Shanghai has had numerous name tags attached to it throughout the past century, like the "Paris of the Orient" , the "Pearl Of China".

Images of Shanghai more than any other city of China, are bountiful in the west. A visit here therefore, is naturally tainted to some extent, with a preconception of how Shanghai will be.

Shanghai is amodern and fast paced city, rich in history, culture with a wealth of areas with sites just waiting to be explored.

What makes Shanghai particularly attractive are the many different styles of architecture design throughout the city.

Shanghai was once divided up into different "Concessions" or districts which has left its landmarks and charmings such as Bund, which was home to the "British Public Park" , The Japanese and the French Concessions. The French quarter is a particularly charming district to wander. There are many former residences to look at and discover something about old Shanghai and the people who lived here.

In places like Yuyuan you can do some serious antique shopping or just lose yourself amidst the old alleys and streets.

Shang hai as a spectacularly modern city is enjoying unbelievable pace of development- fastest in China.

Currently, seventeen percent of the world's cranes are in this city. Developers boast that the city is changing at a rate incomparable to anywhere else in the world ever. The newest area of the city, Pudong, has just celebrated its 10th anniversary and is almost unrecognizable from the way it was when development began here.

For any visitor to China, perhaps the most attractive thing about this city is just how fashionable it is. Museums, galleries, restaurants and bars have emerged in the past few years.