Shanghai is the largest city by population in the
People's Republic of China and the largest city proper by
population in the world. It is one of the four province-level
municipalities with a total population of over 23 million as of
2010. It is a global city, with influence in commerce, culture,
finance, media, fashion, technology, and transport. It is a major
financial center and the busiest container port in the world.
Located in the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China, Shanghai
sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River in the middle portion of
the Chinese coast. The municipality borders Jiangsu and Zhejiang
Provinces to the west, and is bounded to the east by the East
China Sea.For centuries a major administrative, shipping, and
trading town, Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due
to European recognition of its favorable port location and
economic potential. The city was one of several opened to foreign
trade following the British victory over China in the First Opium
War and the subsequent 1842 Treaty of Nanking which allowed the
establishment of the Shanghai International Settlement. The city
then flourished as a center of commerce between east and west,
and became the undisputed financial hub of the Asia Pacific in
the 1930s. However, with the Communist Party takeover of the
mainland in 1949, trade was reoriented to focus on socialist
countries, and the city's global influence declined.Shanghai is a
popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks
such as The Bund, City God Temple and Yuyuan Garden, as well as
the extensive and growing Lujiazui skyline. It has been described
as the "showpiece" of the booming economy of mainland
China.
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