My Global IQ buddy Charlotte is going to Shanghai soon. Jesse, one of our lovely bloggers, is also considering going there. I think it’s quite necessary to try my best to introduce Shanghai so they can get a bit information before they go.
Shanghai has the highest GDP in China, and the second highest in Asia, right after Tokyo. Shanghai to China is much like Sydney to Australia. The population of Shanghai in 2007 is 24 million, whereas the population of Sydney is 4.6 million (data from VERSUS.com). However, it doesn’t necessarily mean Shanghai is about 5-6 times crowded than Sydney. The population density of Shanghai is about 1.7 times higher than Sydney (data from VERSUS.com). VERSUS.com has very detailed comparison figures.
Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate and experiences distinct seasons like most other parts of China. The weather at Shanghai is generally warmer than that of Beijing, but when the winter (December to next March) comes, Shanghai can be freezing cold (feels colder than Beijing) even if the temperature is above zero, especially indoors. This is because firstly, the northern part of China (including Beijing) has central heating in almost every household, but the southern part—where Shanghai is located—does not. Secondly, the humidity makes the cold weather worse, whereas, in the northern part of China, the air is normally dry.
