Shanghai is the economic capital of China and its largest city in term of urban population (9.5 million inhabitants) and second municipality (19 million) after Chongqing (32 m).

- Shanghai produces 30% of China's GDP (1.5 trillion yuan out of 4.9 trillion in 2009)

- 25% of the Chinese industrial output comes from the city on the sea

- When Shanghai became a foreign concession in 1842 it was already a booming commercial port of 300,000 inhabitants, not a fishing village as some Western history books claim.

- As of late 2009 Shanghai had 207 towers above 100 metres in height, including 14 above 250 metres.

- The Shanghai World Financial Center (492 m) is currently the third-tallest building in the world.

- In 1914, Shanghai had 200 banks, dealing with 80% of the foreign investments in China.

- Foreign residents of the city called themselves "Shanghailanders", from 1842 to 1949, as opposed the Shanghainese who are the Chinese inhabitants.

- the Shanghai dialect is approximately 50% intelligible with standard Mandarin.

- The Shanghai Maglev Train, linking the airport to the city centre since 2004, is the world's fastest passenger train, reaching a maximum cruising speed of 431 km/h.