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Shanghai is located on the Yangtze Estuary of China's east coast, with the Yangtze River to the north and Hangzhou Bay to the south, with the East China Sea to the east. The land is formed by the Yangtze's natural deposition and modern land reclamation projects.
Shanghai, China's largest and most prosperous city, exudes an atmosphere of self-confidence and vitality. For those reasons alone it's worth a visit. Unlike places featuring ancient, imperial, or scenic attractions, Shanghai has its own unique and spectacular range of more-modern highlights. Below are the top things you should do in Shanghai. 1.
- Overview
- City site
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- City layout
Shanghai, city and province-level shi (municipality), east-central China. It is one of the world’s largest seaports and a major industrial and commercial centre of China.
The city is located on the coast of the East China Sea between the mouth of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) to the north and the bay of Hangzhou to the south. The municipality’s area includes the city itself, surrounding suburbs, and an agricultural hinterland. Shanghai is China’s most-populous city, and the municipality is its most-populous urban area.
Shanghai municipality is bordered by Jiangsu province to the north and west and Zhejiang province to the southwest. It includes the 18 districts constituting the city of Shanghai and several islands in the mouth of the Yangtze and offshore to the southeast in the East China Sea. The largest island, Chongming, has an area of 489 square miles (1,267 square km) and extends more than 50 miles (80 km) upstream from the mouth of the Yangtze; it and the islands of Changxing and Hengsha administratively comprise a county under Shanghai municipality.
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The mainland portion of the city lies on an almost level deltaic plain with an average elevation of 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 metres) above sea level. It is crisscrossed by an intricate network of canals and waterways that connect the municipality with the Lake Tai region just to the west.
The city’s maritime location fosters a mild climate characterized by minimal seasonal contrast. The average annual temperature is about 61 °F (16 °C); the July maximum averages about 80 °F (27 °C), and the average January minimum is about 37 °F (3 °C). About 45 inches (1,140 mm) of precipitation fall annually, with the heaviest rainfall in June and the lightest in December.
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As China’s main industrial centre, Shanghai has serious air, water, and noise pollution. Industrial relocation and construction in the suburbs since the 1950s initially helped alleviate central city air pollution, although high population density and mixed industrial-residential land use continued to cause problems. The Suzhou River (the lower reach of Wusong River) and the Huangpu River (a tributary of the Yangtze), which flow through the city, are severely polluted from industrial discharges, domestic sewage, and ships’ wastes; nonetheless, the Huangpu is Shanghai’s main water source. Environmental protection and urban cleanliness are enhanced by industrial and solid waste resource-recovery operations run by a municipal corporation. More than 1,000 different materials are recycled, including plastic, chemical fibre and residues, machine components, oil and grease, rags, human hair, and animal bones.
The municipality radiates toward the north, west, and south from the confluence of the Suzhou and Huangpu rivers. Surrounding the central core is a transitional zone on both banks of the Huangpu, which encompasses a partially rural area of about 160 square miles. The banks of the Suzhou River, an important inland waterway connection to the interior hinterland, are occupied by a westward arterial extension of the transitional zone. To the south, however, the transitional zone terminates abruptly a few miles south of the central Shanghai urban core, at the Huangpu.
- Baruch Boxer
- The Bund - Witness the Past and Present of Shanghai. The Bund, “a gallery of international architectures”, is the landmark of Shanghai. It is always the best place to view Shanghai.
- Yu Garden & Bazaar - Classic Chinese Garden in Shanghai. Dating back to the 16th Century, Yuyuan Garden is the most revered green space in Shanghai. Known as the “Mountains and Forest within the City”, it is crowded to bursting point every day.
- Nanjing Road (Nanjing Lu) - The Busiest Pedestrian Street in Shanghai. Running west from the Bund, Nanjing Road is Shanghai’s foremost shopping street and is one of the world’s busiest shopping streets.
- Zhujiajiao Ancient Town - "Venice of Shanghai" Known as the “Venice in Shanghai”, Zhujiajiao Ancient Town has a history of 1,700 years and is a well-preserved waterside ancient town.
Plan your trip to Shanghai with China Highlights, a trusted travel agency. Find out the best time to visit, top attractions, how to plan a day trip, and more.
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Top Things to Do in Shanghai, Shanghai Region: See Tripadvisor's 648,404 traveller reviews and photos of 2,108 things to do when in Shanghai.
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