Shanghai, one of four municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of the Chinese central government, is the most populous city in China and the second most popular city in the world among cities with a population over 26 million by 2022 (the last census).

Shanghai is the global financial center and transport hub, It has the world's busiest container port. Shanghai has nearly 800 years of history (it was named as a city in 1292), has been famous among Chinese cities since 1843 (since the First Opium War), and is the home of many Western People.

Shanghai is divided by its mother river - Huangpu River into 2 different parts, Puxi and Pudong. "Pu" means "river" in Chinese, and Shanghai is divided by its mother river, the Huangpu River. The west side of the river is called Puxi, and the east side is called Pudong: "Xi" means "west" and "Dong" means "East".Before 1990, Puxi represented Shanghai, and Pudong had barely developed at all. After the development since 1990, Pudong has become the economic center of China, and many international companies have their buildings and headquarters here.

The city has two airports. Domestic flight in Puxi, called Hongqiao Airport (SHA) and international flight in Pudong, called Pudong International Airport (PVG). There are 16 districts in Shanghai. In order to read Shanghai in a more efficient way, we have created a custom map of the city, breaking it down into 22 different areas that are popular among the local and Western communities. 

Shanghai will continue to be the benchmark of the cosmopolitan city in China. It embraces different cultures and welcomes people from all over the world. 

• Former French ConcessionThe Shanghai Former French Concession was a foreign concession in Shanghai from 1849 until 1946, and it was progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in practice in 1943 when the Vichy French government signed it over to the pro-Japanese puppet government in Nanking. The area covered by the former French Concession was, for much of the 20th century, the premier residential and retail districts of Shanghai, and was also the centre of Catholicism in Shanghai. Despite rampant re-development over the last few decades, the area retains a distinct character, and is a popular tourist destination. Nowadays, more and more historical old houses have been refurbished by their landlords and expats enjoy living in the there with easy access to restaurants, cafes and bars.
• Old Jing’anThe Old Jing'an District is one of the central districts of Shanghai. It has an area of 7.62 km2. With over 300,000 inhabitants; it is the smallest district in Shanghai and is one of Shanghai's most densely populated districts. The district borders the Huangpu District in the east and Suzhou Creek to the north. Many of Shanghai's numerous expatriates live in the old Jing'an district and the residential complexes here in addition to having an extremely vibrant nightlife scene, It is also home to one of Shanghai's business districts. Jing'an District was named after Jing'an Temple, an ancient traditional Chinese Buddhist temple located in central of the old district.
• XTD & TZFXintiandi is an affluent car-free shopping, eating and entertainment district of Shanghai, China. It is composed of an area of reconstituted traditional shikumen ("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants, and shopping malls. Most of the cafes and restaurants feature both indoor and outdoor seatings. Xintiandi has an active nightlife on weekdays as well as weekends, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. It is considered one of the first lifestyle centers in China. Xintiandi was also the location of the site of the first congress of and the Communist Party of China, now preserved at the Museum of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Also nearby is the site of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea when Korea was a Japanese colony.
  Tianzifang is an arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated residential area in the French Concession area of Shanghai, China. It comprises a neighborhood of labyrinthine alleyways off Taikang Road, and is therefore also referred to as Taikang Road or Taikang Lu. Tianzifang is known for small craft stores, coffee shops, trendy art studios and narrow alleys. It has become a popular tourist destination in Shanghai, and an example of preservation of local Shikumen architecture, with some similarities to Xintiandi.
• LujiazuiLujiazui is an important financial district in Pudong, Shanghai. In 2005 the State Council reaffirmed the positioning of the 31.78 km2 Lujiazui area, as the only finance and trade zone among the 185 state-level development zones in mainland China. Currently, there are more than 30 buildings over 25 stories high with commerce as their leading function, and over 504 domestic and overseas financial and insurance corporations located in Lujiazui. The success of Pudong in the past 20 years has fueled tourism and business related travel to Shanghai. Pictures of the Pudong skyline dominate Shanghai tourism materials, and there are 5 five-star hotels in the Lujiazui area, providing approximately 2,443 rooms, and three more five-star hotels are expected in the area in the coming years, adding more than 1,200 luxury units.
