Shanghai
Shanghai, from time immemorial, has always been a window for the Chinese into the surrounding world, where various cultures, suspicious of each other met and mingled. It is because of foreign influence that this 19th century small fishing village, in the midst of rice paddies has changed into a symbol of luxury, consumption and fashion. In the past century, however, the star of Shanghai was overshadowed by that of Beijing but in the last two decades the city is reclaiming its lost status. Described as the most dynamic metropolis of the world, the city has an ambition to re-invent itself as the economic, financial, commercial and transportation hub of the planet.
This Chinese eastern province is divided into 19 departments, on counties level. The ideal geographical location at the delta of the Yangtze, near the East China Sea has enabled the city to build one of the world's largest sea ports. Shanghai covers 6,340 square kilometres and with 13.5 million permanent inhabitants, it is the most populous city in China. According to demographic estimates, the true number of residents is closer to 17 million. Moreover, with the constant flow of migrants from other parts of the country, the population growth is not stopping.
Shanghai represents the "New China," open to foreign investments. And as such, it loves its own records and firsts. Visitors are whisked from the airport to downtown in mere eight minutes, by a magnetic levitation train - the Maglev - which is the fastest rail conveyance in the world. In November 2003, it has achieved a record speed of 501 kilometres per hour (standard operating speed is 430 km/h). The track was built in the first years of the new century by the Germans and despite the great costs (one kilometre of the track came to 36 to 48 million dollars), the Chinese government is ready to extend the track in both directions by another two hundred kilometres. By the beginning of EXPO 2010, the length of rails in the city should grow to 400 kilometres, which should be able to transport over 5 million commuters in a day.
Only a few days after the end of the 2008 Olympiad, the Shanghai financial centre called Pudong had ceremonially opened the highest building in China. The World Financial Centre is a 101-storey high skyscraper rising to a height of 493 meters from an area, where mere 15 years ago there was a malaria-infested marsh. The highest floor offers a unique view from a glass tunnel.
Another first for Shanghai came in May 2008. After four long years of construction across the Chang-Chow bay, China had opened the longest sea-bridge in the world. The 36 kilometre long colossus connects the five million inhabitant's industrial zone of Ning Po and Shanghai. A six-lane highway shortens the distance between both strategic ports by 120 kilometres. In the future, the journey should take 2.5 hours, instead of the present four. It is for the first time in history that the public project in China was financed by the participation of the private sector, to the tune of 30 percent.
Rating the quality of life in the most populous Chinese metropolis differs. The American publisher of tourist guides "The Lonely Planet" had placed Shanghai among the top ten most fashionable cities in the world of 2008. At the other end of the spectrum, on a chart issued by Reader's Digest, who rated world agglomerations according to a liveability coefficient, Shanghai, together with Beijing and Mumbai form the least flattering three cities with the worst quality of life. The principal reason is first of all the choking smog.
