“Where exactly is Gaojing?” someone asks. Gaojing Town sits in Shanghai’s Baoshan District. It is southeast of the area. Gaojing Town is close to the bustling Yangpu District. It also neighbors Hongkou and Jing’an districts.
Gaojing’s history stretches back to the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the Gaojing Temple was built. The town got its name from this temple.
Originally, Gaojing Town was part of the Jiangwan Township. Jiangwan belonged to Baoshan County. As Shanghai grew, the southern parts became part of central districts. These included Hongkou and Yangpu. In 1958, the southern boundary moved north. It reached Guangzhong Road. Later in the 20th century, it shifted again. This caused most of Jiangwan Township to leave Baoshan. It became part of Hongkou District.
The remaining part of Gaojing became a town in 1994. It was named after the ancient Gaojing Temple. This temple no longer exists. Its former site is now part of a school campus.
Jiangwan Township was known for vegetable farming. It supplied the city. The area also produced special cotton fabrics. These fabrics were called “Jiangwan fine cloth”. Another type was named “North Set”.
During the 1970s, Shanghai expanded. Agriculture in Gaojing faded away. Today, real estate drives Gaojing’s economy.
The town is developing into a “science and innovation town”. This shift includes tech services and information industries. New strategic industries are also included.
Gaojing Town is known as Baoshan’s “southern gateway”. It has become part of Shanghai’s central urban area. The town has convenient transport links. The North-South Elevated Road runs through it.
Several metro lines serve Gaojing. Lines 1 and 3 have stations in the town. Line 18 is under construction. Line 19 is planned for the future. These lines connect Gaojing to Shanghai.
Gaojing Town has many residential communities. These include Yixian and Gonghe communities. In 2015, the registered population was 67,080.
Gaojing Memorial Village arch is listed. It is a protected cultural relic. It dates back to the Republic of China period.
Gaojing is transforming from agriculture to modern industries. It aims to become a hub for innovation.