Billy's Cities

Explore the great cities of the world!

Leave a Comment

Must-See Shanghai

An overcast view of Pudong from the Bund. Pudong, Shanghai, China, Asia.
An overcast view of Pudong from the Bund.

Shanghai is a fantastically vibrant city.  This comes as no surprise as it’s the world’s largest city.  When it comes to sightseeing, Shanghai has a good mix of old and new, but tilting very much towards the new.  This also comes as not much of a surprise.  Shanghai didn’t start to become a major city until the Western powers moved in and took charge after the First Opium War.  That was just about 170 years ago.  Compare that with Beijing, which has been a [Read more…]

2 Comments

China, A Little History, Part 5

First Opium War

The Bund in Shanghai symbolizes a century of foreign control over most of the city. Shanghai, once a small port, started to become the large international city it is today when Western powers occupied most of the city as a result of the First Opium War. Bund, Shanghai, China, Asia.
The Bund in Shanghai symbolizes a century of foreign control over most of the city. Shanghai, once a small port, started to become the large international city it is today when Western powers occupied most of the city as a result of the First Opium War.

Welcome to the 19th century.  It’s all downhill from here.  The 19th century was a disaster for China and the Qing Dynasty.  Actually, it was one disaster after another.

With China being a self-contained civilization, the only thing the Qing wanted from the West in exchange for its highly desired tea, porcelain, and silk was silver.  However, millions of Chinese citizens were eager to get their hands [Read more…]