A section of Shanghai's Pudong

Shanghai (上海)
Location in the People's Republic of China
Basic Information
Origin of name:	上 shàng - on 海 hǎi - sea 市 shì - city "City on the Sea"
Abbreviation:	沪 Hù and 申 Shēn
Area:	6,340.5 km² (31st)
Population (2004):	17,420,000 (25th) Municipality
	9,838,000 Urban Area, 2001 est.
Density (2004):	2750/km² (1st) Municipality
GDP (2004):  - per capita	CNY 745.0 billion (7th) CNY 42,800 (1st)
HDI (2005)	0.909 (1st) — high
Major nationalities (2000):	Han - 99% Hui - 0.4%
City flower:	Yulan magnolia (Magnolia denudata)
Elevation:	0 - 103.4 m
Coordinates:
Postal code:	200000 - 202100
Area code:	+86/21
License plate prefixes :	沪A, B, D, E
	沪C (outer suburbs)
ISO 3166-2:	cn-31
Time zone :	UTC+8
Website :	www.shanghai.gov.cn
Government
Administration Type:	Municipality
CPC Shanghai Committee Secretary:	Chen Liangyu
Mayor:	Han Zheng
County-level divisions:	18 Districts and 1 County
Township-level divisions:	220 Towns and Villages

Shanghai (Chinese: 上海; pinyin: ; Shanghainese: ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of People's Republic of China. Widely regarded as the citadel of China's modern economy, the city also serves as one of the most important cultural, commercial, financial, industrial and communications centers of China. Administratively, Shanghai is a municipality of the People's Republic of China that has province-level status. Shanghai is also one of the world's busiest ports, and became the largest cargo port in the world in 2005 List of the busiest ports in the world.

Originally a sleepy fishing town, Shanghai became China's most important city by the 20th century and was the centre of popular culture, vice, intellectual discourse and political intrigue during the Republic of China. Shanghai once became the third largest financial centre in the world, ranking after New York City and London, and the largest commercial city in the Far East in the late 19th century and early 20th century. After the communist takeover in 1949, Shanghai languished under heavy central government taxation and much of its bourgeois elements were purged. After the central government authorized the market-economic redevelopment of Shanghai in 1992, Shanghai quickly surpassed early-starters Shenzhen and Guangzhou, and has since led China's economic growth. Some challenges remain for Shanghai at the beginning of the 21st century, as the city struggles to cope with increased worker migration, and a huge wealth gap. However, these challenges aside, Shanghai's skyscrapers and modern lifestyle mark the pinnacle of China's recent economic development.

Origin of name

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The two Chinese characters in the name "Shanghai" (see left) literally mean "on" and "sea". The local Shanghainese pronunciation of Shanghai is , while the Standard Mandarin pronunciation in Hanyu Pinyin is Shànghǎi. The earliest occurrence of this name dates from the Song Dynasty (11th century), at which time there was already a river confluence and a town with this name in the area. There are disputes as to how the name should be interpreted, but official local histories have consistently said that it means "the upper reaches of the sea" (海之上洋). However, another reading, especially in Mandarin, also suggests the sense of "go onto the sea," which is consistent with the seaport status of the city. The more poetic name for Shanghai switches the order of the two characters, i.e., Haishang (海上), and is often used for terms related to Shanghainese art and culture. In the West, Shanghai has also been spelled Schanghai (in German), Sjanghai (in Dutch), Xangai (in Portuguese) and Changhaï (in French), but since the 1990s the Hanyu Pinyin spelling of "Shanghai" has become universal in the West. In Japanese, Shanghai is written using the same two Chinese characters (上海), and the Japanese pronunciation Shanhai (シャンハイ) is an approximate of the Mandarin pronunciation. Shanghai's abbreviations in Chinese are Hù (沪) and Shēn (申). The former is derived from the ancient name Hu Du (沪渎) of the river now known as Suzhou Creek. The latter is derived from the name of Chunshen Jun (春申君), a nobleman of the Chu Kingdom (楚国) in the 3rd century B.C. whose territory included the Shanghai area and has locally been revered as a hero. Sports teams and newspapers in Shanghai often use the character Shēn (申) in their names. Shanghai is also commonly called Shēnchéng (申城, "City of Shēn").

