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Shanghai originally was a sleepy fishing village up to the middle of the 19th century. Shanghai in Chinese, meaning by the sea, which was an advantageous location back then and still is today. The city stands on the delta of the Yang Tze River Delta, and this propelled the city's expansion to greater heights. China was involved in a bitter conflict with Britain, where Britain had a much better armed army and so China admitted defeat. As part of Britain's terms, China gave up Hong Kong and other advantageous treaty ports, and Shanghai was one of them. Other Western powers joined Britain to claim some of the precious land of China. Shanghai became a treaty port and the Americans, the French and the British took over different zones of the city, which can still be seen today in the European architecture of the buildings of the Bund, as well as the Old French Concession section of the city. The three colonial powers brought their own influences to this sleepy village and transformed the village overnight into one of the coolest cities in all of China. The French Concessions area is now a cool and trendy shopping area where the famous shopping street, the Huai Hai Road is located. Nowadays the old buildings are being replaced with new modern glossy department stores and high-rise blocks of offices and residential apartments. The city became an important industrial centre and trading port, where many people relocated here to make a living. Prosperous times were welcomed in Shanghai, and the city was gaining a reputation worldwide. The rich foreigners spent their free time gambling in casinos, enjoying the local cabarets and spending lots of money in brothels. One place that had a murky past was the Great World Entertainment Centre, but nowadays this place is great for Karaoke, video games and Chinese Acrobatics. |