is also home to many historical landmarks like The Bund, City God temple, Yuyuan etc. The city’s rapid urbanizations and development along with the growing economy has transformed Shanghai into a major cultural and financial centre of China. As of November 2011, Shanghai has 17 districts and 1 county which include 210 towns and other sub districts. The 17 districts are Huangpu, Xuhui, Changning, Jing’an, Putuo, Zhabei, Hongkou, Yangpu, Pudong, Baoshan, Minhang, Jiading, Jinshan, Songjiang, Luwan, Qingpu and Fengxian. (China Tourist Maps, 2011) History Shanghai which was a once a swamp with about 12000 households started to be considered as a city ever since the central government approved the establishment of Shanghai county in the year 1292. During its early stage cotton industry along with the manufacturing sector was the backbone of the city’s economy. “The British opened a concession in Shanghai after the first Opium War and ignited Shanghais evolution.” (Naumann, 2011) After the opium war the Treaty of Nanjing was formed which included a clause to build 5 new ports one of them being Shanghai. From here Shanghai grew to be the trading link between the East and the West. But ever since the communist takeover in 1949, international trade faced some restrictions from the government. This affected the city badly. But since the early 1990’s, to be specific ever since Jiang Zemin became the President, the city started to see rapid development. The city contributes to more than 12% of the municipal revenue despite occupying just 0.1% of the area of China. The recent development means the city has seen migration in plenty from other parts of the country. The city has faced many wars including the battle of Shanghai against Japan in 1937. Japan won the war and the city was in Japanese custody until the end of Second World War in 1945. During the Japanese rule many Chinese officials who worked for them were assassinated. During the war Shanghai was one of the few places which was open for Jew migration who were hiding from the Germany troops. The Japanese army was forced to flee the city after the war, as the Communists took over the area. Demographics According to the 2010 census, the city’s populations is around 23 million which means the city has seen a growth of around 37.5% from year 2000. Out of the 23million, more than 20 million is urban. This makes Shanghai the largest city proper in the world. More than a quarter of Shanghai’s population comprises of long term migrants from other smaller towns and villages in China. Almost 99% of Shanghai’s residents comprises of people from the Han Chinese ethnicity. At 82.13 years, Shanghai has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world. Recently the city is facing an aging problem with almost a quarter of its population over 60 years old. Economy Shanghai which was one of the wealthiest Asian cities during the 1930’s, saw a sharp decline in their status during the rule of Communist party since 1949. Since 1990’s the city has seen rapid development and now ranks fifth in the Global Financial Centres Index. Shanghai has recorded double digit growth on all the years from 1990. The only exception for this trend was 2008 and 2009 when the whole world was facing recession. At 39.9% the manufacturing sector is the leading contributor for the economy of Shanghai. Retail, real estate and financial services are the three largest service industries in the city. Many of China’s key industrial zones like Shanghai Hongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone, Jinqiao Export Economic Processing Zone, Minhang Economic and Technological Development Zone, and Shanghai Caohejing High-Tech Development Zone are located in Shanghai. (Fid.org, 2010) Moreover, Jiangnan Shipyard, one of the oldest ship makers and Baosteel Group, China’s largest steel makers are also located in the city. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group) which has strategic alliances with Volkswagen and GM is one of the Top 3 automakers in the country. With a GDP of US$ 256.3 million Shanghai is one of the richest cities in Asia and the GDP per capita of US$ 11,134 is the highest in the country. Geography Shanghai is located in the middle of Chinas east coast, near the Yangtze River. It is one of the most important cities in the Yangtze River Delta region. The proximity of the city to Pacific Ocean via the East China Sea means Shanghai plays a key role in trade between East and the West. “It is bordered by the Yangtze River to the north, the East China Sea to the east, Hangzhou Bay to the south, and Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces to the west.” (Brooks, 2010) Latitude: 30° 42 to 31° 52 N Longitude: 120° 52 to 121° 58 E Total Area: 6,340.5 km2 (2,448.1 sq mi) Land Area: 6,218.65 km2 (2,401.03 sq mi) Water Area: 121.85 km2 (47.05 sq mi) (Brooks, 2010) With Humid subtropical climate, Shanghai can have severely cold winters where temperatures can go below freezing point. Summers are usually humid and warm with occasional rainfall. The