Shanghai About & Short History

Shanghai About & Short History | Travel Guides - Online Tourist Information

A Brief History of Shanghai: Overview

Shanghai is often called the “Paris of the East” and the “New York of the West,” but it was nothing more than a swampy area east of Suzhou when it was founded in the 10th century. It was a small market town back then with 12,000 residents, but it quickly grew to over 250,000 as refugees tried to escape the ravages of war around the country. In the 13th century Shanghai became a cotton manufacturing and production center. Cotton became the backbone of Shanghai’s economy until the 19th century. Through the years Shanghai had its share of wars and rebellions and in 1554 a wall was built around the city to prevent future invasions.

Japan took a major interest in Shanghai and began building factories in the city. They produced low cost products for the Japanese domestic market. Europeans began trading with Shanghai in the 19th century and they built a Western part of the city. By 1936 there were 3 million people living in Shanghai and 35,000 of them were foreigners. The Western section of the city was four times larger than the Chinese part in the early half of the 20th century. The city became the biggest financial center in East Asia. The merchants were in control of the city, while other parts of China were controlled by warlords. The city’s architecture was model after American and British designs. The Shanghai Club, the Hong Kong and Banking Corporation building and the Asia building were all part of that design. Shanghai created a distinct image that was nothing like the rest of China. It became the commercial center of East Asia and was known as the banking capital of the East.

Shanghai went through its share of diversity. It was the center for an international opium smuggling ring in the 1920s and in 1921 the Communist Party of China tried to take control of the city, but the alliance formed between Chiang Kai-shek and the foreign residents known as the Shanghailanders, put control back in the hands of native associations which included businessmen, workers and others, but unrest continued until after World War II.

Economy

Shanghai is the biggest port in China and the city is still a major center for finance and trade. The city has the largest industrial base in China with 157 different industries which include iron and steel and oil and chemistry factories. The city is known as the biggest polyester producer in China.