??Today Shanghai has once again become one of China's most open cities ideologically, socially, culturally, and economically, striving to return to the internationalism that defined it before the Revolution. Shanghai's path to this renewed prominence began in 1990 when China's leader, Deng Xiaoping, chose it as the engine of the country's commercial renaissance, aiming to rival Hong Kong by 2010. Having embraced competition and a market-driven economy in just a few years, it now hosts the nation's stock market, accounts for approximately one-fifth of the country's gross national product, and serves as the most important industrial base in the nation. Today, beauty and charm coexist with kitsch and commercialism. From the colonial architecture of the former French Concession to the forest of cranes and the neon-lighted high-rises jutting above the city, Shanghai is a city of paradox and change.
Shanghai boasts Oriental Paris.?Featured by?modernization and westernization, Shanghai has a large number of western buildings and modern high-rise buildings such as The Bund of Shanghai and??Shanghai World Financial Center. Shanghai?is China's most important business and commercial center,?and also the world-famous megacity.
Numerous celebrities once gifted Shanghai the endless glories such as Dr. Sun Yat-sen and Madam Sun, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Li Hongzhang (the Prime Minister of the Qing Dynasty) and?Chiang Kai-shek etc. They lived or stayed in Shanghai for a certain time and left us many unforgettable stories.
Its westernized characters are unparalleled in contrast to any other city in China. It formed its own characteristics of keeping old-traditions and Sino-foreign cultural communication. The establishment of national market of the finance and securities, futures, foreign exchanges and technology ensures its status as the center of national resource allocation; meanwhile it also quickens the internationalization of Shanghai economy. APEC meeting held in 2001 and the World Expo will be held in 2010 inevitably prompts the further establishment of its status as one of the international business centers.
Shanghai at the present day is a modernized but traditional metropolis featured in Shanghai-style Culture. Each part of prosperous Shanghai absolutely releases its distinct fascination from other cities. The unique old-style westernized architectures in the Bund and modernized skyscrapers in Pudong mutually glorify each other. The sounds of reciting psalm at cathedral of Xujiahui, the upward smoke of joss sticks at Jade-Buddha Temple, the elders playing Mahjong under the arcade, and youngsters playing football in alley will all release you colorfulness and variety of local citizens' daily life. The Hu Drama, burlesque playing in public theater, the symphonic orchestra, ballet in big theater, the local snacks and cuisine in some old-fashioned hotels, the refreshments from different places in Yunnan Road, French feast at Red House, KFC, tea cafe and Starbucks in Shanghai old streets, the taproom in Hengshan Road, the diversity of choices certainly deepens your understanding on Shanghai and locals lifestyle.
The Sino-foreign integration, enchantment of tradition and the preference to fashion perfect Shanghai in different aspects. The honor and dream are mixed here, the impressive architectures mostly express its passion and emotion to show itself and welcome the guests from other countries and regions in the process of modernization and globalization.
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