Shanghai, also named as "Hu" or "Shen" in short, is in the middle of China's east coastline. It occupies a total area of 6,341 sq.k., with a total resident population of more than 16 Million. It has a pleasant climate, with four distinct seasons. The average temperature is around 18 centigrade and the annual precipitation is 1,240 mm.

Shanghai, an open city on the coast and famous historical and cultural city, is a gate to the Yangtze River delta. It is a municipality under the direct jurisdiction of the Central Government, the largest economic and trade center, a comprehensive industrial base and the leading port in China. Shanghai is well known in the world not only for its prosperous cosmopolitan feature but also for its rich humanistic resources. In recent years, a number of modern buildings have been added to the city, such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Library, Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Circus World, Shanghai City-Planning Exhibition Hall and Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai Science & Technology Museum. They have become new scenic sights in Shanghai. Colorful festivities, like Shanghai Tourism Festival, Shanghai China International Art Festival and Shanghai Yu Garden Lantern Fair, have attracted an increasing number of tourists from home and overseas.

The 2010 World Exposition has been held in Shanghai, China now from May 1 to Oct. 31.The Expo site and pavilions spans both shores of the Huangpu River, between the Nanpu Bridge and Lupu Bridge. The Expo Site covers a total area of 5.28 square kilometers, with 3.93 sq km in Pudong and 1.35 sq km in Puxi. The area encloses 3.28 sq km. For more information about the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, please browse the website of http://en.expo2010.cn/.

The weather in Shanghai in October is a little cooling but very comfortable. The average daily temperature is about 22°C (73°F) and the rainy days number is about 8 per month. General autumn clothing will be sufficient.

The currency in China is Renminbi (RMB). Credit cards and US dollars are widely accepted in hotels and major shops.

For more information of Shanghai City and neighbouring Suzhou city and Hangzhou City, please browse the website of http://www.meet-in-shanghai.net/, http://www.chinatravel.net, http://www.classicsuzhou.com/, and http://www.hangzhou.gov.cn/main/zpd/English.

Shanghai City has a very convenient transportation, especially metro transportation system. You could download the Metro Map for reference here. For more information about Shanghai Metro Map, please visit: http://www.shmetro.com/EnglishPage/EnglishPage.jsp or http://www.exploreshanghai.com/metro/.

Metro Map of Shanghai City