Situated on the Yangtze River Delta in east China, Shanghai is widely regarded as the citadel of China's modern economy. The city also serves as one of the most important commercial, financial, industrial and communications centers of China. In 2010, the World Expo will be held here.

The city also seems to have a major impact on the Olympics since it has produced a number of Olympic champions. Among them is the world-famous Liu Xiang, the gold medal winner in the 110-meter hurdles in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. And there's Yao Ming, the leading Chinese basketball star and pride of the city.

Shanghai also has a wealth of experience in hosting big sports events such as the World Table Tennis Championships, Tennis Masters Cup and Formula One Shanghai Grand Prix. According to Qiu Weichang, these experiences will be helpful as Shanghai prepares for the 2008 Olympics. "These sports events create a platform for communication and cooperation between different sports organizations at home and abroad," Qiu said.

Two teams in the Chinese Football Association Super League are from Shanghai: Shanghai International and Shanghai Shenhua. The latter took second place in the league this October 22.

Shanghai football fans, however, sometimes overreact when their team loses a game. "We'll channel off such sentiment and never allow the spread of that," said Lu of the Shanghai Football Association. He urges fans to be more rational in their behavior, adding, "Protect the image of our city and never bring shame on it."

The city is now planning many events to allow average citizens, especially young people, to experience and enjoy the Olympic culture. The Shanghai International Children's Art Expo, for instance, invites children to express their feelings about the Olympic Games through their drawings. In another case, former Olympic champions are brought into contact with the city's residents to generate more enthusiasm for sports.

"The whole city cheered the news that China successfully won the bid for hosting the 2008 Olympic Games in 2001, and the fact that Shanghai has become part of the arena for the 2008 Olympic Games has put more of a sense of responsibility on the city's shoulders," said Qiu.

Note:This is the second of a series of articles on the six Olympic co-host cities--Qingdao,Hong Kong,Tianjin,Shanghai,Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.