Shanghai City

Shanghai - (Map)
Shanghai is the largest city in the world in terms of population and is the industrial capital of the Ai Jinn. The city also provides a unique range of environments in one location, allowing agents to travel between Spire city, old city, open city, industrial complexes, military complexes and hi-tech labs within perhaps a single mission.

History of Shanghai to 2550
Shanghai was one of the financial capitals of the world before the Corporate wars broke out and was the unofficial capital of the Ai Jinn before the Corporation was a fully recognised world power. Before the wars the entire city had been de-industrialized and the factories moved to neighbouring cities and states to reduce pollution, increase property values and prevent over-crowding from crippling the city. It was a relatively good place to live, with a thriving economy even in difficult times.
The wars and the Ai Jinn changed all of that. First, the new mega-factories were built just outside the city to produce military hardware. This made economic sense, but at the cost of Shanghai's high living standards and air quality. Factory workers and refugees crowded the city and made it one of the busiest places on Earth. It was a perfect target for the Shi Yukiro during the Corporate Wars. The city was badly damaged and much of its population killed by attacks from Japan, including D-shift weapons and biological weapons. The attacks on Shanghai are largely responsible for the Ai Jinn's retaliatory strike against Hiroshima (EB page 81) and these attacks are still considered some of the lowest points of the Corporate wars, with tens of millions killed in a matter of weeks.

After the war there was much rebuilding to return Shanghai to its former glory. The rubble and ruins were processed on-site to create new structures. The transformation was likened to a phoenix rising from the ashes. Then, after Eden Spire was completed by the E.I in 2250 the next spire to be built was the Shanghai Spire, completed in 2260. Shanghai was back at the forefront of the world's leading cities.

Ai Jinn factories sprung up around the spire city and choked the air outside with their fumes and pollution. Inside the spire the workers lived in comfort and safety while outside more and more factories appeared. Transport networks evolved to ship the ever-increasing numbers of people and tonnes of cargo that were constantly leaving and entering the factories and spire. Soon there was not enough space inside the Spire for the workers and housing was created down amongst the industrial complexes. As the older factories became obsolete they were demolished, abandoned or converted into housing for industrial workers. Each new building was created from the materials of the one that came before it in a cycle that continues to this day. More than any other city on Earth, Shanghai is constantly changing as housing complexes, factories and utilities are demolished, built and rebuilt in a dizzyingly small amount of time by the world-leaders in rapid construction.

Lujiazui: Shanghai Financial District - (Map)
Lujiazui was created at the end of the 20th century and quickly grew to dominate the Shanghai skyline. The growth continued up until the Corporate Wars, but the area was largely destroyed by E.I air strikes that focused on financial and research facilities. The financial trade moved into the Shanghai Spire City upon its completion and there are still a number of facilities there, including the Shanghai Spire Stock Exchange (SSSE) and Ai Jinn Central Bank.
As the Spire filled with workers it became important to continue expansion of the financial sector in a safe, secure environment that would not be open to Corporate attacks or terrorist actions. Construction of the new Lujiazui began in 2320. The Lujiazui Stock Exchange was the first building put up, and it dwarfed every building in Shanghai outside of the Spire. It was, and still is, a fortress of durasteel-reinforced concrete, security check points and intense surveillance. To date no attack or attempted theft from the Lujiazui SE has been known to have been successful.
The financial district of the Ai Jinn grew and has been showing off its wealth ever since. New mega-structures are constantly been built and added to in the area making it look like the world's largest building site. It is the tallest skyline on Earth and some buildings even reach as high as a spire city (though with a much smaller footprint on the ground). Much of the space in these structures goes unused; they are made ever larger as a show of strength by the Ai Jinn, and as giant advertisements for the construction companies and architects responsible.

Alluvial Islands - (Map)
The mighty Yangtze River deposits tons of sediment and industrial waste in the delta each year. Over time the sea levels fell and more water was needed for industry, resulting in a rapid growth in the delta islands. They are not suitable for the construction of mega-structures and have a tendency to move around from year to year.
The land is not used for heavy industry, but it is close enough to the other districts of Shanghai to make the islands a tempting home for workers. Regular ferry services carry people and supplies between the islands and the rest of the city. There are a small number of bridges to connect the largest islands and Shanghai proper, but these are always packed with heavy traffic; there simply isn't enough infrastructure to serve the needs of the large numbers of workers living there.

The towns and cities on these islands grow and shrink with the fortunes of the factories they serve, the rate of erosion and deposition of sediment and with the effects of the local triads that rule over them. Most of the towns are analogous to old cities in terms of utilities, crime, wealth and the prevalence of disease. The largest islands offer some stability and infrastructure; these are more akin to middle class neighbourhoods, albeit ones with a very high Triad presence.

Yangshan Mega-Port - (Map)

To be continued.

The Bund - (Map)

To be continued.