These modern skyscrapers directly face Puxi's historic Bund, a remnant of former foreign concessions in China.

Pudong—literally "The East Bank of the Huangpu River"—originally referred only to the less-developed land across from Shanghai's Old City and foreign concessions.

The area was mainly farmland and only slowly developed, with warehouses and wharfs near the shore administered by the districts of Puxi on the west bank: Huangpu, Yangpu, and Nanshi.

[2]: 23  Li stated that future investors from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan were welcomed and that China would provide preferential conditions for cooperation and improve the investment environment.

In 1993, the Chinese government set up a Special Economic Zone in Chuansha, creating the Pudong New Area.

[3]: 158  It had even more open policies than existing SEZs, in terms of attracting foreign direct investment and developing the local economy.

[3]: 158 The western tip of the Pudong district was designated as the Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone and has become a financial hub of modern China.

[3]: 157 On May 6, 2009, it was disclosed that the State Council had approved the proposal to merge Nanhui District with Pudong and comprise the majority of eastern Shanghai.

In 2010, Pudong was host to the main venues of the Shanghai Expo, whose grounds now form a public park.

[citation needed] On April 27, 2015, the People's Government of Pudong New Area is working with China (Shanghai) Pilot Free-Trade Zone Administrative Committee.

It has an area of 1,210.4 square kilometres (467.3 sq mi) and, according to the 2020 census, a population of 5,681,512 inhabitants, accounting for around 22.8 percent of Shanghai and 1.85 million more than in 2010.

The district's 2022 gross domestic product amounts to an estimated CN¥1.601 trillion (US$238 billion), with services comprising 74.7% of economic output.

The Pudong area continues to experience rapid development, especially in the commercial sector, with 1.3 million square meters of prime office space reaching completion in 2008, more than the previous two years combined.

[19] The newest Disney resort, with a Disneyland included, is located in Pudong, which opened to tourists in June 2016.

[22] The headquarters of Yangtze River Express, a cargo airline, are in the Pufa Tower (浦发大厦; 浦发大廈; Pǔfā Dàshà) in Pudong.

[26] The Shanghai Pudong International Airport opened its doors in 1999, shortening the travel time for visitors.

A magnetic levitation train began operating in 2004, moving passengers between the airport and Longyang Road Metro station.