As with most of modern Shanghai, the territory of Yangpu has been formed by sediments deposited by the
Yangtze River over many centuries. It was probably in the shallows of the
East China Sea as late as the
Tang dynasty. During the
Northern Song, the Wuyu River () entered the sea somewhere around modern
Wujiaochang ().
Daoist and
Buddhist temples are known to have been established in the vicinity around this time. In 1404, the Huangpu River shifted to its present course, entering the Yangtze River around
Wusong. Toward the end of the
Ming dynasty, villages along the river flourished, engaging in agriculture, banking, textiles and water-borne trade. In 1842, the
Treaty of Nanking opened Shanghai as a treaty port, and in 1863, part of present-day Yangpu District was included in the
Shanghai Concession. In 1890, the Shanghai Machine Weaving Office (), one of China's first modern textile weaving factories, was established. In 1899, of what is now the south of modern Yangpu District was partitioned to become part of the International Settlement. Additional factories were constructed soon after in the area, especially along Yangshupu Road. Textile, paper-making, and shipbuilding industries were established by the early 20th century in what was then organized as part of Hongkew (now
Hongkou). By the early 1920s, journalist turned revolutionary
Chen Duxiu remarked in the
New Youth magazine that the area of Yangshupu had become industrialized. By 1927, the area hosted 57 foreign factories, and a thriving textile industry. In 1929, the Wujiaochang farmers' market ("Pentagon Plaza") was constructed in the north. Later, during the Japanese occupation from 1937 to 1945, barracks and houses were built in the area. The inland part of the former International Settlement in the area made up part of the
Shanghai Ghetto. In December 1944, Yangshupu District was established with an area of . Following the
Communist conquest of Shanghai in 1949, the area was developed. Yangpu District's boundaries expanded in 1956, 1960, and 1984. The area was especially used for heavy industries. The district's present territory west of the river was formed after the incorporation of Wujiaochang District from
Baoshan County in 1984. In 1992, Yangpu's territories south of the Huangpu River were designated part of the
Pudong New District. == Education ==