• Century Park & Green CityCentury Park and Green city area are located in the prime area of Pudong district. There are 2 big residential communalities-Biyun & Lianyang. Biyun community is an upscale community popular among expatriate families. It includes 14 neighborhoods and more than 13,000 residents, most of whom are foreigners who have stayed in Shanghai for over six months. Proximity to the international schools (including Concordia, Dulwich & Pinghe) is also one of the reasons that expats families choose the area to live. Lianyang New Community is another major international living area in Pudong. Its major shopping area is Thumb Plaza and Lianyang Plaza. Because of its high-class position, Lianyang community highly concentrated many shops of famous brand, and have a low vacancy rate. The commercial mansions in this district are mainly located nearby Dingxiang Road and Minsheng Road. Result from the location of abutting Century Park, these mansions boast excellent office environment.
• Tianshan Hongqiao GubeiHongqiao, Gubei & Tianshan are the 3 most popular residential areas in Changning District and cover an area of 136.6 hectares. Gubei is best known as an enclave of East Asian expatriates in Shanghai, including those from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. As a result Gubei is sometimes informally referred to as "Little Tokyo", "Little Taipei" or "K-town". Gubei also has a significant number of expatriates from other regions, mainly Europe and North America. There is still much in Hongqiao gubei’s favor: A critical mass of expatriate residents, proximity to international schools, entertainment, sports facilities and shops. For many, these benefits are likely to outweigh the travelling time to offices in the city centre which in any case rarely now exceeds 30 minutes even for those who use the excellent bus service.
• Puxi Int'l SchoolsThe new education center of Shanghai, New Minhang District and Qingpu district are homes to many international schools, including Shanghai American School, British International School, Western international school, German & French school, Singapore International School, Shanghai Rego International School, Shanghai Japanese School and Shanghai Korean School. Located in the southwest area of Shanghai, the 2 areas form a shape as a "key" and borders Xuhui and Changning districts. Minhang and Qingpu are ideals for families who desire to live near top tier international schools, and also need convenient access to the neighboring major economic development areas. Nevertheless there are lots of high standard Villa compounds in the 2 areas.
• PPL Square & The BundPeople's Square is a large public square adjacent to Nanjing Road in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, China. People's Square is the site of Shanghai’s municipal government headquarters building, and is used as the standard reference point for measurement of distance in the Shanghai municipality. It is literally suited in the middle of the map of Shanghai. The Bund is the landmark in the city and it is also a newly developed residential area in Huangpu district. It used be used as one of the most popular docks in Shanghai back in the old days; You could still find those old warehouses standing on the river side nowadays which have been refurbished into offices and restaurants. With its prime location and nice river view, The Bund area has been getting more and more popular in the past few years.
• XujiahuiXujiahui is an historical and cultural area in Xuhui District of Shanghai. The area is a well known precinct for shopping and entertainment in Shanghai. It is also the name of the metro station in the area, Xujiahui Station. Xujiahui literally means "property of Xu family at the junction of two rivers" in Mandarin. The "Xu family" actually refers to the family of Xu Guangqi or Hsu Kuang-chi (1562-1633), China's most notable Catholic convert. Most of what is now present day Xujiahui was once the ancestral home of Xu Guangqi and his family. Baptized by famed Italian Jesuit, Matteo Ricci, Xu Guangqi and his descendants donated large plots of land to the Catholic Church, including the site of the St. Ignatius Cathedral. Xujiahui consists of three supermarkets, six major shopping malls and nine large-scale office towers. Everything from cosmetics to cars to cucumbers is available within five minutes, however the type of product that Xujiahui is most famous for is electronics.
• Xinhua RdXin Hua Road is a lovely picturesque road similar to the French Concession area of Shanghai. The 1,000-meter road is located in Changning district, at the border of the well-known French concession of Shanghai. Lined on both sides with Parasol trees and vintage mansions of old Shanghai, one can easily mistake this for a European town. Surrounded with a lot of high-end residences, Xinhua Road area is considered to be a luxury residential area in Town. Strolling down the road, don’t be surprised to find those nice cafes and restaurants situated in those historical old buildings.
