Pudong refers to the land in the east of Huangpu River. Originally, the area was mainly farmland and countryside with some warehouses and wharfs near the shore. The parts closest to Puxi were administered by its districts, including Huangpu, Yangpu, and the former Nanshi District. The rest of the area was administered by Chuansha County.
In 1993, the Chinese government decided to set up a Special Economic Zone in Chuansha, creating the Pudong New Area. The western tip of the Pudong district was designated as the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone and proposed to become the new financial hub of modern China. Several landmark buildings were constructed in Lujiazui to raise the image and awareness of the area. These include the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Building, and the supertall Shanghai World Financial Center. At 494 m, the last will be the tallest building in China until the completion of the nearby Shanghai Tower, projected to reach 565.6 m in 2014.
On May 6, 2009, it was disclosed that the State Council had approved the proposal to merge Nanhui District to Pudong. the Pudong New Area comprises the majority of land in eastern Shanghai
