The "Growth of the City" series looks at the history of important world cities, charting their growth and changing fortunes from earliest times through to today. Using contemporary maps, paintings, etchings, woodcuts, and photographs, the series provides a visual appreciation of each city's growth. It also looks at the difficulties so many cities find in the way of prosperity - most often external forces in the form of military invasion or bombardment, but also the devastating natural killers: fire, flood, plague, or earthquake.Situated on the banks of the Yangtze River delta, Shanghai is China's largest city - the eighth largest in the world. The city saw major growth in the 19th century, its strategic position making it an ideal location for trade with the West. Shanghai is still one of the world's busiest ports: it became the largest cargo port in the world in 2005. One of China's most important cultural, commercial, financial, industrial, and communications centers, it is characterized by its vibrant architecture.