More on [ Shanghai ]

David Lynch : Transcendental Meditation

Meditation and the story
sanunit@iowatelecom.net Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:00:00 +0100
I have a question about story. When you’re in meditation, the process of story—does it come to you visually? When I watch your films, they are like a meditation to me. And you use colors, and you use rhythm, and you use timing, and you also—your stories are surprising and always revealing. And I wonder how your meditation influences you in that way, and how you convey that on the set to the actors—how do you all work together to bring that to light? [...]
What is the field of consciousness?
sanunit@iowatelecom.net Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0100
Can you explain about consciousness? The field of consciousness, the field of pure consciousness, as explained by Dr. John Hagelin, is also known as the Unified Field—the Unified Field found at the base of all matter. And it’s found at the base of all mind, at the source of thought. And this Unified Field is also beyond space and time. It’s unbounded and eternal; it’s beyond duality. It’s oneness; it’s unity. An [...]
Drugs or meditation
sanunit@iowatelecom.net Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0100
Have you ever used hallucinogenic drugs for inspiration, or have you done it entirely through meditation? I have smoked marijuana. But I don’t smoke it any more. And I was pretty lucky—and it’s a true thing. You know, I went to art school in the ’60s. So you can imagine what was going on. And yet my friends were the ones: they said, “No, no, no, David: don’t you take those drugs.”

How do ideas become a script?
sanunit@iowatelecom.net Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0100
How do you find your ideas, and how do you form them into a script? That’s a beautiful question. I think a desire for an idea is like a bait. And I say it’s like fishing. You desire an idea. And when you go fishing, you know you have to have patience. And you bait your hook, and then you just kind of wait. But the desire is that bait that pulls those fish in—those ideas. And the beautiful thing is: when you catch one fish that yo [...]
Music and consciousness
sanunit@iowatelecom.net Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0100
Can you explain how you use music to transform consciousness within your story? But it doesn’t expand—music doesn’t expand consciousness. The only thing that expands consciousness… You know, they have these so-called “consciousness raising” groups. What they’re doing is sharing information, or giving information. It doesn’t raise consciousness. Consciousness can be raised only by experiencing that d [...]
Does meditation protect you?
sanunit@iowatelecom.net Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:00:00 +0100
How can you just so fully commit to the violent, dark nature of life—mostly in Twin Peaks, I think, and all of them—how can you be so committed to that darkness without being harmed by it? And how does meditation help you with that? In a way—this is a strange thing, but it’s a true thing in my experience–bliss is like a flack jacket. Bliss is like a protecting thing. If you have so much bliss, they say it’s [...]

Education: News & Videos about Education - CNN.com

Math tests for kindergartners?
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:48:00 -0400
The city is asking public school principals to consider giving math tests to kindergartners, a proposal that comes amid debate over the growing use of standardized tests nationwide.
Mom finds U.S. lagging in early education
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:56:00 -0400
That's my girl, I thought, as Olivia tore away from us to join the other 5-year-olds for circle time -- legs crossed, hand stick-straight in the air in response to the teacher's question about how the kids spent Father's Day.
U.S. Colleges' Green Grade: C-
Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:00:00 -0400
Campuses may be getting greener, but college curriculums are falling behind in teaching students the basics of global warming and sustainability

UN News Centre - Culture, Education

UN organizes campaign to help Georgia's children return to school
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is organizing a campaign to ensure that all children in Georgia can start the new school year this month, following the recent conflict in the Caucasus country.
UN agencies launch bid to include restored Iraqi marshlands on heritage list
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Two United Nations agencies unveiled a joint bid today to list Iraq's marshlands, considered by some to be the original Garden of Eden, as a World Heritage Site, capping efforts to restore the ecological viability of the fragile region.
UNESCO backs plan to build underwater museum in Alexandria, Egypt
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations cultural agency announced today it will help Egypt build an innovative underwater museum in the Bay of Alexandria on the site of archaeological remains thousands of years old.

U.S. Department of Education

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week (Sep 7-13)
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0000
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Stephanie Monroe will join 1,000 higher education leaders and policymakers on September 8 in Washington, D.C., during the 2008 national conference celebrating the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Higher Ed Grants to Help Students with Disabilities
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:45:00 -0000
The Department announced the award of $6.7 million in grants to 23 higher education organizations to help them develop pilot projects for students with disabilities.
Grant to Utah to Help Create More Charter Schools
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:14:00 -0000
ED's Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Doug Mesecar visited Guadalupe Schools in Salt Lake City today to present an $8,533,334 Charter Schools Program grant to the Utah State Department of Education. Utah's Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert and Vice Chairman of the Utah State Board of Education Mark Cluff joined Mesecar for the announcement.

