Shanghai Travel Guide

Shanghai is a multi-cultural metropolis with both modern and traditional Chinese features. The city has a status equivalent to that of a province, and reports directly to the central government. Serving as the largest base of Chinese industrial technology, one of the most important seaports and China's largest commercial and financial center, shanghai draws the attention of the whole world.
The city, whose name literally means "on the sea", is located on the East China coast just to the south of the mouth of the Yangtze River. Bordering on Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in the west, Shanghai is washed by the East China Sea in the east and Hangzhou Bay in the south. It also occupies a central location along China's coastline. Thanks to its advantageous geographic location, Shanghai is an excellent sea and river port, boasting easy access to the vast hinterland.
Except for a few hills lying in the southwest corner, most parts of the Shanghai area are flat and belong to the alluvial plain of the Yangtze River Delta. The average elevation is about 4 meters above sea level.
Dotted with many rivers and lakes, the Shanghai area is known for its rich water resources. Most of the rivers are tributaries of the Huangpu River. Originating from Taihu Lake, the 113 kilometer long Huangpu River winds its way through the downtown area of the city. The river ranges from about 300 to 770 meters wide with an average width of 360 meters. The ice-free Huangpu River is the main waterway in the Shanghai area.
The city covers an area of 6,340.5 square kilometers, and extends about 120 kilometers north/south and nearly 100 kilometers east/west. Shanghai has an urban area of 2,643 square kilometers, land area of 6,219 square kilometers and water area of 122 square kilometers. The city's Chongming Island is the third largest island in China, covering an area of 1,041 square kilometers.
Shanghai is divided into 16 districts and 3 counties. There are 205 towns, 9 townships, 99 sub-districts committees, 3,278 neighborhood committees and 2,935 villagers' committees in the city. The 16 districts are Hangpu, Luwan,Changning,Putuo, Hongkou,Minhang, Jiading, Jinshan, Songjiang, Qingpu, Nanshi, Xuhui, Jing'an, Zhabei, Yangpu, Baoshan, and Pudong New Area. The 3 counties are Fengxian, Nanhui and Chongming.