Shanghai has returned to its preeminent place as the driving force of China's economy. As the largest port, the greatest number of goods pass through here in both directions. Nanjing Road and surrounding streets allow you to sample an international potpourri of goods and services. Fortunately, so far Shanghai has maintained the character and individuality of the buildings along Nanjing Road, resisting the modernization that turned Wangfujing in Beijing into a bland and featureless facade of matching colors. Nanjing Road may go the same way judging from the gargantuan Shanghai Shimao International Plaza that towers above the surrounding buildings. It would be a shame if the New World Emporium, the double-domed store on the left, were walled in by a prison of glass and tile modernism.
http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/shanghai2.html
(c) Marilyn Shea, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2007
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