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Shanghai
lies in central-eastern China, exposed to the East China Sea.
Broadly, central Shanghai is divided into two areas: Pudong (east
of the Huangpu River) and Puxi (west of the Huangpu River).
Shanghai still has no single focus and the feel of the city still
owes much to the original concessions. For visitors, most
attractions are in Puxi, including the Bund - the tourist
centrepiece, though not the physical centre of town. West of the
Bund is the former International Settlement and one of Shanghai's
main shopping streets, Nanjing Lu. South of the Bund is the
Chinese city, a maze of narrow lanes. West of the old town and
hidden in the backstreets north and south of Huaihai Lu
(Shanghai's premier shopping street) is the former French
Concession, with tree-lined streets, 1930s architecture, and cafes
and bars. At its west end is a major collection of Western
restaurants and bars.
Continuing southeast, you come to the
massive shopping intersection of Xujiahui. Farther south is
Shanghai Stadium. Western Shanghai is dominated by Hongqiano, a
hotel/conference centre/office zone. Farther west is Gubei, an
expat area. Northeastern Shanghai has an industrial feel and is
home to several universities. Farther northwest is Zhapei and
Shanghai train station. On the east side of the Huanpu is Pudong,
a special economic zone of banks, skyscrapers and new residential
complexes. Street names are given in Pinyin, which makes
navigating easy, and many of the streets are named after cities
and provinces.
Because of its open to foreigners and its coastal location,
Shanghai is endowed with rich tourist attractions related to its
long and complicated history. Many buildings, constructed in
various foreign styles, are well preserved in the Bund area, and
western tourists will feel a sense of familiarity when strolling
around the long street, which resembles those in European cities.
This blending of eastern and western styles has given the Bund a
reputation as a "World's Fair of Architecture." Many
buildings from the 1920s and 1930s have also survived in the Old
City section of Shanghai. A visit to the Old City is easily
combined with a stop at Yuyuan Garden, a well-restored Suzhou-style
garden created during the Ming Dynasty. The garden is immensely
popular with local residents and visiting Chinese. In addition,
Jade Buddha Temple, located in northwest Shanghai, is the most
popular Buddhist temple in this city, drawing both worshippers and
tourists. It is famous for two jade Buddha statues, one of which
is reclining and the other seated.
Shanghai is well known both at home and
abroad not only as prosperous metropolis with rich cultural
resources, but also for a number of new tourist attractions that
have been developed in recent years. Standing on a boat on the
Huangpu River, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the river and
city skyline. The river sparkles with giant ships sailing busily
by; the banks are filled with skyscrapers of different styles. On
the modern Pudong side of the river, the futuristic Oriental Pearl
TV Tower, with a giddy height of 468 meters, stands as the world's
third tallest TV tower, after the 553-meter CNN Tower in Toronto
and the 535-meter Moscow TV Tower. It has already come to
symbolize Shanghai and is honored as one of the ten best views in
the city. The Jin Mao Mansion is another famous building in the
Pudong New Area. Because of its brightly illuminated skyscrapers,
Shanghai enjoys international fame as the "Pearl of the
Orient".
Shanghai is also a great destination for
shoppers, and the best-known shopping street in China - Nanjing
Road - is located here. This exciting avenue is lined with
well-known shops and department stores selling clothing, food and
specialty goods. Shanghai is a paradise for gourmets, too. Here,
visitors can enjoy a taste of all the different kinds of food in
the world. Shanghainese cuisine, however, is a special hybrid.
There are several famous old restaurants in Shanghai that are not
to be missed.
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