Shanghai History

Shanghai was first established as a walled village but soon developed into a market town in 1074 during the Song Dynasty. In 1172 a wall was built around the city to stabilize the coastline as the area expanded. It was not until 1297 during the Yuan Dynasty that Shanghai was officially recognized as a city under the administration of the Songjiang Prefecture.

Shanghai's historical development was prompted by a number of significant events that aided in its growth and stature as China's most active, prosperous city. In 1554 a defensive wall was erected around the city to protect from Japanese invaders known as Wokou, or pirates. At 10 meters high the wall covered a 5-kilometer circumference surrounding the growing city. The establishment of the City God Temple in 1602 also changed the Shanghai's stature. Temples of this nature were typically reserved for prefectural capitals and not county towns, which was Shanghai's status at the time of its construction. The decision to locate the temple in Shanghai was based on the growing economic potential of the city, and not its political strength.

The city's status rose again during the Qing Dynasty when it became the busiest seaport within the highly active Yangtze River Delta. Critical changes in the region's central governmental policies prompted a reversal of a prohibition on ocean bound vessels established during the Ming Dynasty. Also, the customs office responsible for Jiangsu Province was moved to Songjiang, Shanghai's capital prefecture, granting Shanghai exclusive control over customs collections pertaining to all foreign trade throughout Jiangsu Province. These significant changes within Jiangsu's central government were responsible for elevating Shanghai as the region's most dynamic center for trade although it held no political significance within the province.