Shanghai is the largest economic center, trade sea port, and comprehensive industrial city in China. It is also a major center of technology, trade, finance and information. In 2008, 9 football games will be held here.

Shanghai lies on the front part of the Yangtze River Delta, with its east facing the East Sea, hugging the Hangzhou Gulf in the South, and connecting Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces in the west. The north side of Shanghai is the sea inlet of the Yangtze River. Clay Sculpture ZHANG 196 Manual for Beijing Olympic Volunteers Because of its geographic location in the middle of the north-south coastal line, Shanghai possesses excellent transportation conditions and plenty of space, enabling it to become a fine port. Shanghai has a width of 100 kilometers and length of 120 kilometers. Total land area is 6,340.5 square kilometers and the downtown area (inside the Out Ring Road) is about 610 square kilometers. It has a population of 13,000,000 and 18 subordinate districts and 1 county.

The beauty of Shanghai comes from its metropolitan styles: Oriental construction speaks of the elegance and luxuriousness of old Shanghai; skyscrapers remind people of the complexity and modern architecture of the 21st century; Gothic spires and Baroque corridors blend bridges, creeks, courts and mansions in Chinese Southern styles, presenting a harmonious picture of east and west. Street side European gardens made of exquisite rocks and brand-new wide roads highlight the magnificence of this metropolis. The remaining hundreds of courts and gardens built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties present their classic elegance and attract many people. When walking along the Bund in the evening, staring at the lights and buildings laid out like stars in the night sky, you will greatly admire the charm of Shanghai. There are many other must-visit places in this city: the ancient Chenghuang Temple, the modern Tower of Oriental Pearl, Longhua Temple with its ancient history, as well as numerous old and newly-built avenues and streets.

In 2004, the construction of a new train in Shanghai was completed and the train was put into operation. On April 26, 2006, this project officially passed state examination. This is the first commercially operated maglev transportation line of 29.873-km length. The western terminal is Longyang Road Subway Station and the east train arrives at Pudong International Airport. Its highest speed reaches 430 kms/hour, and one-way operational period is only 7 minutes and 20 seconds. Till the end of April, 2006, safe operational miles have exceeded 2,500,000 kms and have carried 6,500,000 passengers. This train is a very advanced high-tech form of transportation, combining modern information technology, control technology and traditional electronic science.

With the growth and development of this city, a massive health care building in Shanghai reminds citizens of the city’s great progress and presents a hopeful picture.

In 2003, a plan called“ Everyone Involved in Sports” was officially launched and became a special feature of Shanghai’s massive sports movement. This plan further promotes many healthy activities: the Dongli Cup Marathon, Amway’s Long-Distance Run, the Suzhou River Dragon Boat Racing, the 500 Fortune Health-Building Contest and the Yangtze Delta United Sports Event. Forms of improving health through sports are continuing to influence Shanghai. This sports movement has two key characteristics: traditional but contemporary, international and domestic.

Currently, sporting events in Shanghai are composed of 3 activities: Healthbuilding Week, Community Health-building Sports Meeting and Everyone’s Sports Festival. Participants of the Health-building Week are mainly government officials. Main players at Community Health-building Sports Meeting are young people and teenagers, while Everyone’s Sports Festival is a stage for workers to exhibit their athletic skills.

Besides the above-mentioned 3 events, Shanghai further organized a series of athletic events with attractive exhibitions. The 10-km health-building run and Fox Charity long-distance run regularly attract more than 10 thousand people to participate. Additionally, climbing on the Tower of the 198 Manual for Beijing Olympic Volunteers Oriental Pearl during New Year activities, parachute jumping from Jinmao skyscraper, Suzhou River International Dragon Boat Racing, Nanjing Road Workers’ Sporting Meet, which has been held for more than 20 years, and the annual Fuzhou Road Culture Street Community Health-Building exhibition have become part of the attraction of this city. Shanghai also has many sporting events that include foreigners, such as Health-Building Contests held among famous foreign enterprises: Country Golf and the Eurhythmics Competition held at the Bund and New Land Dart Contest, among others. These events mirror the unique beauty of man and nature exhibiting their strength in harmony.