Simplify the following text for a Grade 7 native English-speaking person.
Original: The track layout was inspired from the Chinese character shang ( ä ) the first character in the name of the city Shanghai , meaning `` above '' or `` ascend '' .
Simplified: The track layout was inspired from the Chinese character shang ( ä ) . Shang is the first character in the name of the city Shanghai , and means `` above '' or `` ascend '' .