10 Facts About Shanghai
1. Shanghai is the world's largest city.
China is known for its crowds, and Shanghai is possibly the best example of this.
Shanghai’s city proper population was 24 million people in 2014, and it is
continually rising. Shanghai's extensive metro service is necessary to cover its
many districts and keep this thriving city running each day.
When the Chinese government set out to make Shanghai the New York of Asia,
they certainly took the motto of "city that never sleeps" to heart.
Shanghai tops the list of world cities by population within an administrative area
(city proper), and comes third in the world in terms of commuter zone population
as well (metropolitan area pop.: 35 million).
2. Shanghai is a world finance and cultural center.
The city has boomed in the last two decades because of China’s desire to see it
become an international center of finance and culture. Many businesses are
thriving in Shanghai and offering new opportunities to China's growing middle
class and foreigners looking to broach the Chinese market.
The city has seen a constant rate of growth and is the center for many
international companies working within China. It has also become a hub of culture
with notoriety in fashion, art, and design. Shanghai is also known as the birthplace
of Chinese cinema, which is gaining popularity around the world.
3. Shanghai is a transportation powerhouse.
The longest metro system in the world spreads beneath the city of Shanghai with
400 miles (644 km) of tunnels and track. The Shanghai metro has 393 stations
spread throughout the city and connecting major attractions, making it easy to
navigate for international visitors. Shanghai boasts the world's fastest train, the
Shanghai Maglev, which connects Pudong International Airport to downtown
Shanghai.
Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao international airports are also powerhouses of
transportation, servicing a combined total of more than 110 million passengers
annually.
4. The best times to visit Shanghai are the middle seasons.
The best times to visit Shanghai are in the spring and autumn. Summers have
temperatures in the 90s °F (32°C+) and high humidity levels. Winter temperatures
hover around freezing, and it becomes damp.
The spring and autumn offer mild temperatures and clearer air, which are
coveted travel conditions in China. Visiting in the spring means prime viewing of
Shanghai's many flower gardens and green spaces, which offer a brief respite
from the built-up feel of the city itself. Autumn offers mild temperatures with less
humidity and rainfall to interfere with your excursions.
Of course, when traveling in China be sure to consult the calendar of national
holidays to ensure you avoid the crowds.
5. The city of Shanghai, China is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world in
terms of skyscraper construction, with the City of Shanghai reporting at the end
of 2004 that there had been 6,704 buildings of 11 stories or more completed
since 1990. In 2011 there are over 20,000 buildings 11 stories or higher and more
than 1,000 buildings exceeding 30 stories in Shanghai. As of January 2019, there
are 165 high-rise buildings either under construction, approved for construction,
or proposed for construction, of which five are over 300 m (980 ft) high.