You:     Hi, Wendy.  How are you?

Guest: So far so good, how about you? Did you have a good week?

You:     Getting busy due to World expo. Couple of new projects are launched this week.

Guest: Well, I appreciate you can be my tour guide in such a busy schedule.

You:     My pleasure. I’ll give you a tour of Shanghai today.

Shanghai is China’s most comprehensive industrial and commercial city, with 16 million of population; it is ranked first in population and population density in China.

It is the economic, financial and cultural center of China, while Beijing is the political heart. And this image of Shanghai as a fast and modern metropolis is certainly the one that most visitors take away.

Across from west to east, Shanghai is divided to PuXi and PuDong  by Huangpu River.

Pudong is a newly developing area in the recent 10 years. Compared to PuXi, PuDong is calmer, quieter yet is the center of financial and commercial activities. It attracts the world class financial institutions and high tech companies. Since Pudong is a relatively new area, new high tech zone has been developed there. The roads tend to be wider and straighter, the buildings are all newer and generally the area is cleaner. Most of Pudong is well designed for convenient grocery shopping.

Unlike Pudong, Puxi's suburbs have expat appropriate houses which were built in the late 1980's and early 1990's, as well as houses built within the past years.




Western Puxi's industrial areas are slightly closer to the residential areas then they are in Pudong. Some people find that Puxi's suburbs are noisier than Pudong's, however this strongly depends upon which housing development you are in. The western suburbs of Puxi tend to be convenient for grocery shopping, after school activities and expatriate organizations. There are more housing choices and more expatriates in the western suburbs of Puxi then there are in Pudong.




From central Shanghai to suburban area, Shanghai is divided by inner, mid and outer circle. Inner circle known as inner highway surround the Shanghai Center. Outer circle known as A20 or outer highway is the dividing line of the city and the suburbs. Mid circle is the one in between. These three lines define how far a location is from central Shanghai.




What make Shanghai particularly attractive are the many different styles of architecture and design throughout the city. Shanghai was once divided up into different "Concessions" or districts and the boundaries of these areas still remain today. The famous, Bund was home to the "British Public Park" and this boulevard has a plethora of colonial structures to visit, all reminders of Shanghai's days of decadence.




The Japanese and the French Concessions too, are fascinating areas to explore. The French Quarter is a particularly charming district to wander, and there are many former residences to look at and discover something about old Shanghai and the people who lived here. The area known as the "Chinese City" is also worthy of a visit. So today we’ll visit Yuyuan and do some serious antique shopping or just lose yourself amidst the old alleys and streets.




Tomorrow we’ll go to Yuyuan and have a day tour there.

上海世博会会徽

The emblem, depicting the image of three people-you, me, him/her holding hands together, symbolizes the big family of mankind. Inspired by the shape of the Chinese character"世"(meaning the world), the design conveys the organizers' wish to host an Expo which is of global scale and which showcases the diversified urban cultures of the world.

中国2010年上海世博会会徽，以中国汉字“世”字书法创意为形，“世”字图形寓意三人合臂相拥，状似美满幸福、相携同乐的家庭，也可抽象为“你、我、他”广义的人类，对美好和谐的生活追求，表达了世博会“理解、沟通、欢聚、合作”的理念，突显出中国2010年上海世博会以人为本的积极追求。

上海世博会简介

The theme of Expo 2010 is "Better City, Better Life," representing the common wish of the whole humankind for a better living in future urban environments. This theme represents a central concern of the international community for future policy making, urban strategies and sustainable development. In 1800, 2% of the global population lived in cities. In 1950, the figure raised to 29%, in 2000, almost half the world population moved into cities, and by 2010, as estimated by the United Nations, the urban population will account for 55% of the total human population.

The quest for a better life has run through the urban history of mankind. Through different sub-themes, Expo 2010 will create blueprints for future cities and harmonious urban life styles, providing an extraordinary educational and entertaining platform for visitors of all nations:

● Blending of diverse cultures in the city

● Economic prosperity in the city

● Innovations of science and technology in the city

● Remodelling of communities in the city

● Interactions between urban and rural areas