city has also seen few typhoons in its recent past. Landmarks Shanghai has many landmarks that are favorites of the tourists. Some of the famous landmarks of them are as follows: Yuyuan garden: This is considered to be one of the most posh Chinese gardens in the country. Located in the old city near City God Temple of Shanghai it was opened to the common man in 1961 and was declared as a national monument by the Chinese Government in the year 1982. City God temple: Connected to the Yuyuan garden, the city god temple has around hundred shops in and around the area which are almost a century old. During the Japanese rule the localities were prevented from worshipping in the temple and in protest they made a new temple to worship. But after the Japanese troops left the city in 1945, the old temple regained its popularity. The Bund: The bund is a waterfront area in the western branch of river Huangpu River. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area and has many historical and modern buildings like Sasson house, Palace hotel, Bank of China building etc. Shanghai World Financial Centre (SWFC): SWFC is a skyscraper and one of the tallest buildings in China. It consists of ground floor shopping malls, a hotel, conference rooms, offices etc. The building was completed in the year 2008 at a cost of US$1.20 billion. It has 101 floors and a total area of 4,107,500 sq ft. Shanghai Tower: Shanghai Tower is a new skyscraper under construction and on completion it is expected to be the tallest building in China. The building will have 128 floors and 4,090,000 sq ft area. The building is estimated to cost around YS$2.2 billion is will be completed by 2014. (Travel China Guide, 2011) Politics The city just like the rest of China has a dual party system. The city has contributed many senior leaders for the country. A political life in Shanghai is generally considered as a stepping stone to national politics. Yu Zhengsheng, the former party chief of Hubei is the current party chief of Shanghai. The success of Han Zheng, the present Mayor of Shanghai was the most noticeable. He has been holding this position from 2003. He is the highest ranking executive official in the city. Up till 1941, the city was administered by the Chinese city, the French concession and an international settlement. But later these parts were occupied by the Japanese troops until the end of the Second World War. (Ebeling, 2011) Sports Shanghai Shenhua, one of the most popular and successful soccer teams in Chinese super league, is from the city. Yao Ming, a popular NBA star played for the Shanghai Sharks in the earlier part of his professional career. Many well known faces of China like Yao Ming, Liu Xiang, Wang Liqin hail from the city. HSBC Golf Championship and ATP masters 1000 tennis are held annually at Shanghai. But the major attraction in recent years has been the Chinese Grand Prix held in Shanghai from 2004. Upon completion it was the most expensive Formula 1 circuit ever made costing around US$240 million. (Castrol, 2011) Initially the Shanghai Circuit team signed a 7 year deal with Formula 1 management running till 2011, which has now been extended till the year 2017. Shanghai Cuisine Shanghai cuisine is considered to be one of the most popular Chinese cuisines. It is especially noted for its use of alcohol in its dishes. “Shanghai dishes usually look red and shiny, for they are often pickled in wine and their cooking methods include baking, stewing, teaming, deep-frying, etc.” (China culture, 2011) It is also known for using a combination of soya sauce and sugar in most of its dishes. Sea food like prawns, crabs, oysters, seas weed etc are very popular in Shanghai. People in Shanghai are also known for eating in small quantities. The commonly used bun in Shanghai known as the Xiaolongbao is just four centimeters in diameter. The signature dishes for breakfast includes Sheng Jian Bao, Xiao Long Bao, Four Heavenly King etc and the main courses include Da Zha Xie, crispy chicken, Congshao crucian carp etc. Fashion Shanghai has now a fashion event of its own known as the Shanghai fashion week. It is held twice in the month of October and April every year at Fuxing Park. The Aril session coincides with The Shanghai International Fashion Culture Festival and lasts almost a month. During this event almost all top designers from Asia gather for the event. Though the intension of the event is to promote Chinese designers, many international designers do participate in it. Cinema Shanghai is considered to be the birth place of Chinese Cinema. The country’s first short film and full feature film were both made in Shanghai. (SFG, 2005) By the 1930’s the influence of Shanghai in Chinese cinema was noted and it produced many national stars like Zhou Xuan, Mao Zedong, etc. After the communist revolution, many from the Shanghai film industry migrated to Hong Kong and were instrumental in the growth of Hong Kong film industry. Shanghai Metro Shanghai metro is the longest metro system in the world at 434 km in length