Shanghai, Hu for short, is situated on the estuary of Yangtze River of China. It is the largest industrial city in China. Covering an area of 5,800 square kilometers (2,239 square miles), Shanghai has a population of 18.7 million, including 2 million floating population.

Shanghai is a scintillating city swirling with rapid cultural change. Since market restrictions were lifted, Shanghai has embraced the forces of business and design and rewritten its rule book shaping a fresh, new city that is sophisticated, innovative and living a life it has never lived before.

Shanghai starts the year shivering in midwinter, when temperatures can drop below freezing and the vistas are grey and misty. Spring brings warmth; April to mid-May is probably one of the best times to visit weather-wise, along with autumn (late September to mid-November). In summer the hot and humid weather makes conditions outside uncomfortable, with temperatures sometimes as high as 40°C (104°F) in July and August. In short, you'll need silk long johns and down jackets for winter, an ice block for each armpit in summer and an umbrella wouldn't go astray in either of these seasons.

About the city

Shanghai lies in central-eastern China, exposed to the East China Sea. Broadly, central Shanghai is divided into two areas: Pudong (east of the Huangpu River) and Puxi (west of the river).

Shanghai has no real single focus and the feel of the city still owes much to the original concessions. For visitors, most attractions are in Puxi, including the Bund (Picture on far left)  - the tourist centrepiece, though not the physical centre of town. West of the Bund is the former International Settlement and one of Shanghai's main shopping streets, Nanjing Lu.

South of the Bund is the Chinese city, a maze of narrow lanes. West of the old town and hidden in the backstreets north and south of Huaihai Lu (Shanghai's premier shopping street) is the former French Concession, with tree-lined streets, 1930s architecture, and cafes and bars.

At its western end is a collection of Western-style restaurants and bars.

Transportation

Shanghai is easy to get to. It is China's second-largest international air hub (third-largest if you count Hong Kong) and if you can't fly direct, you can go via Beijing or Hong Kong. With rail and air connections to places all over China, ferries travelling up the Yangzi River, many boats along the coast, and buses to destinations in adjoining provinces, you'll be hard pushed to find somewhere you can't get to.

By Plane: Shanghai has two international airports and is a nexus for international flights. A new airport opened in 1999 near Pudong, about an hour's drive from the city centre, handling most international and some domestic flights. Buses and taxis connect this new airport to the city centre and the second aiport, Hongqiao. There's also the Maglev, one of the world's fastest trains, which speeds you into Pudong. Hongqiao airport is 18km (11mi) from the Bund and reachable via bus, shuttle or taxi. It has some international and most domestic flights. Departure tax is 11.00 (international) and 6.00 (domestic) - although there is a plan to incorporate these into the ticket price. Both taxes are paid at the airport from which you depart.

By Bus: Shanghai has a few long-distance bus stations; the most useful is probably Hengfeng Lu. It's a 13-hour trip to Beijing from this station.

By Train: Shanghai is at the junction of the Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Hangzhou train lines. Since these branch off in various directions, many parts of the country can be reached by direct train from Shanghai. Most trains arrive and depart from Shanghai station.

By Ferry: Boats are one of the fastest ways of leaving Shanghai and are often the cheapest. Ferries travel up the Yangzi River and there are many boats that stop along the coast - although these are probably an endangered species. There are also regular ships and ferries to Korea and Japan.

Pictures courtesy of www.molon.de
Information courtesy of Lonely Planet