BBC News | Education | UK Edition

Holiday key to school standards?
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:00:57 -0000
Mike Baker wonders if having school holidays earlier might make pupils do better.
Teachers to hold ballot on strike
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:38:39 -0000
Another teachers' strike is threatened - with the National Union of Teachers announcing a ballot for industrial action.
Team sports blamed for health gap
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:37:37 -0000
Too much team sport in schools is stopping pupils from learning about individual physical exercise, say researchers.
More state pupils enter Cambridge
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:58 -0000
The proportion of new Cambridge University students from state schools jumped 7% last year to the highest level since 1981.
Threatened schools decision delay
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:29:16 -0000
A process of shutting seven junior secondary schools is to be discussed by councillors on Scotland's Western Isles.
Heads say teens' tests not needed
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:41:44 -0000
Head teachers want the national curriculum tests 14-year-olds in England have to sit to be scrapped.
Plan to cut targets for schools
Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:28:48 -0000
Councils in England could face fewer top-down targets for different groups of pupils under proposals.
School meal guidelines tightened
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:59:29 -0000
School meals in England's primary schools are subject to even tighter guidelines from this month.
University funding is 'creaking'
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:05:59 -0000
The National Union of Students says England's system for funding higher education is unfair and needs overhauling.
Cambridge drops law entrance test
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:27:57 -0000
Cambridge University is no longer going to use the full LNat admissions test from next year.
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Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:15:27 -0000
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Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0000
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Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:29:40 -0000
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Knife poem axed
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:31:27 -0000
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Blyton makeover
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:33:57 -0000
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E-mail us
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:22:01 -0000
How to contact the BBC News website education team
GCSE poem dropped over knife fear
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:02:48 -0000
An exam board asks schools to destroy a GCSE poetry anthology because one poem refers to knife violence.
Students face allowance problems
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:48:30 -0000
A college is making emergency payments to students - after delivery problems with a government allowance.
Learning partnerships 'working'
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:20:32 -0000
Ofsted finds good collaboration between schools and colleges in England in reforming teenagers' learning.
Apology over school bus 'chaos'
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:38:33 -0000
A council apologises after what a school governor calls a 'shambles' over school bus arrangements for the first day of term.
New pupils have to stay until 17
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:18:42 -0000
Children starting secondary school in England this week are the first legally required to stay in education until they are 17.
Quads separated at school
Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:09:51 -0000
A set of 11-year-old quads will be taught in separate classes for the first time after starting at secondary school.
Outdoor classes start in schools
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:43:10 -0000
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Pupils warned over energy drinks
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:01:18 -0000
The use of Red Bull and other energy drinks by school children is becoming a growing problem, a drug expert says.
More pupils to get Three Rs help
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:03:05 -0000
One-to-one tuition with the Three Rs is to be offered to thousands of children struggling in England's primary schools.
'Confidence hit' as exams change
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:38:32 -0000
England's exams watchdog says Sats problems have damaged confidence in the system as big changes begin.
Under-fives get 'learning goals'
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:49:58 -0000
Statutory guidelines governing standards of childcare for under-fives come into force in England.
Schools start cancer vaccinations
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:44:47 -0000
Scottish schoolgirls are to become the first in the UK to be vaccinated against cervical cancer.
Plea over poor school gym halls
Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:31:24 -0000
Education chiefs say they cannot tackle the poor state of gym facilities in Scottish schools until buildings are upgraded.
New pressure over faith schools
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:02:24 -0000
The government is facing fresh pressure to stop faith schools selecting pupils and staff on the basis of their religion.
Weak teachers 'put off pupils'
Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:38:37 -0000
Poor teachers can put children off learning and are too difficult to sack, the chief inspector of schools warns.
School uniform costs 'stressful'
Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:27:59 -0000
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Fri, 01 Aug 2008 13:38:48 -0000
Mike Baker considers the big picture of where schools should be heading in the future.
Tests - do we still need them?
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:00:26 -0000
Mike Baker considers whether the "high stakes" testing regime is still needed.
Future of league tables
Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:37:46 -0000
Mike Baker says it is hard to see how performance tables can be published on the basis of this year's school tests.
Was there ever a golden age?
Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:37:54 -0000

Testing saga - where will it end?
Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:48:52 -0000
Could this year's national testing shambles provide the government with an easy way out from the testing system.
Digging for hope
Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:33:14 -0000
English teenagers help African village build classrooms
'Try teaching' scheme booming
Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:06:40 -0000
A scheme that gets American graduates to try teaching in tough areas before other careers is proving a hit.
When pupils are too shy to learn
Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:16:57 -0000
"Invisible children" too shy to put up their hands could be helped by a scheme to boost their social skills.
What is BBC News School Report?
Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:13:39 -0000
Find out more about the project which motivates secondary students around the UK to make and broadcast their own news.

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