How Pudong rose from the shadows

Once seen as the poor relation of Puxi, the Shanghai district quickly grew into a financial powerhouse

Pudong - literally "east of Huangpu River" - is Shanghai's growth engine and a shining symbol of China's modernization. Yet 40 years ago, when the nation launched reform and opening-up, the area was mostly farmland.

Although only a short hop across the river, locals had little interest in Pudong as it was far less developed than Puxi, which was already a thriving industrial center.