Nowhere else in China can one sense so clearly the intensity of the energy that is propelling China into its future.   Historically Shanghai was a focal point for the struggle between the colonial powers and the Chinese, the Communists and the Nationalists, and the competing ideologies within the People’s Republic of China.   The past is still visible in Shanghai, but demolition of the old and construction of the new are everywhere and the future is rapidly taking over.   In 2010 the city was the focus of world-wide attention as it launched the biggest, grandest World Expo ever.   Shanghai is the perfect vantage point for sensing China’s past and future and learning about its bright prospects and daunting challenges.