上海，简称“沪”，别称“申”，是一座美丽而充满生机与活力的国际大都市。上海不仅是中国最大的综合性工业城市，而且还是全国重要的科技中心、贸易中心、金融信息中心、经济和贸易港口，是世界上屈指可数的最繁华、最具经济活力的大城市之一。 　　上海属北亚热带季风气候，气候温和湿润，四季分明，春秋较短，冬夏较长，日照充分，雨量充沛。年均气温 16.5℃，年日照时间2000小时左右。全年无霜期约230天，年均降雨量1200毫米左右，60％的雨量集中在5至9月，有春雨，梅雨、秋雨三个雨期。从旅游角度来讲，最佳旅游季节应是秋季。 　　上海市面积6341平方公里，占我国总面积的0.06％ 由16个行政区和3个郊县组成，南北最长约120公里，东西最宽约l00公里。其中市区巾积3249.2平方公里，郊县面积3091.8平方公里；陆地面积6219平方公里，水而面积122平方公里。境内辖有崇明岛以及长兴、横沙等岛屿，其中崇叫岛面积为1041平方公里，是我国第三大岛。 　　上海全市户籍人口1457万人，市区人口总数1221.04万，郊县人口235.96万人。男性占人口总数的50.4％，女性占49.6％。上海居民期望寿命为77.03岁。1997年末，上海全市总人口占我国总人口的1.1％。全市人口密度为每平方公里2059人，而市区每平方公里3854人。 上海现有16个区、3个县，共有205个镇、9个乡，99个街道办事处、3278个居民委员会和2935个村民委员会。这些区、县分别为：黄浦区，卢湾区、徐汇区、长宁区、静安区、普陀区、闸北区、虹口区、杨浦区、行区、宝山区、嘉定区、浦东新区、金山区、青浦区、松江区、奉贤县、南汇县、崇明县。 历史 　　上海是—座古老而又年轻的城市。 　　据考古研究发现，早在六千年前上海的西部地区大约成陆。距今五千年前的菘泽文化时期，上海的先民就已在长江三角洲平原留下了足迹。春秋时期的上海属吴国，称“华亭”。战国时期的上海先属越国，后属楚国。宋朝以后的说法是，楚考烈王以黄歇为相，封为春申君，上海是他封邑的一部分，上海的别称“申”就源出于此。上海的另一个别称“沪”，源于上海地区渔民发明的一种叫“扈”的竹编捕鱼正具。古代没有上海这个地名时，这一带被称为“沪渎”，后简称“沪”。 　　“上海”这一名称始于南宋咸淳年间(公元1265—1274年)，因黄浦江中的上海浦西岸设有上海镇而得名。当时的上海，已开始成为我国的一个新兴贸易港口。到了1292年(元代)，上海镇已有很大的发展，并设立了市舶司。第二年，上海镇又升格为上海县。明嘉靖三十二年筑城墙。明代的上海已成为中国最大的棉纺业中心，商业经济日趋发达。清康熙二十四年(公元1685年)，清政府在上海设立了海关，管理税务。清乾隆，嘉庆年间，上海逐渐成为中国的贸易大港和漕粮运输中心，被称为“江海之通津，东南之都会”。 市花 1986年经上海市人大常委会审议通过，决定白玉兰为上海市市花。 市标 上海市市标1990年经上海市人大常委会审议通过，是以市花白玉兰、沙船和螺旋桨三者组成的三角形图案。　　　 　上海是中国近现代历史的“缩影”，在本世纪初就已成为远东地区的国际金融中心。这里不仅汇集了当时国内外银行业、证券业、保险业的各路英豪，而且许多重人的历史事件和革命活动就在这里发生，并进一步影响全国。在上海这座历史文化名城里，有七十余处国家和市级重点文物保护单位，每一处都凝聚并展示了鲜明的上海文化特色。新中国建立后，上海取得了飞速发展，尤其是改革开放后的二十多年来，以浦东开发，开放为代表的上海建成了许多亚洲第一、世界前列的城市标志性建筑，现代工业、现代农业也进展很大，成为中国经济发展和改革开放新成就的窗口。倘徉于上海街道，穿行于熙熙攘攘的人流，浏览着来来往往的车水马龙，辗转于璀璨的灯火下，你自会体验到这座现代化大都市的繁荣和充满活力的文化氛围，以及—种浓浓的时代气息。丰富的人文资源、迷人的城市风貌、繁华的商业街市、中西交汇的民俗风情和欢乐的节庆活动，形成了上海独特的都市旅游景观，使上海成为一座融古色古香和现代潮流为—体的旅游中心城市。 Shanghai, situated on the banks of the Yangtze River(Changjiang River) Delta in East China,is the largest city of the People’s Republic of China and the ninth largest in the world. It’s bordered by Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and has an area of 2,400 sq mi (6,200 sq km). The name of the province is often abbreviated to “Hu”and “shen”.The former is derived from the ancient name Hu Du (沪渎) of the river now known as Suzhou Creek. The latter is derived from the name of Chunshen Jun (春申君), a nobleman of the Chu Kingdom in the 3rd century B.C. whose territory included the Shanghai area. Administrative divisions Shanghai is administratively equal to a province and is divided into 19 county-level divisions: 18 districts and 1 county. There is no single downtown district in Shanghai, the urban core is scattered across several districts. Prominent central business areas include Lujiazui on the east bank of the Huangpu River, and The Bund and Hongqiao areas in the west bank of the Huangpu River. The city hall and major administration units are located in Huangpu District, which also serve as a commercial area, including the famous Nanjing Road. Other major commercial areas include the classy Xintiandi and Huaihai Road in Luwan district and Xujiahui in Xuhui District. Many universities in Shanghai are located in residential areas of Yangpu District and Putuo District. Nine of the districts govern Puxi (literally West Bank), or the older part of urban Shanghai on the west bank of the Huangpu River. These nine districts are collectively referred to as Shanghai Proper or the core city: Huangpu District, Luwan District ,Xuhui District,Changning