Shanghai history
Brief history of Shanghai in brief
A review of the history of Shanghai, a municipality in China, in a brief and summarized way.
The early years of Shanghai
Shanghai is one of the big cities in China. In the 11th century AD, Shanghai was a small market town. In 1533 a wall was built around the city. Later, in the 16th century, the Yuyuan Garden was created. In 1700 Shanghai had a population of about 50,000, making it a large and prosperous port.
Then in 1842, by the Treaty of Nanking, the British forced China to open 5 ports, including Shanghai, for trade. In 1843 the first British consul moved to Shanghai.
In the 19th century, foreigners in Shanghai lived in three settlements. From 1845 there was a British settlement, after 1848 an American settlement, and after 1849 a French settlement. In 1863, the British and American settlements were later united and formed the International Settlement, but the French concession remained separate.
At first, tea, silk, and porcelain were exported from Shanghai, while opium was imported. Shanghai later became a major financial center and banking was an important sector. There was also a large textile industry in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, in 1866 the city gained gas light. Electricity was first generated in Shanghai in 1882. In 1908, the first cinema in Shanghai was built and electric trams began to circulate on the streets.
By 1900, Shanghai had grown enormously to a city of one million people. Then, in 1912, the old city walls were torn down. Meanwhile, Western missionaries were preaching Christianity in Shanghai. The Cathedral of San Ignacio was built in 1904.
20th century shanghai
Many notable buildings were built in Shanghai in the early 20th century. The Shanghai Pudong Development Bank was built in 1921. The Custom House was built in 1925. The Peace Hotel was built in 1929. All was not well in Shanghai, however. In 1925 there were labor unrest and strikes. Then, in 1927, Chiang Kai Shek, the nationalist leader, captured Shanghai.
In the mid-1930s, Shanghai was a huge city with a population of about 3 million. Many foreigners lived there, including Russians who fled the Revolution. However, in 1937 the Japanese invaded China and in November they captured Shanghai.
In the 1930s many Jews came to Shanghai fleeing persecution, but in 1941 the Japanese forced them into ghettos. In 1943 other foreigners were rounded up in Shanghai and taken to prison camps. However, in 1943 Britain and the US signed a treaty that returned their settlements in Shanghai to Chinese rule.
In May 1949 the communists entered Shanghai. Under his rule, the city remained a major industrial center, and in the early 1980s, Shanghai had a population of 13 million.
In the 1990s and early 21st century, Shanghai experienced a boom. Its industries flourished and many new high-rise buildings were built. Shanghai’s population also grew rapidly as the city grew wealthier.
The Shanghai History Museum was founded in 1983. The Oriental Pearl Tower was built in 1994 and the Jin Mao Tower in 1999.
21st century shanghai
Shanghai World Financial Center was built in 2008. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Maglev Train opened in 2004. Then in 2010, the World Expo was held in Shanghai.
Today, Shanghai is a prosperous city. It is also one of the largest cities in the world. Shanghai has a population of 24 million inhabitants.
Share the brief history of Shanghai.
