Shanghai Travel Guide
Explore Shanghai interactively
Live venue search, neighborhood guides, AI travel assistant, weather and more.
About Shanghai
Shanghai is a provincial-level direct-administered municipality in China. It has a population of 30,050,000 in the urban area as of 2026, thus making it China's most populous city and more broadly the fifth-largest city in the world by population. The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global centre for finance, business, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port. As of 2022, the Greater Shanghai metropolitan area was estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product (nominal) of nearly 13 trillion RMB ($1.9 trillion). Originally a fishing village and market town, Shanghai grew to global prominence in the 19th century due to domestic and foreign trade and its favorable port location. The city was one of five treaty ports forced to open to trade with the Europeans after the First Opium War, with the Shanghai International Settlement and French Concession subsequently established. The city became a primary commercial and financial hub of Asia in the 1930s. During the Second World War, it was the site of the Battle of Shanghai, where it fell under Japanese rule.
Shanghai fun facts
- Shanghai has more skyscrapers than New York City, with over 950 buildings taller than 150 meters.
- The Shanghai Maglev is the world's fastest commercial train, reaching 431 km/h (268 mph).
- Shanghai means 'upon the sea' - it was once a small fishing village before becoming one of the world's largest cities.
- The Bund's waterfront has 52 buildings of various architectural styles, earning it the nickname 'museum of international architecture'.