District ,Jing’an District ,Putuo District ,Zhabei District ,Hongkou District ,Yangpu District . Pudong (East Bank), or the newer part of urban and suburban Shanghai on the east bank of the Huangpu River, is governed by: Pudong New District Eight of the districts govern suburbs, satellite towns, and rural areas further away from the urban core: Baoshan District, Minhang District,Jiading District ,Jinshan District, Songjiang District,Qingpu District ,Nanhui District ,Fengxian District . Chongming Island, an island at the mouth of the Yangtze (the Changjiang River), is governed by: Chongming County. History The name Shanghai dates from the Song Dynasty (AD 960 – 1127), and later under the Ming dynasty it was an area of intense cotton production. This changed when it became the first Chinese port opened to trade with the West after China’s defeat by Britain in the Opium Wars (1842); it came to dominate the nation’s commerce. The city saw severe fighting in the Sino-Japanese War of 1937 – 1945 and was occupied by Japan during World War II. Since 1949, it has become China’s chief industrial and commercial centre and one of its leading centers of higher education and scientific research. Geography and climate Shanghai faces the East China Sea (part of the Pacific Ocean), and is bisected by the Huangpu River. Puxi contains the city proper on the western side of Huangpu River, while an entirely new financial district has been erected on the eastern bank of the Huangpu in Pudong. Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate. Shanghai experiences all four seasons, with freezing temperatures during the winter season and a 32 °C (90°F) average high during the hottest months of July and August. Temperatures extremes of -10°C (14°F) and +41°C (105°F) have been recorded. Heavy rain is frequent in early summer. Spring starts in March, summer in June, autumn in September and winter in December. The weather in spring, although considered the most beautiful season, is highly variable, with frequent rain and alternating spells of warmth and cold. Summer is the peak tourist season, but is hot and oppressive, as the humidity makes it almost impossible for people not used to the environment to breathe properly. Clothes tend to get fairly wet after minutes of walking. Autumn is generally sunny and dry, and the foliage season is in November. Winters are typically grey and dreary, with little or no snowfall. The city has a few Typhoon spells during the year, none of which in recent years have caused considerable damage. Economy Shanghai is often regarded as the center of finance and trade in mainland China. Modern development began with economic reforms in 1992, a decade later than many of the Southern Chinese provinces, but since then Shanghai quickly overtook those provinces and maintained itself role as the business center in mainland China. Shanghai also hosts the largest share market in mainland China. Shanghai is one of the world’s busiest ports, and became the largest cargo port in the world in 2005. In terms of container traffic, it is the third busiest port in the world, following Singapore and Hong Kong. Shanghai and Hong Kong have had a recent rivalry over which city is to be the economic center of China. Shanghai is a strong base in manufacturing and technology in mainland China. Shanghai has increased its role in