• North Jing'anThe North Jing’an is named by its location which is suited in the north part of Jing’an area, it faces the Nanjing CBD area across the Suzhou River. The transportation in this area is the really convenient, Shanghai Railway Station is the second biggest railway station in Shanghai, it comes with massive trains and coaches to many cities all over China; Meanwhile, there are line 1, 3 and 4 are crossing Shanghai Railway station which is really easy for the passengers commute in the city. The North Jing’an belonged to Zhabei District in the past, since this area merges into Jing’an District in 2015, it has becoming the new focus in downtown area. Currently, Shanghai government is devoting its efforts to build a large number of commercial buildings and residential buildings. We believe The North Jing’an will become a new prosperous area in the coming future.
• Zhongshan ParkZhongshan Park Area is part of Changning District in Shanghai. The area is suited in the middle of Changning District in between Hongqiao Gubei and Jing’an Temple. Location wisely, it is quite suitable for those who work at Hongqiao Gubei and prefer to live close to the downtown area. The transportation of the area is convenient, there are 3 different metro lines crossing at Zhongshan Park station. Life in Zhongshan Park is also quite easy; you could have easy access to the park, the longement shopping mall and the Carrefour. Apartments are also cheaper than the ones with the same standard in the downtown areas.
• Changfeng ParkChangfeng Park is one part of Putuo District, it is suited at the middle of Changning District and Putuo District, it faces to Tianshan Changning District across the Suzhou River. There are increasing brand new compounds with the time being. The transportation of the area is convenient, the Middle Ring Highway is 5 minutes driving distance away. This area is named by the popular public park Changfeng Park. This park occupies 364,000 square kilometers, the center lake is the most beautiful scenic spot. The residents have easy access to The Joy City shopping mall. New apartments are also cheaper than the ones with the same standard in the downtown areas.
• West BundWest Bund is located in Xuhui Promenade area; the coast line is about 11.4km long and the area is sized approximately 9.4 square km. It is the most dynamic waterfront New Urban Area in the city. As one of the six major functional zones in Shanghai’s 12th 5-year plan, West Bund takes “planning guidance, culture forerunner, industry leading” as its overall development idea, and aims to build a collection of domestic and foreign top-notch centers around the brand project of “West Bund Cultural Corridor”, “West Bund Media Port” and “Shanghai Dream Center” etc. West Bund, which integrates culture, art, information media, innovative finance, commerce and life, has become a charming new landmark of urban culture in comparison with the left bank of Paris and the South Band of London.
• South BundThe South Bund is one of the first developed area along the huangpu River. There are quite a lot of plants located in this area back in the old days. Nowadays the old plants have been refurbished and becoming creative office spaces. The South Bund area is going to be developed into another financial zone in Shanghai. The famous fabric market is just down the Nanpu Bridge in the area.
• North BundThe North Bund is at the intersection of Suzhou River and Huangpu River, it is named by the location which is at the north part of The Bund. The North Bund, The Bund and Lujiazui forms a Golden Triangle in Shanghai, which has a incomparable location and immeasurable potential development value. The North Bund is famous as an international shipping center. As an extension of The Bund, The North Bund comes with rich cultural resources and deep historical accumulation. With the huge success of Xintiandi in Huangpu District, the Hongkong Developer Ruihong Tiandi creates another landmark community Ruihong Tiandi in Hongkou the North Bund. It is a comprehensive project which serves residential complexes, commercial center, leisure and fashion etc.. An increasing number of people come to the Gate of Music, W Hotel, Riverside Pedestrian, Ruihong Tiandi in The North Bund for fun.
• The New BundSuited at the east of Huangpu River, the south of Chuanyang River, the west of Jiyang Road and the north of Middle Ring Highway, there is a developing area called “The New Bund”. It comes with easy access to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Lujiazui in Pudong and downtown area. The New Bund occupies 283,000 square kilometers. Shanghai government is devoting its efforts to develop and create a world-class international business center in south Shanghai. The New Bund is going to be a comprehensive project including apartments, offices, business, hotels, entertainments and etc.. Till 2018, a large number of residential compounds are completed, while the international community, shopping mall, international schools & hospitals and sport parks are expected to be completed soon. We are looking forwards to see a brand new booming New Bund.
