Shanghai, a world-famous metropolis and the second largest city in China, has a total area of 6340 sq. km. and a total population of 17 million. It is situated on the East China Sea and is the gateway to the fertile Yangtze River valley.

Shanghai has a long history. As early as 4,000-5,000 years ago land had already taken shape in the western part of Shanghai. In the middle of the 13th century Shanghai Town was set up. Then it began to thrive as a trading port. By the end of the 13th century, Shanghai Town was converted to Shanghai County. By the 16th century, it became the largest textile center in the country. In the 17th century the Qing government set up the Customs. Shanghai then gradually developed into the largest trading port in China. After the Opium War in 1840, Shanghai was forced to open as a free port by the colonists. The city with a lopsided development was then reduced to a "paradise of adventurers."

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, great changes have taken lace in Shanghai. Today, it is an important base for industry, trade, commerce, science and technology, culture and education in the country. There are 8,300 factories and enterprises, about 50,000 stores and shopping centers of different kinds 200-odd scientific institutes, more than 50 institutions of higher learning, over 4,000 middle and primary schools. With a prosperous economy and fine cultural traditions and people living in varied and colorful lifestyles, Shanghai now is throbbing with vitality, brimming with attraction and charm.

Shanghai has a favorable geographical location' and is easily accessible by land water and air. As an important hub of communication it also serves as a major port for foreign trade. Shanghai Port is a leading port in the country with international fame, with a harbor area of 40 miles in length, navigable for 10,000-ton ships year around. It has trade relations with more than 160 countries and regions in the world.

Shanghai Museum
It is one of the four major museums in China. The museum undertakes to collect, excavate, store and study the cultural relics of the country. Through display and exhibition of these cultural relics and compilation of albums and materials it introduces the public to the fine cultural and artistic heritage of the Chinese nation. There are four major sections of exhibits in the museum: Chinese Bronze Wars, Chinese Pottery and Porcelain, Traditional Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy and Ancient Chinese Sculpture.

Yu Yuan Garden
Yu Yuan, located in the southeastern part of the city, is a famous ancient garden in the area south of the Yangtze River. Built from 1559 to 1577, it covers only an area of 20,000 sq. yards but it strikes you as large with its ingenious design, zigzag layout of pavilions, terraces, chambers and towers, lotus ponds, winding paths, little bridges, rockeries and strange stones. There are over 30 scenic spots, each different from the other and unique in its own. Each scene is artistically arranged with brick and wood carvings and Ming and Qing Dynasty architectures.

Yu Yuan Bazaar
It is the city's largest market for small commodities and is also known as the City God Temple Bazaar. The City God Temple was built in 1403-1425, the Ming Dynasty, and about 1709 during the Qing Dynasty temple fairs became popular. At Buddhist festivals, peddlers, performers, and tourists flocked to the place and the fair was a prosperous scene. Later, shops were set up, one after another, gradually forming a busy market for small commodities and native produce. It was formally named the Yu Yuan Bazaar in 1965 and there are now over 100 shops, as well as teahouses, wine houses, snack bars, restaurants, lotus pond, zigzag bridge and the Yu Garden itself.

Jade Buddha Temple
Located in the area south of the Yangtze River, it was first built in 1882, on the outskirts of Shanghai, to enshrine the jade Buddha statues brought from Burma by Monk Hui Gen. It was moved to the present site in 1918. It is especially known for a white jade reclining Buddha statue and a giant jade Buddha statue seated cross-legged, 1.9 meters tall and 1.3 meters wide. In the temple there is also a complete set of Buddhist scripture, the Da Zhang sutra, printed in the Qing Dynasty about 200 years ago.