Shanghai,a city
that is unforgettable once you see it.
Situated in the middle of the Pacific coast of the Eurasia
Continent, Shanghai is like a sparkling pearl on the edge
of a dark-blue velvet.
It is here that the Yangtze River --the longest river
in China and a cradle of Chinese civilization --joins
the sea. Such a unique location has made Shanghai the
largest port in China and a city of diverse cultures.
Through generations of hard work and struggles against
foreign oppression, the people of Shanghai have turned
what was once a unknown fishing village 700 years ago
into a modern metropolis in Asia.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China
in 1949, especially in the past 20 years of reform and
opening, Shanghai has moved into a track of rapid development
and is undergoing tremendous changes.
The famous Nanjing Road built in the city's colonial
era has become a pedestrian street for shopping, sightseeing
and recreation. Pudong, once a rural backwater, has been
transformed into the central business district full of
skyscrapers. The downtown People's Square now features
three new landmarks --People's Mansion, Shanghai Grand
Theater and Shanghai Museum. Many of the city's poor neighborhoods
are gone, replaced by new high-rises or parks. The city
boasts an advanced transport network made up of raised
highways, subways and two international airports, and
new museums, libraries and theaters are enriching people's
life. Housing shortage problem has been solved as people
move into spacious new apartments with a garden setting.
The city's traditional industries have given way to high-growth
sectors, such as steel, automobile, petrochemical, finance,
foreign trade and high-tech industries. Shanghai also
has a number of prestigious universities that combine
teaching with research, as well as many specialized schools
and institutes. The city's scientists are engaged in research
at the world's advanced level, and her high-tech parks
and incubators have attracted thousands of Chinese students
and scholars from abroad.
The old Shanghai is fading and paling;
And a newborn Shanghai is rising --Like the reared head
of a dragon crouching in the Yangtze River region.
Shanghai today is not only the beautiful home of local
Chinese, but also an ideal abode for expatriates. The
city's fast development is illustrated by these figures:
- Per capita GDP has reached US$4,218;
- Domestic and foreign financial institutions in Shanghai
total 3,300;
- It has 70 deep-water berths for ships over 10,000
tonnage and 16 container ports with a handling capacity
of 5.61 million TEUs a year;
- Foreign trade grossed US$54.7 billion in 2000.Imports
and exports through Shanghai Customs hit US$109.3 billion;
- Shanghai has attracted 27,900 investment projects
from 91 countries and regions, involving US$94.2 billion
of contracted investment. Actual investment was US$50.1
billion;
- More than half of the world's Top 500 companies have
invested in Shanghai. Some have moved their regional headquarters
to the city as well.;
- The average life expectancy for the 16 million Shanghainese
is 76.71 years for men and 80.8 years for women;
- Retail sales in 2000b totalled US$2.56 billion. Per
capita disposable income was US$1,429,while the bank savings
of urban and rural residents reached US$30.78 billion;
- Per capita living space is 11.8 square meters in urban
districts and 53.6 square meters in suburban districts;
- Shanghai has more than 5.48 million telephone subscribers
and 2.02 million Internet users.
If the above figures are ample indicators of the city's
development in recent years, the construction projects
listed below will outline the world-class metropolis Shanghai
is aiming for.
- A 650-kilometer highway network, involving US$4.88
billion, is under construction in suburban Shanghai which
will link Shanghai up with highways from the neighboring
provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui;
- Construction has started on the US$268-million Lupu
Bridge and a large vehicle tunnel under the Huangpu River.
Before long, Pudong and Puxi will be connected by six
bridges and six tunnels;
- A deep-water port with 100 berths is under construction
in an island southeast of Shanghai. When it is completed,
Shanghai Port will be able to receive container ships
of any size, with an annual handling capacity of 15 million
TEUs;
- A high-speed raiwayl linking the Pudong International
Airport and the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone is being
built, and the world's most advanced maglev trains will
begin commercial operation in Shanghai in the near future;
- Projects to switch from coal gas supply to natural
gas supply and to increase the latter to 96 million cubic
meters a day are under way in Shanghai;
- An integrated information network for the so-called
"dynamic urban management'' is being built, based
on Shanghai's GIS (Geographical Information System), surveillance,
and emergency command systems;
- Five industrial bases for the manufacture of cars,
steel, IT products, power generating equipment, and petrochemicals
are taking shape in the city;
- New policies have been drawn to attract more overseas
investment;
- A whole set of measures are being implemented to develop
the private sector;
- An ambitious scheme is unfolding to further speed
up the construction of housing ...
These projects, when completed, will add to the glamour
of Shanghai --a city brimming with energy and vitality,
which are also reflected in her people. As you walk around
Shanghai, you will find elderly people enjoy life in the
park, young people dating on the street, children playing
in the neighborhood ground, and commuters hurrying between
home and workplace. Here, you can feel the pulse of a
changing society, which is embracing the tide of globalisation
and technological revolution. Shanghai is attracting more
and more visitors from abroad and is making friends everywhere.
Shanghai has dazzled the world with her great achievement.
She is moving by leaps and bounds toward her goal of becoming
one of the top cities in the world.
Shanghai, the historical port on the west coast of the
Pacific, is gradually merging with the global economy.
She is growing in strength and looking prettier each day!
