Shanghai has always been an exemplary city of the People’s Republic of China. This cosmopolitan as well as a metropolitan city comfortably situated on the extensive banks of river Yangtze, is now fast on its journey to join the global band of world’s most happening cities. It is aptly assuring the world of being a city that has immense potential in contributing to the global economy. Shanghai is the largest city of China and the eight largest in the world. The city is a gentle blend of the traditional oriental culture gelling well with the modern western flair as can been in its architecture and modern way of thought and living. River Huangpu flowing amid the city has split the city. Puxi is the old city on the western side while the Pudong on the east is the ravishing new.

Shanghai as the most populous and most developed city of China has always been the bastion of intellectual, cultural, financial, commercial and industrial eminence. From its humble origins as a seaside fishing hamlet before twelfth century, Shanghai is currently the hub of software, electronics, communications and citadel of modern China’s economy and finance. Shanghai has the distinction of being the largest commercial hub of the Far East and third in the world only after New York and London. It is equipped with the world’s largest and busiest ports besides other high-speed means of transportation and communication. Shanghai has rightly been referred as the ‘Queen of the Orient’ and ‘Paris of the East’ attracting both the tourist as well as business communities from worldwide horizons galore. Like other global biggies Shanghai does face the challenges linked with mass immigration of the workforce flocking in here from other towns and cities. Most of the tribulations are in terms of housing problems, huge wealth gap, environmental degradation, stressful living and other of the like associated inevitably with life in big cities. But then these challenges are fast resolved by higher resolution by its inhabitants to come up to the elevated world standards and gear up to competition with greater zest. The struggle to keep alive in maddening hustle-bustle of big cities becomes a way of life for its populace. It is only under such circumstances that humans get the platform to show their best.

Towards the northern plains of China is the City of Shanghai, literally meaning “up the sea”, there is a quaint river town called Zhujiajiao translated as “family bridge”. Zhujiajiao, sometimes dubbed as the Venice of Shanghai is is an ancient water town well-known throughout the China, with a history of more than 1700 years. Spanning an area of about 47 sq km, lay snuggled in a landscape of beautiful lakes and majestic mountains. Zhujiajiao is abound with quaint ancient bridges across bubbling streams and small rivers shaded by weeping willow trees. Houses with traditional Chinese cultural courtyards fringes along these waterways with the atmosphere of antiquity, leisure and tranquillity. Bridges in Zhujiajiao are distinctive and ancient, mostly built during Ming and Qing dynasty era. The old town sector of Zhujiajiao is well connected by 36 bridges in different shapes, sizes and styles. Fangsheng Bridge (Set animals free bridge) is the longest, largest and the tallest stone bridge with five openings both in Zhujiajiao and in the Shanghai region. Fangsheng Bridge is almost 500 years old. There is a stone tablet on the bridge called The Dragon Gate Stone, which is engraved with 8 beautiful Chinese dragons encircling a shining pearl. Perched at top of the bridge are 4 lifelike stone lions purportedly to be guarding the bridge against any evil intruders. Lang Bridge (Veranda Bridge) or the Huimin Bridge, is the only wooden bridge and the most famous bridge of Zhujiajiao. It has wooden bars on the two sides and upturned eaves, just like a narrow corridor.