Written by Michael Bryan
Modified & Updated: 23 Sep 2023
Reviewed by Jessica Corbett
- Shanghai’s history can be dated back to 4000 B.C.
- The former name of Shanghai is Shen or Hudu.
- The abbreviation code of Shanghai is SH.
- Shanghai is at the center of China’s east coastline.
- Shanghai is near to Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
- Shang means ‘above’ or ‘upon’, whereas Hai means ‘sea’.
- The name Shanghai means “above the sea” or “upon-the-sea”.
- Due to its large population, Shanghai uses a municipality type of government.
- Generally, there are 2 languages spoken in Shanghai, Wu (Shanghainese) and Mandarin (Putonghua).
- Shanghai’s exact location is on the South Bank of the Yangtze River, along the edge of the coast adjacent to the East China Sea, in particular.
- In addition to Shanghai’s location, it is 31°41′ north latitude and 121°29′ east longitude.
- Shanghai was sparsely populated and undeveloped during the 5th to 7th centuries.
- Despite the steadfast progression of Chinese settlement during the 5th to 7th centuries, the development of Shanghai back then was relatively slow.
- During the Song dynasty, Shanghai rose to a self-sustaining agricultural economy.
- During the Ming dynasty, there are around 20,000 people employed in the area as cotton spinners because more than 60% of the cultivated acreage was given to Shanghai for cotton mass production.
- In the year 1850, Shanghai became the major base for Chinese commercial imperialism by nations of the West.
- China surrendered Shanghai and signed the Treaty of Nanjing during the 1839 opium war.
- The Treaty of Nanjing is a peace treaty that stopped the First Opium War between China and the UK on 29 August 1842. However, the Chinese said that the treaty is unequal.
- Shanghai opened its businesses to the foreign which immediately led to the foundation of major European banks and flexible commercial houses.
- Finally, Shanghai’s economic boom as started in the year 1890 as a major industrial center.
Shanghai Facts Infographics
Shanghai is one of the biggest cities in the world.
Today, Shanghai is one of the biggest cities in the world. In like fashion, the Chinese government is doing its best to make Shanghai the ‘New York of Asia’. Besides, Shanghai is also imitating New York’s environment – “The City That Never Sleeps”.
Shanghai's population is 27 million.
Shanghai’s population as of this writing is 27 million. Thus, the population of this city can be compared to other big countries like Australia with only 25.5 million people. In contrast to its land size, Shanghai’s land area is only 6,340 km² while Australia has 7.692 million km². In other words, the population of this city alone is much more than most country’s population.
Shanghai is also the most populous city in China.
To enumerate, the most populous cities of China are, Bejing with 22 million, Guangzhou 13 million, and Shenzhen with 12 million.
The Shanghainese is not that popular throughout China.
The local language of Shanghai called Shanghainese is not that popular since most people from other parts of China cannot understand it. However, there are a lot of Shanghainese speakers in Hong Kong.
Shanghainese language does not have an official written form.
There is no official written form of Shanghainese language and it seldom appears in writing. Thus, modern Mandarin and other Chinese languages, such as Cantonese are currently influencing and mixing up with the Shanghainese language.
14 million people speak Shanghainese.
There are around 14 million people who currently speak Shanghainese. In contrast, this number is small compared to China’s national language which is Mandarin with 1.5 billion speakers. Above all, Mandarin is the most-spoken language not just in China but in the whole world.
There is a Jewish community in Shanghai.
Shanghai is also a home of the Jewish community. In fact, the Jewish community has existed in Shanghai since the late 1900s. However, the huge chunk of immigrants came in the 1920s as thousands of Jews fled the Bolshevik Revolution and seize the opportunity to a business-friendly foreign concession in Shanghai.
The "marriage market" of Shanghai is organized by the parents.
Shanghai has a social system called the “marriage market”. On Sundays, many parents from Shanghai go to the People’s Square to exchange information and look for suitable mates for their children. Furthermore, the main objective is to find the right match which can be based upon someone’s age, job or business, income, educational attainment, family beliefs, Chinese zodiac sign, and personality.
Most people in Shanghai can speak basic English.
In contrast to tourists that are having a hard time traveling in China because they cannot speak Mandarin, most of the people in Shanghai actually do speak in English. Thus, Shanghai requires all schools to teach English as early as first grade.
The world’s largest indoor ski resort is located in Shanghai.
Wintastar holds the record of the world’s largest indoor ski resort. To illustrate, Wintastar, located in Lingang City in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, covers a staggering 227,000 square meters with 90,000 square meters of slopes.
Shanghai is also known as the "sweet tooth" city.
Shanghai is one of the cities in China with high sugar consumption. A typical Shanghai cuisine is regarded as one of the sweetest throughout the country. Furthermore, sugar is a vital ingredient in Shanghai cuisine since most of their sauces require sugar as a base ingredient.
Tangyuan is the 'signature sweet dessert' of Shanghai.
Tangyuan is a sweet glutinous rice dessert. This sweet dumpling is stuffed with black sesame which is commonly sold by vendors from Qibao, a town in Minhang District, Shanghai.
