Shanghai,China's largest modern city, also called in short in Chinese "Hu" or "Shen", is one of the four municipalities under the jurisdiction of the Central Government. Shanghai is situated in the middle of China's east coastal line and borders Jiangsu to the north and Zhejiang to the south. Shanghai covers an area of over 6,340 square kilos and has a population of over 15 million.

It is the largest economic and trade centre in the country and a comprehensive industrial base. Shanghai Port is the leading port in China. It is an open city along the coast, as well as a famous historical and cultural city. Industry and commerce are flourishing. As a world famous international port, Shanghai is a gateway in East China for developing tourist trade. Shanghai's history of revolution and culture attract tourists home and abroad. Being regarded as "Paris of China" and as the paradise for shopping, Shanghai has become an ideal city for tourism.

Shanghai is well known both at home and abroad not only for its prosperous metropolitan feature and rich humanistic resources but also for a number of tourist attractions with modern flavour that have been developed in recent years. Varied and colourful tourist festivities, like the Shanghai Tourism Festival, the New Year Eve Longhua Temple Bell Striking, the Longhua Temple Fair, the Nanhui County Peach Blossom Festival, the International Tea Culture Festival, the Sweet Osmanthus Festival and the Orange Festival are attracting an even increasing number of domestic and foreign tourists.

The metropolitan of Shanghai is China's financial center and is now undergoing one of the fastest economic expansions that the world has ever seen. The center of the city is divided into two areas by the Huangpu River. Pudong, to the east, is a new business district, classified as a "tariff free zone", is growing rapidly.

Shanghai has a delightful climate with four distinct seasons.It has an oceanic and monsoon climate in the subtropical zone. With an annual average temperature of 15.5 degrees Centigrade, and rainfall of 1,120 millimetres. Shanghai is neither cold in winter, nor very hot in summer. Its hand is fertile and crisscraoss with rivers and ports. The coastal area abounds in resources of fish and salt.

Shanghai is endowed with favourable geographical and natural conditions, and a long history of development. It has a Well-developed commodity economy and comparatively high scientific and technological level. As the biggest industrial centre in China, Shanghai ranks first in the value of its industrial production, as compared with other Chinese cities. Its main industry includes metallurgy, chemicals, petroleum, machinery, automobiles, electronics, shipbuilding, light industry, textiles, electrical appliances, and other industries, which hold an important position in China. Shanghai is the chief producer of industrial goods, and a major export base in China as well.

The Pudong Development Area in Shanghai is an important special economic zone in China. The level of the new area's industry, commerce, finance, trade, post and telecommunications stands at the forefront in China. More than 130 buildings there are higher than a hundred metres.

As the most prosperous business center in China, Shanghai leads all the others in both social commodity's total volume of retail sales and export value. In recent years, it has made rapid progress in finance and banking service, and stands only next to Beijing, as one of the main financial centres in China.

Shanghai is an important hub of communications. It has an easy access to the outside world by all means of transport: ocean, offshore and inland water shipping, high way and railroad transport, air flights etc. As the biggest seaport in China, the port of Shanghai has trade links with ports of over 100 countries and regions.

Efforts are being made to develop Shanghai into a modern international economic, financial and trade centre.