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General Information

Location

Shanghai literally means the city by the sea. Shanghai is situated at 31° 14' north latitude and 121° 29' east longitude, on the west shore of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered on the north and west by Jiangsu Province , on the south by Zhejiang Province, and on the east by the East China Sea . Right in the middle of China's east coastline, Shanghai is an excellent sea and river port, boasting easy access to the vast hinterland.

The city is divided into two parts by the Huangpu River: Puxi (west of the Huangpu River) and Pudong (east of the Huangpu River). Puxi is the older part of the city and hosts the majority of shops, restaurants and museums. Pudong is the modern part, and is recognized for its rather unusual yet extremely impressive high-rises such as Shanghai's tallest buildings, the Shanghai International Financial Center, Jinmao Building and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

Shanghai Population

Due to constant inflow of people from other parts of the country, the size of population in Shanghai keeps growing. Before Shanghai was liberated in 1949, it only had a population of 5.2 million. According to the Shanghai Statistics Bureau, Shanghai's population of residents with permanent residence registration had grown to 24.15 million, among which 14.33 million were long-term residents and 9.8 million were immigrants by the end of 2015.

Shanghai Weather & Climate

With a pleasant northern subtropical maritime monsoon climate, Shanghai enjoys four distinct seasons, generous sunshine and abundant rainfall. Its spring and autumn are relatively short compared with summer and winter. The average annual temperature is 18 degrees Celsius. The city has a frost-free period lasting up to 230 days a year. The average annual rainfall is 1,200 millimetres (about 50 inches). However, nearly 60% of the precipitation comes during the May-September flood season, which is divided into three rainy periods, the Spring Rains, the Plum Rains and the Autumn Rains.

The highest temperature is in July and August. In these two months, the temperature can reach 28 degrees centigrade. The coldest period is from the end of January to early February - usually during the Chinese Spring Festival. This awfully cold period will last for about three days but it seldom snows. From March to May, the conditions are pleasant so this is the best season for traveling. The 'Plum Rain Season' is from mid-June to early July. From late August to the first twenty days of September, the city is also susceptible to typhoons, none of which in recent years has caused considerable damage. Generally you will need a light coat and sweater in spring and short- sleeved shirts in summer. In autumn, long-sleeved shirts, sweater and coat are necessary, while sweater and overcoat are appropriate in winter.


Weather averages for Shanghai
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average
high °C
(°F)
8
(46)
8
(46)
13
(55)
19
(66)
25
(77)
28
(82)
32
(90)
32
(90)
28
(82)
23
(73)
17
(63)
17
(63)
Average
low °C
(°F)
1
(34)
1
(34)
4
(39)
10
(50)
15
(59)
19
(66)
23
(73)
23
(73)
19
(66)
14
(57)
7
(45)
2
(36)
Precip-
itation
mm
(inches)
48
(1.89)
58
(2.28)
84
(3.31)
94
(3.7)
94
(3.7)
180
(7.09)
147
(5.79)
142
(5.59)
130
(5.12)
71
(2.8)
51
(2.01)
36
(1.42)



Currency

Local Currency
Chinese currency is called Renminbi (literally people's currency), often abbreviated as RMB. Issued by the People's Bank of China, it is the sole legal tender for both the Chinese nationals and foreign tourists. The unit for Renminbi is Yuan, Jiao and fen. The conversion among the three is: 1 Yuan = 10 Jiao =100 Fen. Chinese people normally refer to Yuan as Kuai, Jiao as Mao. RMB is issued in both notes and coins. The denominations of paper notes include 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 Yuan; 5, 2 and 1 Jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 Fen. The denominations of coins are 1 Yuan; 5, 2 and 1 Jiao; and 5, 2 and 1 Fen.

Credit cards can be accepted at most hotels, tourist shops and some department stores.

Currency Conversion
One can change money upon arrival at the international airports of Shanghai. Also most hotels offer foreign exchange services and exchange cash and travelers cheques. The Bank of China exchanges money and travelers cheques. In China, wherever you exchange money the same day, the exchange rate is the same. Banking Hours: Mondays to Fridays, 9 am to 5 pm.

Foreign Exchange
There are no quantitative restrictions imposed on foreign currencies, traveler's checks, or credit cards brought in.

Inbound passengers carrying foreign currencies in cash of more than 5,000 U.S. dollars should declare to the Customs. The Customs shall release it on passengers' departure upon the declaration made at the last entry.

Without last time declaration record of foreign currencies in cash, or if the recorded amount is less than what the passengers carry this time, the Customs shall release the discrepancies upon certificate issued by the Foreign Exchange Bureau or its authorized banks.

RMB
The limit of RMB allowed to bring in or take out of China is 20,000 yuan.

Voltage

Electricity is supplied at 220 volts, 50 cycles.