Shanghai, referred to as "Shanghai" or "Shen" for short, is a provincial administrative region, municipality directly under the Central Government, national central city, megacity and core city of Shanghai metropolitan area in People's Republic of China (PRC), and is an international economic, financial, trade, shipping and scientific and technological innovation center of China approved by the State Council.

About 6000 years ago, what is now western Shanghai became land. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Shanghai was the fief of Chun, so Shanghai was nicknamed Shen. In the Jin Dynasty, because fishermen created the fishing tool Hu, the place where the river flowed into the sea was called Hu, so the lower reaches of Songjiang River was called Hu, and later it was changed to Shanghai, so Shanghai was called Shanghai for short. 1292, the Yuan Dynasty designated Shanghai Town from Huating County and approved the establishment of Shanghai County, marking the beginning of Shanghai's urban construction.