300 to 500 words. Historical essays refer to articles written by middle school students under the guidance of history teachers to evaluate historical figures, historical events or demonstrate some historical issues. 300-500 words for Shanghai History Grade Examination. Shanghai, referred to as "Shanghai" or "Shen" for short, is a provincial administrative region, municipality directly under the Central Government, national central city, megacity and core city of Shanghai metropolitan area in People's Republic of China (PRC), and is an international economic, financial, trade, shipping and scientific and technological innovation center of China approved by the State Council.