By Cao Li (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-12-08 10:25

SHANGHAI: Since it started growing into a metropolis in the 19th century, Shanghai has wowed the world as a dynamic destination for those seeking fame and fortune.

And it still does.

Today, at least one-fourth of Shanghai's residents are from other parts of China, and the percentage is still growing, the city's population and family planning commission said on Thursday.

A total of 6.27 million people from outside Shanghai spent at least one month there in 2006, said a report presented to consulate generals in Shanghai.

Among them, 4.67 million stayed more than six months or are still in Shanghai. Last year, they constituted 25.7 percent of the city's 18.15 million population - a figure calculated using both permanent residents and people who spend at least half a year in the city.

This year, the population is expected to reach 18.45 million, the commission said.

Although exact figures are unavailable, experts estimated that between 5 million and 6 million migrants have stayed in the city for at least six months.

Han Guohui, a carpenter from Jiangsu Province, said he has stayed because he could always find work.

The man in his early 40s came here about five years ago and worked for an interior design company. "I was introduced by a relative who was here before me," he said.

"I earn about 70 to 80 yuan a day and save a bit more than 10,000 yuan a year. It is much more than what I can earn at home."

Yu Ning, a researcher with Shanghai Academy of Social Science, said that migrants have contributed greatly to the city's economic development.

"They assume responsibilities different from those of most permanent Shanghai residents," she said.