and it is also considered to be one of the busiest. The metro system has 11 metro lines and 277 stations as of 2011. Among this, the People’s square station is the busiest station which gets extremely crowded during the peak hours. The Shanghai metro system is also the fastest growing metro systems in the world, with planned expansions to take place in its near future. By 2020 the metro system is expected to have 22 lines which will span a distance of about 877 km’s. Shanghai Maglev Train “Shanghai Maglev Train is the fastest train in the world in commercial operation.” (China Family Adventure, 2011) It clocked 501km/ hour in a non commercial test in the year 2004 which is a Chinese speed record. It was built by Siemens and is now operated by Shanghai Maglev Transportation Development Co., Ltd. City Flower The Official flower of Shanghai is Magnolia denudate. It is also known as the Yulan magnolia. Considered as a symbol of purity the flower has been grown in most Chinese gardens since 600 AD. Usually seen in the spring season, it has a citrus-lemon fragrance. It grows mostly in rich and moist soil. Education “Shanghai, the largest city in China, was the first to achieve one hundred percent primary and junior high school enrollment.” (Singmaster, 2011) It was the first city in China to come up with the idea of mandatory education for 9 years. The city has almost 2000 schools and about 900 kinder gardens. The city also has more than 30 colleges and universities. Shanghai Disney Resort Walt Disney Group is currently constructing a theme park in Shanghai. Disney Resort is an upcoming theme park constructed by the Walt Disney Group. It is expected to be completed by the year 2016 in an area of about 963 acres of land. Shanghai Municipal Government approved the project in November 2009, and construction began in early April 2011. The Shanghai Shendi group will own 57% of the Park and the other 43% will be owned by Walt Disney Group. The park is expected to have area for shopping dining, entertainment, two hotels and an arena for live performances. Upon completion the resort is expected to be three times the size of Hong Kong Disneyland resort. (Disney, 2011) Shanghai Circus World It is a permanent indoor circus in the city of Shanghai. It is about 22,500 sq meters in area. It opened in 1999 and has a computer controlled lighting, revolving stage etc. The annual Shanghai International Magic Festival is also held every year at the Circus World. Airports Shanghai Pudong International Airport: It is a major aviation hub in Asia and the primary Airport that serve the city of Shanghai. Covering an area of 15sq miles it is the major hub for China’s leading airlines. The airport opened on October 1, 1999 at a estimated construction cost of about US $1.67 billion. Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport: It is the 4th busiest airport in China and the main domestic airport in Shanghai. It is also the 5th busiest airport in China in cargo traffic and 7th busiest by passenger traffic. The airport was first build in 1907 for military use and was upgraded for passenger use in 1923. . References China Tourist Maps, (2011). Shanghai District Map, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2011. From: http://www.chinatouristmaps.com/provinces/shanghai.html Naumann, S., (2011). A Short History of Shanghai. Retrieved November 20, 2011. From: http://gochina.about.com/od/shanghai/p/SH_History.htm Fid.org, (2010). Industries Layout Guide for Foreign Investment in Shanghai. Retrieved November 21, 2011. From: http://www.fid.org.cn/en/r/zcfgproject.php?next_id=Industries%20Layout%20Guide%20for%20Foreign%20Investment%20in%20Shanghai Brooks, (2010). Geography and Climate of Shanghai. Retrieved November 21, 2011. From: http://www.visitshanghaicity.com/2010/05/geography-and-climate-of-shanghai.html Travel China Guide, (2011). Shanghai Attractions. Retrieved November 22, 2011. From: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shanghai/ Ebeling, R., (2011). Reflections on the Shanghai skyline. Retrieved November 22, 2011. From: http://www.adamsmith.org/think-piece/economics/reflections-on-the-shanghai-skyline/ Castrol, (2011). Chinese Grand Prix. Retrieved November 22, 2011. From: http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9000029&contentId=7000047 China Culture, (2011). Shanghai Cuisine. Retrieved November 24, 2011. From: http://www.chinaculture.org/library/2008-01/30/content_29519.htm China Family Adventure, (2011). The Shanghai Maglev – fastest train in the world. Retrieved November 25, 2011. From: http://www.china-family-adventure.com/shanghai-maglev.html Singmaster, H., (2011). Shanghai: The World’s Best School System. Retrieved November 25, 2011. From: http://asiasociety.org/education/learning-world/shanghai-worlds-best-school-system Disney, (2011). Disney and Partners Break Ground on Shanghai Disney Resort. Retrieved November 26, 2011. From: http://corporate.disney.go.com/news/parks_resorts/news_release/WaltDisneyParksandResorts/2008/040711_twdc_shanghai.html Read More