With a population of more than 13 million people, Shanghai is one of China 's most important industrial and cultural centers. Shanghai was once named the “ Paris of the East” and now calls itself the “Pearl of the Orient”. The name “ Shanghai ” was first used in 960 AD when the settlement was just a backwards fishing village on the East China Sea . In 1554, the town was surrounded by a city wall and a moat to protect it against Japanese pirates. When British troops stormed its undefended walls in 1842, Shanghai was still only a country town with little importance. Shanghai was opened in 1842 after the Opium War. The city was parceled into settlements, all of which were autonomous and immune from Chinese law. 1930' s era Shanghai , with its gangsters, bustling populace and unique character, evoked images of oriental mystery, romance, and vitality. The Communist Pary of China was founded here in 1921. The party carried out strikes and uprisings, but these activities were violently suppressed by the nationalist govermment, The People's Liberation Army, led by the Communists, liberated Shanghai from foreign exploitation in 1949. Shanghai 's enduring tourist appeal lies in its vitality, its rather rundown 1930' s European architecture and its bustling treelined streets crammed with shops.