It should be weird that a Shanghaiese say he is on trip in Shanghai, but it is true. In the recent years, the city area extend so much I believe Shanghai as a geography concept should be refer as a providence rather than a city now. Shanghai is already one of four direct lead city in China since the 1949, quite a long time ago but in the first 50 years it remain relative small. The aggressive extension is happen in the decade together with the subways construction. This phenomenon largely result low profit industry moving to suburb and center area property price boost at the same time and finally lead the people leaves traditional shanghai center because the job or financial reason.

Now it is no much people live in the center area, most of them are now in the suburb, but they need to trival huge distance every day and spend 3~4 hours on the road, Goverment call that modernization but I would rather call that timing suicide.