he soaring skyscrapers of Pudong District showcase the growth of modern Shanghai. The stocky buildings of the Bund bear witness to the hundred-year vicissitudes of the oriental metropolis. Meanwhile, Songjiang points to Shanghai's millennia of history.

Archaeological discoveries in Songjiang proved that people inhabited the Guangfulin area of Songjiang as early as 6,000 years ago. During the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1912), Songjiang was the center of the country's textile industry and was dubbed the "Metropolis of the Southeast". Before Shanghai opened its ports in 1843, Songjiang was the political, economic and cultural center of the city. Known as the "Root of Shanghai", Songjiang laid the foundations for modern Shanghai.

As the birthplace of Shanghai's ancient history and culture, Songjiang is a city of stories. For example, it is the hometown of Lu Ji and Lu Yun, two famous litterateurs of the Western Jin Dynasty (266-316). "Ping Fu", created by Lu Ji, is China's earliest existing calligraphy work, a valuable treasure preserved in the Forbidden City Museum. Dong Qichang and Mo Zilong, two great Songjiang painters active during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), were the first to put forward the theory of a northern school of painting characterized by fine lines and colors, and a southern school noted for its quick calligraphic strokes. Zhao Jiabi (1908-1997), respected publisher, Shi Zhecun (1905-2003), leading scholar, and Cheng Shifa (1921-2007), president of Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, also came from Songjiang.

It is hardly surprising that, with its 6,000 years of Chinese civilization, Songjiang has the largest number of ancient buildings in Shanghai. The excavated ruins of Guangfulin, Tangmiao Village and Pingyuan Village all attest to the ancient splendor of Chinese civilization. More than 1,100 years old, the Tang Jing Building is the oldest extant building in Shanghai; the leaning angle of the 900-year-old Tianma Tower on top of the Tianma Hill in Songjiang is greater than that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. Fangta Park, the Mosque and Zuibaichi Park are other cultural gems bequeathed by the rich history of the district well worth visiting.