Historical evolution
According to cultural relics discovered in the Maqiao Town; Shanghai County has a long history of more than 4,000 years. In 1292, it became an administrative division and was named Minhang by locals in the Ming Dynasty. In 1512, it was officially recognized as Minhang.
On May 15, 1949, Shanghai County was liberated and became an administrative division of the Sunan Region and then Jiangsu Province.
On September 26, 1992, the State Council of the People's Republic of China decided to build a new Minhang District. This district will be based on the old town and Shanghai County.
Location and climate
Minhang District, located in the Southwestern part of Shanghai, is shaped like a key. Covering an area of 372 square meters, its size accounts for 5.9 percent of Shanghai. It meets Songjiang and Qingpu districts in the west and Changning and Jiading districts in the east.
The Hongqiao International Airport is on the district’s borderline. The Wusong River and Huangpu River also run through the district.
Minhang District has semi-tropical weather with a monsoon climate, rainy and sunny. The winter and summer seasons are fairly long, while spring and autumn are fairly short.
Administrative division
Minhang District includes nine towns, three neighborhoods, one city-rated industrial park, and three communities with a total of 164 villager committees and 303 resident committees. The district’s government is located in the Xinzhuang Town.
Population
By the end of last year, the district’s population had exceeded two million. (855,300 of which are locals.)
According to statistics there are 330,300 families and about 730,400 residents are city dwellers.
Features
The long history and exuberant cultural heritage makes Minhang a unique district. Its Qibao Old Town has a history of more than 1,000 years.
Qibao Old Town was included as one of the Top Ten Tourist Attractions of Shanghai.
The 80-hectare Minhang Sports Park with an investment of 400 million yuan (US$51.3 million) has become one of the ideal places for citizens to get away from the city’s hustle and bustle.
In addition, the committee of Tennis Masters Cup has signed a three-year contract with the local government to hold the year-end championship in the district’s Shanghai Qizhong Forest Sports City.
Awards
2001- National Garden City, China Model of Ideal Living Environment
2002 - Winner of the Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment
2003 - National Garden City, National Sanitation District
2004 - National Scientific and Technological Advancement District, National Model of Science Popularization
2005 - National Scientific and Technological Advancement District
2006 - National Ecological District