Once upon a time, the Huangpu River, which divides Shanghai into east (Pudong) and west (Puxi), was the centre of the opium trade and Shanghai had the nickname the "whore of the Orient". Today, it is the largest city in China. Almost 16 million people live here and millions more from around the world take cheap flights to Shanghai each year to visit or do business.
This year, Shanghai will host the World Expo and has been building and developing and upgrading to ensure that it becomes a world-class city.
Pudong is the ultra-modern financial hub. It was farmland less than 20 years ago, but its skyline now is futuristic, dominated by the colourful Pearl TV Tower, the Jinmao Tower and the World Financial Centre Tower.
In contrast, Puxi is the older part of Shanghai. It boasts the Bund riverfront park (there are more than 50 historic buildings in different architectural styles - British, French, Russian, German, American), the French Concession Area, Yu Yuan Garden in the Old Town and swanky haute couture shops.