• Pudong Int'l Schools KangQiaoWith the increased demands of the international education, lots of international schools have set up new campuses in Pudong area. Schools include British international school, Shanghai American School, Shanghai Community International School, Shanghai Japanese School and German & French school. The expats families living around these schools have great impact on the development of the areas. There are 2 popular areas in general—Tang County & Kangqiao. Both Tang County & Kangqiao are located at the eastern southern part of Pudong covering a big land with modern villa compounds located in the area. They are quite suitable for expats families with kids who love to enjoy space and nature. Famous villa compounds around these international schools are Shanghai Links, The Emerald, Tiziano Villa, Tomson Golf villa & Buckingham Villa etc.
• Pudong Int'l Schools Tang CountyWith the increased demands of the international education, lots of international schools have set up new campuses in Pudong area. Schools include British international school, Shanghai American School, Shanghai Community International School, Shanghai Japanese School and German & French school. The expats families living around these schools have great impact on the development of the areas. There are 2 popular areas in general—Tang County & Kangqiao. Both Tang County & Kangqiao are located at the eastern southern part of Pudong covering a big land with modern villa compounds located in the area. They are quite suitable for expats families with kids who love to enjoy space and nature. Famous villa compounds around these international schools are Shanghai Links, The Emerald, Tiziano Villa, Tomson Golf villa & Buckingham Villa etc.
• Waigaoqiao Free Trade ZoneShanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, was the first Free Trade Zone to be established in China. It is situated in the North East of Pudong District, near the end of Metro Line 6. It was incorporated as part of the newly developed China (Shanghai) Pilot Free-Trade Zone on September 29, 2013. It enjoys a unique advantage by the support of government, many excellent enterprises choose to establish factories, headquarters in this area, such as Decathlon, Wuxi Apptech etc. With the great potential in the near future, lots of real estate developers aim to get a piece of cake in this booming market. The Waigaoqiao is going to be developed as a comprehensive project including apartments, offices, business, hotels, entertainments around the industrial zone. We are looking forward to seeing that it will be soon becoming a mature international community.
• New Jiangwan City & WujiaochangWujiaochang & New Jiangwan City is one the 4 major areas in Shanghai, it echoes with Xujiahui area in the other side of the city. There are plenty of shopping malls in the area including Hopson, Wanda Shopping Mall, Oriental Shopping Mall and Bailian another City. At the beginning of the republic of China, the local government planned to build up the city with Wujiaochang as the center. However, due to the War, the plan was miscarried. Therefore, there are quite a few interesting colonial art deco structures in the area which become classrooms or memorial buildings in those universities. Wujiaochang is also home for the best universities in Shanghai such as Fudan University, Tongji University and Shanghai University of Finance Economics. New Jiangwan City is a newly developed international community in the area, it consists of the Green Business Hub-the Springs developed by the well-known American Real Estate developer Tishman Speyer Properties and many luxury residential compounds. With more and more western companies moving in such as Siemens & NIKE and with the opening of the German and French school New Jiangwan Campus, we believe Wujiaochang & New Jiangwan City will become more and more international.
• Pudong PromenadeWith the development of Pudong Promenade, the area is getting more and more popular. There are quite a few luxury residences which have been built along the river bank, of which the apartments have spectacular view over the Huangpu River. The newly built jogging path from Yangpu Bridge connecting to the East Bund Promenade offers the residence a wonderful place to work out. The old Minsheng Port has been turned into an art complex which soon becomes a hot Instagram spot. A Disney-Resort-Look Children’s hospital was completed in 2018, which definitely makes the area more popular among family oriented customers. With the development of Metro Line 6 & 14, it makes a lot easier for people to travel from Pudong Promenade to anywhere in the city. We believe it will make this area more and more popular in the future.