With its breathtaking skyline and beautiful cityscape, Shanghai is a sight for sore eyes
Talk of a prosperous developing China, and the name Shanghai immediately pops into mind. In a country where the ‘one country, two systems’ policy is dominant, Shanghai is a shinning example of how things can go right, with the help of a little hardwork and an iron will to succeed in this fast growing world. And it is this determination that has made this eastern Chinese metropolis the darling of investors and tourists alike.
Located at the mouth of the Yangtze, Shanghai’s most striking feature is its fast growing skyline. Skyscrapers dot the horizon and dominate the harbour as visitors from all over world, stroll all the famous Shanghai corniche.
Equally famous is the city’s downtown area, called Pudong. Also the hub of a major chunk of Communist China’s capitalist economy, here row after row of skyscrapers house offices of almost all the major business houses of the world. An unending chain of flyovers connect it to almost every corner of Shanghai. The latest member of the city’s links is the Nanpu Bridge, over the river Huang Pu, that not only connects the two parts of the city, but also creeps into a network of flyovers and subways that curl around the city.
Adding sparkle to the city’s ever growing international presence is the Shanghai Bund. Cruises abound for the Yangtze from here. Built on the grand riverfront, the boulevard is also known as the ‘lovers paradise’. Foreigners and locals are entranced by its mesmerizing beauty, especially its river traffic as well as the deafening six-lane highway.
Apart from the credentials that the city is dust-free, Shanghai’s landscape also boasts of apartments that have gone a long way in helping resolve the city’s residential problems. The traditional housing patterns have almost disappeared. Shopping malls, marts and display centres are other unique aspects of the city’s life.
But Shanghai’s pride, is it’s 468-meter high television tower, the Pearl Oriental Tower. Highest in Asia and the third highest in the world, it will soon be kept company by the under construction, 88-story Jinmao Tower. When complete, it will be the fourth tallest in the world. However, among the tall structures of the city, the People’s Square in downtown is one of the most potent symbols of Chinese Communism.
The pride of the city’s transportation consists of the world’s first magnetic circular railway. Trams, electric-driven automobile coaches, buses and taxis too cater to the needs of 25 million people. Pudong International and Huang Tio are the city’s two airports that cater to the millions that come visiting the southeast Chinese economic miracle. But Shanghai is more famous for its nine million bicycles. Compared it to its 200,000 cars and you’ll get the picture why this city may experience bicycle-jams!
An unforgettable icon of Shanghai’s shopping manifest is the Nanjing Road. Modern malls and the infrastructure around it, make it difficult to distinguish the Chinese city from any developed city.
Vying with one another for excellence in the market performance, Shanghai is able to offer a dazzling and endless array of commodities made either in China or abroad. It boasts as a showcase for fashions and products of both domestic and international brands. Traffic-free walkovers and fast-food chains with clubs all around add to the pleasure of those who stroll around.
In Shanghai, a new business district has gone up on the marshland, and gleaming blocks of flats line the eight-lane roads into the city. Plans are afoot to connect the city to the Chinese capital, via a Japanese bullet train is likely to link the city to Beijing.
This, however, does not in any way imply that Shanghai is free of dark areas behind its bright lights. A stroll around the thickly industrialized pockets of city reveal an effort that has been made to stem the poverty level and accommodate the working class with basic necessities of life.
Shanghai food, commonly known as ‘Benbang cuisine’, is particular about selecting fresh stuff — a great collection of poultry, seafood, livestock and vegetables. It has rich varieties that are different in seasons. With little consumption of water, Chinese are eloquent to a host of drinks and juices.
China’s commercial hub, Shanghai, is said to be in competition with a number of world capitals and metropolitans. It is commonly believed in China, that in the coming years, Shanghai will soon surpass New York’s skyline with its mammoth highrises and development. With the speed with which they are spreading, there’s no reason to doubt this belief.
With its breathtaking skyline and beautiful cityscape, Shanghai is a sight for sore eyes 