finance, banking, and as a major destination for corporate headquarters, fuelling demand for a highly educated and modernized workforce. As in many other areas in China, Shanghai is undergoing a building boom. In Shanghai the modern architecture is notable for its unique style, especially in the highest floors, with several top floor restaurants which resemble flying saucers. The bulk of Shanghai buildings being constructed today are high-rise apartments of various height, color and design. There is now a strong focus by city planners to develop more "green areas" (public parks) among the apartment complexes in order to increase the quality of life for Shanghai’s residents, quite in accordance to the "Better City - Better Life" theme of Shanghai’s Expo 2010. Historically very Western in lifestyle, Shanghai is increasingly a critical center of communication with the Western world. The Pudong district of Shanghai contains contemporary architecture and "modern"-feeling districts, in close proximity to major international trade and hospitality zones. Visitors to Shanghai find free public parks manicured to startling perfection; in distinct contrast to the massive industrial installations which reveal China’s emerging environmental concerns. Shanghai’s international diversity is perhaps the world’s foremost window into the rich, historic and complex society of today’s China. Culture Language The vernacular language is Shanghainese, a dialect of Wu Chinese; while the official language is Standard Mandarin. The local dialect is mutually unintelligible with Mandarin, and is an inseparable part of the Shanghainese identity. The Shanghainese dialect today is a mixture of standard Wu Chinese as spoken in Suzhou, with the dialects of Ningbo and other nearby regions whose peoples have migrated to Shanghai in large numbers since the 20th Century. Nearly all Shanghainese under the age of 40 can speak Mandarin fluently. Fluency in foreign languages is unevenly distributed. Most senior residents, who received a university education before the revolution, and those who worked in foreign enterprises, can speak English. Those under the age of 26 have had contact with English since primary school, as English is taught as a mandatory course starting at Grade 1. Art Songjiang School (凇江派)and Huating School(华亭派) Songjiang School is a small painting school during the Ming Dynasty. It is commonly considered as a further development of the Wu School, or Wumen School, in the then cultural center of the region, Suzhou. Huating School was another important art school during the middle to late Ming Dynasty. Its main achievements were in traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy and poetry, and especially famous for its Renwen painting（人文画）. Shanghai School(海上画派或海派) The Shanghai School is a very important Chinese school of traditional arts during the Qing Dynasty and the whole of the twentieth century. Under efforts of masters from this school, traditional Chinese art reached another climax and continued to the present in forms of the "Chinese painting" or "guohua"for short. The Shanghai School challenged and broke the literati tradition of Chinese art, while also paying technical homage to the ancient masters and improving on existing traditional techniques. Members of this school were themselves educated literati who had come to question their