Shanghai, China

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The name Shanghai means ''over the sea''. It is the largest city in China and the center of the nation's trade and industry, with the biggest and most important port in the land. The city is experiencing a meteoric economic expansion, one result of which has been a massive building boom. Much of this activity is focused on the new industrial zone of Pudong, a district in the east of the city reached via two high-level bridges and a tunnel that cross over and under the Huangpujiang River.

Almost 200 universities, technical colleges and research institutions also make the city a center for the sciences.

Owing to the high population density Shanghai has great housing and traffic problems; the extensive public transportation system and expanding metro system assist in keeping the roads less congested. However the number of cars on the road increases regularly. The bus system alone has one thousand bus lines. In 2002, Shanghai partnered with a German company to construct the first commercial high-speed maglev train line in the world. Public service began on January 1st, 2004.

In 2005, Shanghai opened the largest deep-water port in the world.

The first settlement here was in the Song period (960-1279); it then became a fishing village, and in the middle of the 13th C a small city grew up on the west bank of the Huangpujiang called Shanghai. Its size and importance increased considerably because of a flourishing foreign trade. In the 16th C silk and cotton weaving developed. During this period a city wall was erected.

From 1843 onwards, after China's defeat in the opium wars, Shanghai became the free port of various western powers, who received concession areas north of the town (the present old town) for settlement. This is how it became a European style metropolis, separated into Chinese, French and international sectors. The Chinese viewed the foreigners as a restrictive force, and resistance to them increased. This finally found expression in protest demonstrations by students and workers.

In July 1921 the Communist Party of China was proclaimed here. Chiang Kai-shek brutally brought down the people's uprising of 1927. After the outbreak of war between the USA and Japan in 1941 the latter occupied the foreign concession. In 1949 following the occupation by the Red Army, foreign concessions and private ownership were abolished. However, Shanghai was still able to continue to assert its industrial pre-eminence. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) the city was the base for the ''gang of four'' led by Jiang Qing. Subsequently, despite the beginnings of liberal economic reforms, Shanghai lost its leading role.

Shanghai became known as the birthplace of modernism in East Asia at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the location of the first motor car driven and the site of the first train tracks. The city has a collection of architectural styles that range from Ne-Classical to Art Deco and the tallest skyscraper in mainland China, Jin Mao tower. The Old City still retains traditional styles including a traditional garden, Yuyuan Garden.

Shanghai has had some challenges early on in the 21st century such as a major income gap and worker migration but economic development is improving.