The colonial Chinese city is feted for its historical architecture, but the Shanghai of today is emblematic of a very modern China
Photographs by Julien Daniel / MYOP
Bridge over Troubled Waters
A bridge leads to Yangshan Port. The global downturn has hit Shanghai's port industries, as slower turnover in cargo led to a 30% drop in profits in the first half of 2009.
Off the Job
Office workers leave their buildings and walk along the waterfront in Pudong. Since the recession, China has lost 40 million jobs, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Picture-Perfect
A woman takes a photo at dusk on Nanjing Lu, one of Shanghai's premier shopping streets.
Building Up
The skyscrapers of Pudong peek over the trees. Despite the global economic downturn, Shanghai is in the middle of a building boom, and residents will soon see even more skyscrapers.
No More Training Wheels
An attendant stands inside a Shanghai maglev train. Shanghai has China's first commercial magnetic-levitation train route, which can whisk you to the airport at a top speed of more than 265 m.p.h. (425 km/h). Magnets raise the entire train above the tracks.
Lighting the Way
A man shines a light into his red umbrella, illuminating the path as he walks along the waterfront in Pudong.
The Right Track
People wait for their trains at the Central Train Station in Shanghai. Investment in China's railroads has jumped 103% in the first nine months of 2009.
Life on the Streets
People eat at restaurants and shops along the road. Shanghai has long been famous for its regional cuisine.
Office Space
People walk in Pudong at dusk. The riverfront area contains many of Shanghai's most famous and unique buildings, but it also contains many generic office towers.
Fast Food to Your Door
A man walks in front of McDonald's iconic golden arches. There are more than 1,000 McDonald's in China, and in Shanghai the fast-food chain offers 24-hour delivery.
Stepping Out
People eat inside the futuristic indoor patio of a restaurant in Shanghai. As per capita spending rises in China, more and more can afford to eat out — an activity that not so long ago was considered a luxury here.
Clubbin'
A driver looks at the glowing entrance to a nightclub. Shanghai's vaunted nightlife runs the gamut from the seedy to the swanky.
On the Rails
A crowd waits in a train station in Suzhou. A bullet train between Shanghai and Suzhou has cut transit between the two cities from more than an hour to only 39 minutes.
Breathtaking
A man sits at the top of the Jinmao Tower, overlooking a city shrouded in pollution. Official government statistics claim that Shanghai has good air quality more than 94% of the time — a stat many residents find hard to believe.
The Tao of Shanghai
A man prays at a Taoist temple in Shanghai's old city. Today China has more than 50,000 Taoist priests.
On the Waterfront
As night falls, people take photos along the waterfront in Pudong, across the water from the city's most popular tourist area — the Bund. Shanghai attracted more than 110 million domestic tourists in 2008.
Street Smarts
The streets of Songjiang, a suburb of Shanghai, will not stay this empty for long. Around 400 million people from rural China are expected to move into urban areas by 2020. Songjiang boasts that 30 Fortune 500 companies are already investing in the suburb's industrial area.
Waiting for a Heavy Load
In Yangshan Port, Shanghai, the wife of a trucker waits while his vehicle is being loaded. With the recent addition of Yangshan Port, the ports of Shanghai have become among the busiest in the world.
source: Time.com
A bridge leads to Yangshan Port. The global downturn has hit Shanghai's port industries, as slower turnover in cargo led to a 30% drop in profits in the first half of 2009.
Office workers leave their buildings and walk along the waterfront in Pudong. Since the recession, China has lost 40 million jobs, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
A woman takes a photo at dusk on Nanjing Lu, one of Shanghai's premier shopping streets. 
The skyscrapers of Pudong peek over the trees. Despite the global economic downturn, Shanghai is in the middle of a building boom, and residents will soon see even more skyscrapers.
An attendant stands inside a Shanghai maglev train. Shanghai has China's first commercial magnetic-levitation train route, which can whisk you to the airport at a top speed of more than 265 m.p.h. (425 km/h). Magnets raise the entire train above the tracks.
A man shines a light into his red umbrella, illuminating the path as he walks along the waterfront in Pudong. 
People wait for their trains at the Central Train Station in Shanghai. Investment in China's railroads has jumped 103% in the first nine months of 2009.
People eat at restaurants and shops along the road. Shanghai has long been famous for its regional cuisine. 
People walk in Pudong at dusk. The riverfront area contains many of Shanghai's most famous and unique buildings, but it also contains many generic office towers.
A man walks in front of McDonald's iconic golden arches. There are more than 1,000 McDonald's in China, and in Shanghai the fast-food chain offers 24-hour delivery.
People eat inside the futuristic indoor patio of a restaurant in Shanghai. As per capita spending rises in China, more and more can afford to eat out — an activity that not so long ago was considered a luxury here.
A driver looks at the glowing entrance to a nightclub. Shanghai's vaunted nightlife runs the gamut from the seedy to the swanky.
A crowd waits in a train station in Suzhou. A bullet train between Shanghai and Suzhou has cut transit between the two cities from more than an hour to only 39 minutes.
A man sits at the top of the Jinmao Tower, overlooking a city shrouded in pollution. Official government statistics claim that Shanghai has good air quality more than 94% of the time — a stat many residents find hard to believe.
A man prays at a Taoist temple in Shanghai's old city. Today China has more than 50,000 Taoist priests. 
As night falls, people take photos along the waterfront in Pudong, across the water from the city's most popular tourist area — the Bund. Shanghai attracted more than 110 million domestic tourists in 2008.
The streets of Songjiang, a suburb of Shanghai, will not stay this empty for long. Around 400 million people from rural China are expected to move into urban areas by 2020. Songjiang boasts that 30 Fortune 500 companies are already investing in the suburb's industrial area.
In Yangshan Port, Shanghai, the wife of a trucker waits while his vehicle is being loaded. With the recent addition of Yangshan Port, the ports of Shanghai have become among the busiest in the world.
