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Reference.org
History of Shanghai
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<p>The history of Shanghai spans over a thousand years and closely parallels the development of <a href="/facts/History_of_China/TNqRSvQ4">modern China</a>. Originally a small agricultural village, <a href="/facts/Shanghai/nYyuBo2S">Shanghai</a> developed during the late <a href="/facts/Qing_dynasty/5j6r4p5m">Qing dynasty</a> (1644–1912) as one of China's principal trading ports. Although nominally part of China, in practice foreign diplomats controlled the city under the policy of <a href="/facts/Extraterritoriality/lUf4xlUK">extraterritoriality</a>. Since the <a href="/facts/Chinese_economic_reform/fhdC9JDe">economic reforms</a> of the early 1990s the city has burgeoned to become one of Asia's major financial centers and the <a href="/facts/List_of_busiest_container_ports/9l9zxY7M">world's busiest container port</a>. </p>