Municipality and largest city in China
About Shanghai
Shanghai is a provincial-level direct-administered municipality in China. It has a population of 30,050,000 in the urban area as of 2026, thus making it China's most populous city and more broadly the fifth-largest city in the world by population. The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city.
Etymology
The two Chinese characters in the city's name are 上 (Pinyin: shàng; Wugniu: zaon, "upon") and 海 (hǎi; he, "sea"), together meaning "On the Sea". The earliest occurrence of this name is the 11th-century Song dynasty, when there was a river confluence and a town with this name in the area. Others contend that the city is referenced in historical records dating back 2150 years, and that its ancient name, "Hu", suggests it was a fishing village. In 1280 it was renamed "Shanghai", which translates to "Above the Sea". The name's interpretation was disputed, but Chinese historians concluded that during the Tang dynasty, the area of modern-day Shanghai was under sea level, so the land appeared to be "on the sea". The name was also used to refer to Shanghai county (上海县; 上海縣; Shànghǎi Xiàn; zaon-he-yoe), which today has been reorganised into Minhang district. …
History
The western part of modern-day Shanghai was inhabited 6,000 years ago. During the Spring and Autumn period (approximately 771 to 476 BC), it belonged to the Kingdom of Wu, which was conquered by the Kingdom of Yue, which in turn was conquered by the Kingdom of Chu. During the Warring States period (475 BC), Shanghai was part of the fief of Lord Chunshen of Chu, one of the Four Lords of the Warring States. Local legends claim he ordered the excavation of the Huangpu River, an important river in the area. Its former or poetic name, the Chunshen River, gave Shanghai its nickname of "Shēn". Fishermen living in the Shanghai area then created a fish tool called the hù, which lent its name to the outlet of Suzhou Creek north of the Old City and became a common nickname and abbreviation for the city. …
Geography
Shanghai is located on the Yangtze Estuary of China's east coast, with the Yangtze River to the north, Hangzhou Bay to the south, and the East China Sea to the east. The land is formed by the Yangtze's natural deposition and modern land reclamation projects. It has sandy soil, and skyscrapers have to be built with deep concrete piles to avoid sinking into the soft ground. The provincial-level Municipality of Shanghai administers the estuary and many of its surrounding islands. It borders the provinces of Zhejiang to the south and Jiangsu to the west and north. The municipality's northernmost point is on Chongming Island, the second-largest island in mainland China after its expansion during the 20th century. Shanghai is located on an alluvial plain and the vast majority of its 6,340.5-square-kilometre (2,448. …
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