Why is shanghai called shanghai

Sign Up. From the Editors at Merriam-Webster. Statistics for shanghai Look-up Popularity. Style: MLA. English Language Learners Definition of shanghai. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. Test your visual vocabulary with our question challenge! Love words? Need even more definitions? Just between us: it's complicated. Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs. Closed off from the outside world with which it had become so comfortable, Shanghai fell into a deep sleep.

Fashion, music, and romance gave way to uniformity and the stark reality of Communism. The decades from to passed by with one Five Year Plan after another, marked by periods of extreme famine and drought, reform and suppression. Shanghai's industries soldiered on during these years; the city remained the largest contributor of tax revenue to the central government.

Its political contribution, however, had far greater ramifications: the city was the powder keg for the Cultural Revolution and the base of operations for the infamous Gang of Four, led by Mao Zedong's wife, Jiang Qing. The so-called January Storm of purged many of Shanghai's leaders, and Red Guards in Shanghai fervently carried out their destruction of the "Four Olds": old ways of idea, living, traditions, and thought.

Yet, in , with the Cultural Revolution still raging, Shanghai hosted the historic meeting that would help lay the groundwork for the China of today. Premier Zhou Enlai and U. Twenty years later, the 14th Party Congress endorsed the concept of a socialist market economy, opening the door ever wider to foreign investment.

See Shanghai Attractions. When it was a colonial territory in the mid-nineteenth century, Shanghai was divided into British, U. Many Chinese lived in the foreign concessions, which caused a blending of cultures that brought Shanghai a unique variety of architectural styles and a fascinating history. As a thriving metropolis, Shanghai also has a very modern feel. The French Concession is the most well preserved and well known of the former foreign concessions. Filled with European architecture and art-deco styles, the French Concession is a popular place for tourists and locals alike.

Many areas in the city center were influenced by foreign planners and architects, which gives the city its unique international feel. Areas like the Concession and the Bund are still popular areas to find expats who call Shanghai home. The best times to visit Shanghai are in the spring and autumn.

Winter temperatures hover around freezing, and it becomes damp. The spring and autumn offer mild temperatures and clearer air , which are coveted travel conditions in China. Visiting in the spring means prime viewing of Shanghai's many flower gardens and green spaces, which offer a brief respite from the built-up feel of the city itself. Autumn offers mild temperatures with less humidity and rainfall to interfere with your excursions. Of course, when traveling in China be sure to consult the calendar of national holidays to ensure you avoid the crowds.

Travelers who wish to avoid the hassle of applying for a visa may choose this option as long as they are willing to limit their transit to these areas. Origin of name. Pudong from the rear end. Shanghai Pudong east bank aerial view. A maglev train is coming out of the Pudong International Airport.

Yuyuan Gardens, water is an important aspect in Shanghainese gardens. Tiantong Road, displays a mixture of old and new architectures in Shanghai. Shanghai traffic buses, cars and taxis on a Sunday afternoon. Yangpu Port left along the banks of the Huangpu River.