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PrefaceWhile
touting in Shanghai and taking in all its charming attractions，you may
wonder how the city has developed into the East Asian metropolis as it
is today.Shanghai has a recorded history of 700 years.However,it is
since 1850 that Shanghai began to develop its urban construction under
favorable conditions,thus exerting a profound impact on the general
course of Chines emoder nization.The tortuous yet progressive course of
Shanghai's develop-ment from 1850 to 2010 is presented in these vivid
photos which contrast the city's past with its present. In a historical
prospective，Shanghai's population was made up of emigrants from
different parts of China as well as foreign"adventurers".The merge of
people led to an exceptional openness in the local mentality and an
eclectic line-up of Shanghai's culture.While the population grew in
Shanghai，modem businesses like
shipping，manufacturing，banking，medicine，entertainment，transportation，school
education and municipal public services thrived in the pioneering modem
city and brought great benefits to its residents.In the meantime，the
city expanded rapidly after it became a Treaty Port in 1843，although
there was hardly an overall plan for constructions in a city divided
into different"Concessions".For a time，Shanghai was the prominent
financial and trade center in the Far East.After the founding of the
People's Republic of China in 1949.especially since the"reform and
opening-up"initiative in the 1980s，Shanghai has enjoyed a high growth
rate of economy and followed a scientific approach in its urban
planning. Today,the large collection of well-preserved heritage sites
from the city's modern history have contributed to the wonderful
cityscape of Shanghai.In the old Town area，there are the classic Yuyuan
Garden and characteristic old neighborhoods.Opposite the impressive
skyscrapers in Lujiazui，there is the"showcase of world architecture"of
the Bund.Beside the glitzy supevmalls，there are
temples，churches，European-style garden villas and Art Deco apart-ments
built in the 19 century to the early 20 century. This pictorial book
hopes to give you some idea of how the city looks like in the past 160
years across 3 different centuries.With the knowledge in the city's past
and present，maybe you'll find your Shanghai tour a meaningful and
rewarding one.
