Zhabei District is a central district in Shanghai with a long history. Situated at the northern part of central Shanghai, it is one of the nine central districts of Shanghai.

Stretching ten kilometers long from north to south and three kilometers wide from east to west, the district covers an area of 29.18 square kilometers and resembles a rectangle on the map. With a population of 800,000, Zhabei District is only 25 minutes’ drive to Hongqiao International Airport, 45 minutes’ drive to Pudong International Airport, and ten minutes’ drive to the central business district (CBD) of Shanghai, such as the Bund, the People’s Square and Nanjing Road. The Suzhou Creek that is the most significant river of Shanghai flows through the southern part of the district, forming a 4.1 kilometers long riverbank. Located in the middle of Zhabei District, Daning Lingshi Park, covering an area of 680,000 square meters, is the largest green space in central Shanghai.

Known as the “northern gateway to Shanghai”, Zhabei District boasts an advantageous geographical location. The North-South Elevated Highway in the district links Hongqiao International Airport and Pudong with downtown Shanghai. The handling capacities of passengers and freight account for 45.4% and 5.9% of Shanghai respectively ，due to Shanghai Railway Station (for passengers) and Beijiao Railway Station (for freight) in the district. In addition, there are over ten long haul bus stations for passengers and 337 long haul stations for freight, handling 998 lines from Shanghai to eleven provinces and municipalities including Beijing, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, accounting for more than 50% of the handling capacity of long haul freight of Shanghai. In terms of transportation within Shanghai, in addition to 187 lines of public transportation, eleven stations of Metro Lines No. 1 and 3 are in the district, amounting to 33.27% of the total capacity of public transportation in Shanghai.

With regard to regional functions, there are unique features of the different zones of Zhabei District from south to north.

The Everbright Business District in the south is one of the eight trade and commercial centers in Shanghai. Up to now, quite a few office buildings have been completed including Henderson Everbright City, Kerry Everbright City, Zhabei Plaza, and Everbright City Commercial Building.

The commercial, recreational, and hi-tech zone in the middle of the district is the home to Daning Lingshi Park that is the biggest open green space in central Shanghai, a commercial and cultural center that is being built, and Shanghai Multimedia Valley with a planned gross floor area of 800,000 square meters.

By capitalizing on the opportunity of the construction of Shanghai Multimedia Valley, the metropolitan industrial zones in the northern part of the district are expected to bring about the development of metropolitan industries including e-communication, printing, transportation and service.

The strategic vision of “building a modern CBD in Shanghai by leveraging the advantage of convenient transportation” proposed by the District Government has led to the emergence of new industrial sectors and has brought about enormous business opportunities for investors. At present, multinational corporations in Zhabei include Royal Philips Electronics and Shanghai Bell Alcatel Business Systems Co., LTD. In the coming five years, Zhabei District will concentrate on the construction of Shanghai Multimedia Valley, the only one in central Shanghai, as well as the development of cultural projects along the Suzhou Creek.

Locate in Zhabei District, Shanghai Multimedia Valley is jointly established by Zhabei District Government and Beijing Qinghua Science and Technology Park. It has become a base integrating the research and development for multimedia technology, the transformation of hi-tech achievements, business incubation, value-added service as well as the production and distribution of software products. In developing the industries, priorities will be given to the production of multimedia films, TV programs, and games, development of software and hardware, system integration and equipment manufacturing. Now over 30 companies are based in the valley, featuring 3D animation, 3D game and 3D network.

Since the 4.1 kilometer long riverbank along the Suzhou Creek in the south of the district is known as the golden area in Shanghai, the District Government has launched the plan of building a mini CBD covering about 750,000 square meters on the north side of the Suzhou Creek. Furthermore, the completion of the renovation of the seven historical buildings along the Creek has attracted a number of domestic companies in the fields of architecture and design, interior decoration, and advertising.

Zhabei District is noted for its superiority in education. There are 151 different types of modern educational facilities including universities, high schools, primary schools and kindergartens.