Shanghai cuisine is the youngest among the ten major cuisines of China.
Although Shanghai cuisine is over 400 years old, it is the youngest among the ten major cuisines of China. During the 19th century, the cuisine experienced substantial changes by adopting a different style of cooking from other dishes which added a twist to their food after becoming a major domestic and international trading port.
Shanghai's signature dish is Xiao Long Bao.
Xiao Long Bao is the signature dish of Shanghai which is made up of pork-filled soup dumplings. This dish originated in Nanxiang, a town in the Jiading District of Shanghai.
The beggar's chicken is one of the oldest cuisines.
Beggar’s Chicken is one of the oldest cuisines in China which originated back from the Qing Dynasty. Moreover, this dish became popular across the country including Shanghai due to its tender, juicy, aromatic, and tasty flavors.
White Yulan is the official city flower of Shanghai.
The White Yulan is the official city flower of Shanghai. China cultivated it for centuries due to its incredible beauty. As of today, places such as America and Europe plant and grows the White Yulan.
The White Yulan is born in the Yangtze River.
The original birthplace or origin of the White Yulan is in the Yangtze River in central and eastern China. Wild White Yulan can still be found growing on Lushan, Huangshan and E’mei mountains.
Shanghai's transport system is one of the best in China.
The city has an extensive public transport system made up of buses, subways, light railways, and taxis. Although Shanghai’s transport system is one of the most efficient in China, it continues to invest in public transportation to further improve its services.
Shanghai Metro is the longest metro system in the world.
The Shanghai Metro is one of the fastest-growing rail systems on earth. Above all, it boasts its 16 Shanghai subway in operation, with 705-kilometer lines, holding the record of the longest metro system in the world. With this in mind, there are more than 10 million people who use the Shanghai Metro every day.
Shanghai has more than 1,000 bus lines.
Shanghai has one of the most extensive bus systems in the world, with approximately more than 1,000 bus lines which are operated by several transport companies. Generally, bus fares and metro fares are almost the same. However, the metro can be faster since its extensive reach will put the passengers closer to the landmarks.
Shanghai's old trolleybuses continue to help transportation.
The Shanghai trolleybus is a part of the public transport network in the city, and the world’s oldest operating trolley bus system. Nevertheless, the trolley buses continue to operate and help ease the traffic and congestion around Shanghai.
Taxi operations are regulated in Shanghai.
The taxi companies in Shanghai are closely regulated such as greeting the passengers, obeying requests, and all trips should be metered with receipts. There are 6 major taxi operators in Shanghai, those are Qiangsheng Taxi, People’s Taxi, Haibo Taxi, Blue Alliance, French Red, and Jinjiang Taxi.
The Shanghai Maglev is the fastest train in the world.
Shanghai is also the home of the first commercial Maglev railway in the world. Above all, the Shanghai Maglev is the fastest train in the world with a maximum operating speed of 430 kilometers per hour. On the other hand, the Maglev train is one of the safest and most comfortable rapid transit systems in the world.
Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in China.
Currently, the Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in China. The construction of the building started in the year 2008 and was completed in 2013 with 632 meters in height. Shanghai Tower’s most famous tenants are Alibaba, Intesa Sanpaolo, and AllBright Law Offices.
The Shanghai Tower has numerous world records.
The Shanghai Tower is a 128-story building located in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai. Furthermore, the building holds the record of the world’s second-fastest elevator inside it, the world’s second-tallest building by height to the architectural top, and the world’s highest observation deck. The American architectural firm, Gensler, designed the Shanghai Tower along with Jun Xia, a Shanghainese architect.
Shanghai has 4 distinct seasons.
Shanghai has 4 distinct seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. However, the climate in Shanghai is considered to be humid, subtropical. January is the coldest month in Shanghai with an average temperature of 8.1°C. In contrast, the hottest month is July, with an average high of 32°C.
The tourism industry in Shanghai generates more than 14% of the city's GDP.
Shanghai is one of the most visited cities in the world with more than 4 million tourists each year. Furthermore, the tourism industry generates more than 14% of the city’s Gross Domestic Product.
Disneyland Shanghai is one of the biggest contributors to the tourism industry.
One of the largest contributors to the growing number of tourists in the city is Disneyland Shanghai. The major construction of this theme park started on April 8, 2011, and was opened on June 16, 2016. Furthermore, the cost of the construction took over $3.6 billion which was financed by numerous Chinese state-owned enterprises along with Walt Disney.
Shanghai Disney Resort is 11 times larger than the original Disneyland in California.
Shanghai Disney Resort covers almost 390 hectares which are more than 11 times the size of the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Even more, it also holds the biggest castle out of all of the Disneyland parks as well as being the 2nd largest theme park in the world.
Disneyland Shanghai had to move graveyards for its construction.
Disneyland Shanghai moved graveyards and cemeteries for its construction. Hence, the theme park had to relocate more than 1,200 graves in order to make way for the project and gave $43 per family as compensation.
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