Puxi area of Shanghai

Brief indro

Shanghai is one of the four direct-controlled municipalities of People's Republic of China, and is further divided into 16 districts and 1 county. There is no single downtown district in Shanghai as the urban core is scattered across several districts. Basically speaking, main part of Shanghai are divided into two parts: Puxi and Pudong. The character Pu is from a river in Shanghai--Huangpu river. Xi and dong in Chinese means west and east. So Puxi literally means westside of the river and Pudong means east side of the river.

Puxi area:

Eight of the districts are situated in Puxi (literally Huangpu West), or the older part of urban Shanghai on the west bank of the Huangpu River. These eight districts are collectively referred to as downtown Shanghai or the city centre:

Huangpu District (黄浦区; Huángpǔ Qū)

Huangpu is now the location of the city hall, The Bund, and shopping areas including the famous Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, and Xintiandi. 

                 Xintiandi--lifestyle center
 

Xuhui District (徐汇区 Xúhuì Qū)

The Xuhui District is centred on Xujiahui, after which it is named. Xujiahui was historically land owned by Ming dynasty bureaucrat and scientist Xu Guangqi, and later donated to the Roman Catholic Church. Being the core of Catholic Shanghai, the Xuhui District formed, together with neighbouring Luwan District, the former French Concession of Shanghai. Vestiges of the French influence can still be seen in the St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai, Xuhui College, the Xujiahui Observatory, and some remaining boulevards and French-style districts.

         St. Ignatius Cathedral of Shanghai

Xujiahui itself has been redeveloped as a commercial centre, with a proliferation of large-scale shopping centres and department stores. Now it is a major shopping destination in the city.

Xujiahui commercial centre


Changning District (长宁区 Chángníng Qū) 

Changning District has a land area of 37.19 km² and a population of 690,000 as of 2010. The district government is located in 1320 Yuyuan Rd. Zhongshan Park and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport are located in the district.

    Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport 

Jing'an District (静安区 Jìng'ān Qū) 

Jing'an District was named after Jing'an Temple, an ancient traditional Chinese Buddhist temple located in central of the district. Many of Shanghai's numerous expatriates live in Jing'an district and it houses several luxurious residential complexes in addition to having an extremely vibrant nightlife scene.

                     Jing'an Temple