very status and the purpose of art, and had anticipated the impending modernization of Chinese society. In an era of rapid social change, works from the Shanghai School were widely innovative and diverse, and often contained thoughtful yet subtle social commentary. Fashion Other Shanghainese cultural artifacts include the cheongsam, a modernization of the traditional Chinese/Manchurian qipao garment which first appeared in the 1910s in Shanghai. The cheongsam dress was slender with high cut sides, and tight fitting. This contrasts sharply with the traditional qipao which was designed to conceal the figure and be worn regardless of age. The cheongsam went along well with the western overcoat and the scarf, and portrayed a unique East Asian modernity, epitomizing the Shanghainese population in general. As Western fashions changed, the basic cheongsam design changed, too, introducing high-necked sleeveless dresses, bell-like sleeves and, the black lace frothing at the hem of a ball gown. By the 1940s, cheongsams came in transparent black, beaded bodices, matching capes and even velvet. And later, checked fabrics became also quite common. When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, it ended the cheongsam and other fashions in Shanghai. However, the Shanghainese styles have seen a recent revival as stylish party dresses. The fashion industry has been rapidly revitalizing in the past decade, there is on average one fashion show per day in Shanghai today. Like Shanghai’s architecture, local fashion designers strive to create a fusion of western and traditional designs, often with innovative if not controversial results. Famous buildings The tallest structure in China, the distinctive Oriental Pearl Tower, is located in Shanghai. Its lower sphere is now available for living quarters, starting at very high prices. The Jin Mao tower located nearby is mainland China’s tallest skyscraper, and ranks fifth in the world. I 上海，简称“沪”，别称“申”，是一座美丽而充满生机与活力的国际大都市。上海不仅是中国最大的综合性工业城市，而且还是全国重要的科技中心、贸易中心、金融信息中心、经济和贸易港口，是世界上屈指可数的最繁华、最具经济活力的大城市之一。 　上海属北亚热带季风气候，气候温和湿润，四季分明，春秋较短，冬夏较长，日照充分，雨量充沛。年均气温 16.5℃，年日照时间2000小时左右。全年无霜期约230天，年均降雨量1200毫米左右，60％的雨量集中在5至9月，有春雨，梅雨、秋雨三个雨期。从旅游角度来讲，最佳旅游季节应是秋季。　 　　上海市面积6341平方公里，占我国总面积的0.06％ 由16个行政区和3个郊县组成，南北最长约120公里，东西最宽约l00公里。其中市区巾积3249.2平方公里，郊县面积3091.8平方公里；陆地面积6219平方公里，水而面积122平方公里。境内辖有崇明岛以及长兴、横沙等岛屿，其中崇叫岛面积为1041平方公里，是我国第三大岛。 　　 　　上海全市户籍人口1457万人，市区人口总数1221.04万，郊县人口235.96万人。男性占人口总数的50.4％，女性占49.6％。上海居民期望寿命为77.03岁。1997年末，上海全市总人口占我国总人口的1.1％。全市人口密度为每平方公里2059人，而市区每平方公里3854人。 上海现有16个区、3个县，共有205个镇、9个乡，99个街道办事处、3278个居民委员会和2935个村民委员会。这些区、县分别为：黄浦区，卢湾区、徐汇区、长宁区、静安区、普陀区、闸北区、虹口区、杨浦区、行区、宝山区、嘉定区、浦东新区、金山区、青浦区、松江区、奉贤县、南汇县、崇明县。 上海是—座古老而又年轻的城市。据考古研究发现，早在六千年前上海的西部地区大约成陆。距今五千年前的菘泽文化时期，上海的先民就已在长江三角洲平原留下了足迹。春秋时期的上海属吴国，称“华亭”。战国时期的上海先属越国，后属楚国。宋朝以后的说法是，楚考烈王以黄歇为相，封为春申君，上海是他封邑的一部分，上海的别称“申”就源出于此。 上海的另一个别称“沪”，源于上海地区渔民发明的一种叫“扈”的竹编捕鱼正具。古代没有上海这个地名时，这一带被称为“沪渎”，后简称“沪”。 　　“上海”这一名称始于南宋咸淳年间(公元1265—1274年)，因黄浦江中的上海浦西岸设有上海镇而得名。当时的上海，已开始成为我国的一个新兴贸易港口。到了1292年(元代)，上海镇已有很大的发展，并设立了市舶司。第二年，上海镇又升格为上海县。明嘉靖三十二年筑城墙。明代的上海已成为中国最大的棉纺业中心，商业经济日趋发达。清康熙二十四年(公元1685年)，清政府在上海设立了海关，管理税务。清乾隆，嘉庆年间，上海逐渐成为中国的贸易大港和漕粮运输中心，被称为“江海之通津，东南之都会”。 市花 1986年经上海市人大常委会审议通过，决定白玉兰为上海市市花。 市标 上海市市标1990年经上海市人大常委会审议通过，是以市花白玉兰、沙船和螺旋桨三者组成的三角形图案。 　上海是中国近现代历史的“缩影”，在本世纪初就已成为远东地区的国际金融中心。这里不仅汇集了当时国内外银行业、证券业、保险业的各路英豪，而且许多重人的历史事件和革命活动就在这里发生，并进一步影响全国。在上海这座历史文化名城里，有七十余处国家和市级重点文物保护单位，每一处都凝聚并展示了鲜明的上海文化特色。