Photo: Lothar Knopp/Shutterstock
Shanghai, or "City Above the Sea," lies on the Yangzi River delta, and until 1842 it was a small fishing village. After the first Opium War the village was carved up into autonomous concessions administered concurrently by the British, French, and Americans. Each colonial presence brought with it its particular culture, architecture, and society, marking the beginning of Shanghai's openness to Western influence. More »