Fun facts about Shanghai
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The name 'Shanghai' translates to 'Above the Sea' and was first used in 1280.
Shanghai
China
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.
From the “Etymology” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0
Shanghai's first city wall was built in 1554 to protect against Japanese pirates.
Shanghai
China
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.
From the “History” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0
Shanghai is located on an alluvial plain with an average elevation of only four meters.
Shanghai
China
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.
From the “Geography” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0
The Bund features a row of early 20th-century architecture, including the neoclassical HSBC Building.
Shanghai
China
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.
From the “Cityscape” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0
As of 2023, Shanghai had a life expectancy of 83.18 years, the highest of all cities in mainland China.
Shanghai
China
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.
From the “Demographics” section
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0