Introduction
Shanghai (31.2304° N, 121.4737° E) is located halfway along the eastern coastline of the East Asian country China. Shanghai is built around Port Shanghai and the Mouth of the Yangtze River.
Shanghai has many special features as well as numerous different tourist attractions. Shanghai is home to over five Michelin Star Restaurants – one of the best and most prestigious dining ratings, recognized across the world. Shanghai is also home to numerous five star hotels, many located in the city center, with others scattered around the different divisions of the city. Most of these hotels have included shopping malls, as well as fine dining restaurants. In terms of entertainment, Shanghai hosts the annual Chinese Grand Prix, in which Formula One cars travel to the city in order to race around the Shanghai International Circuit. The entire Grand Prix lasts three days. Another special feature of Shanghai is the Shanghai Tower. Standing at 632m tall, it is the second tallest building in the world. Other attractions include numerous Temples, such as the Longhua Temple, which was built in 242AD.
The population of Shanghai, as recorded by the 2010 census, is 23,019,148. This indicates a growth rate of 37.5% from 2000, where the population was estimated to be over 16.7 million.
According to Fig. 1, the most common age in Shanghai is 20’s, with both males and females in their 20’s making up just under 25% of the population. Males and females are fairly equally balanced in Shanghai, with there being 109 males for every 100 females.
Description
Due to the huge economic reforms that took place in Shanghai in the 1990’s, allowing Shanghai to participate in trade with the rest of the world, Shanghai has undergone, and is currently undergoing massive development. This is most evident in the high rise buildings that have recently been built around the waterfront area in central Shanghai. Another sign that Shanghai is a developed country is the high quality of education that is available there. In a world-wide study of academic results, students in Shanghai scored highest in every aspect, indicating the quality of schooling, as well as development in the city.
Like most other major cities in China, most people in Shanghai work white collar jobs. On average, workers in Shanghai receive the best pay rates in China, with the average worker in Urban Shanghai receiving an average of 42,000RMB (8,278AUD) per year in 2010. This is up from 17,000RMB(3,352AUD) in 2001 (Fig. 2). On average, white collar jobs pay more than blue collar jobs. However, massive development in Shanghai has seen the average wage for a blue collar worker increase, which is seeing some people make the switch from white collar to blue collar work in order to earn a higher salary.
Shanghai is made up of 16 districts, and one county under its jurisdiction (Fig 3). Most of the financial area of Shanghai, including the most well known financial area of Lujiazui, is located in the Pudong area of Shanghai. The Pudong District is located East of the CBD, and faces Hangzhou Bay. Most of the commercial area of Shanghai is located in the CBD and surrounding suburbs, in the districts of Huangpu, Jian’an and Yangpu. The main tourist attractions of Shanghai are located in the CBD in the Huangpu District. The tourist attractions in this area include the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, as well as the Bund. Most Buddhist Temples are not located in the CBD, and are instead located in surrounding areas of the CBD. Famous temples, such as the Longhua Temple are located in the Xuhui District, and require crossing the Huangpu river to visit, if living or staying in the CBD. In terms of dining, most five star and and Michelin Star restaurants are located in the CBD of the Huangpu and Jian’an Districts. Most street bars and entertainment areas are located in the Xuhui District, which is located across the Huangpu River, across from the Huangpu District. Overall, while most attractions are located in the CBD, travelling is a must to see all of Shanghai.
Explanation
Shanghai is one of the most important countries in China, due to it being based around a port, meaning it is one of China’s most important cities for trade. On average, Shanghai Port handles 736 million tonnes worth of goods every year. Trade is extremely important for the Chinese economy, due to the large scale mass of production that occurs in the city. Shanghai is the main center for import and export in China, earning billions for the Chinese economy in the process.
Most people in Shanghai live in apartments, due to the large population of the city, meaning there is not enough room for housing. The upper class in Shanghai live in apartments in the CBD, and surrounding areas, due to these areas being the most redeveloped from the economic growth in Shanghai. Lower class citizens in Shanghai live in the suburbs further away from the CBD, due to these areas being cheaper to buy and rent, due to not being as developed as residency in the CBD.
Shanghai has a very extensive public transport system, which includes buses, taxis, as well as a developing and expanding metro system. Shanghai also has 30km of Maglev Rail, leading to the Pudong International Airport. While some drive cars in Shanghai, due to the high population, traffic jams are frequent. Limited parking access also hinders the use of cars.
Due to huge economic growth, leading to large scale developments in Shanghai, the city has a problem with air quality. As a solution to this problem, the Government of Shanghai has encouraged the use of LPG and unleaded fuel for cars and other vehicles, and has also increased funding in order to increase the quality of air in the city. Another problem with the city is the large population. This population means that there is a housing shortage, as well as frequent traffic jams in popular areas of the city. In order to reduce this problem, the Chinese government has placed a two children per family policy, in order to curb population growth (Fig. 4)
Most of Shanghai’s economic growth has been reinvested by the government into the city. Due to this, many of the buildings in Shanghai, particularly those in and surrounding the CBD have been redeveloped. These redeveloped buildings give the skyline of Shanghai a very modern and exquisite viewpoint (Fig 5). However, in areas that are further away from the CBD, buildings are less developed. This is due to most funds being concentrated on the CBD, leaving less funding for the suburbs of Shanghai. This has left many housing and apartment blocks in the suburbs of Shanghai to be neglected, having not been redeveloped since the last major redevelopment occurred in Shanghai in the 1920’s.
One of the most famous and popular tourist attractions in Shanghai is The Bund. The Bund is a famous promenade, which extends for one and a half kilometers. The Bund runs along the Huangpu River, and offers views of the modern skyscrapers of Shanghai’s skyline. Shanghai also includes many buildings from its past, including various temples. The most famous of these temples are the Jade Buddha Temple and the Longhua Temple. Besides buildings, Shanghai is also home to famous classical gardens, such as the Yu Garden, as well as racing circuit, such as the Shanghai International Circuit in the Jiading District.
What Do You Think?
What are the similarities and differences between Shanghai and Australian cities?
Some differences between Australian cities and Shanghai would be the population, as well as the size of the city. Due to Shanghai having a larger population, public transport is the main means of transportation, as traffic jams are too frequent to solely rely on cars. This is different to Australian cities, as cars are the main means of transportation. Another difference between the two is living conditions. While in Australian cities, most people live in houses, in Shanghai, due to the large population, apartments are the most common form of living. Some similarities between Shanghai and Australian cities is the impact of western influence and culture. Throughout Shanghai’s history, events such as the Opium War has had a huge influence on culture in Shanghai, leading to a thriving nightlife, not too dissimilar to Australian cities such as Melbourne and Sydney.
Would you like to live in the city you have chosen?
In my opinion, I believe I would enjoy travelling to Shanghai for a holiday to see sights, but would not like to live there for an extended period of time. The amount of people living in Shanghai make the city very busy and difficult to move around. Also, the lack of space means living conditions are compromised, and I would prefer a large, open house, rather than a smaller apartment. Also, air conditions in Shanghai also make it less appealing when compared to living in other cities.
How do you think it compares with living in Adelaide?
Compared to Adelaide, I believe living in Shanghai would be very fast paced, and somewhat hectic. People in Adelaide typically live in houses, with space to move around at the front and on the street. Living in Shanghai would be the opposite, as small apartments mean living conditions are cramped. The quality of air in Adelaide is much better than that of Shanghai. Also, public transport is not as important as it is in Shanghai, with many people preferring to travel by car in Adelaide, rather than by public transport in Shanghai.