Address: The bund Huangpu district Shanghai
Admission Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 09:10 to 22:00
Transportation: 20, 22, 37, 42, 55, 65, 71, 123, 503, 126, 127, 135, 145, 934, 251, 940, 576, 831, 868, 910, 921, 926, 928
Hotels nearby: Shanghai Dorure International Hotel, Hengsheng Peninsula International Hotel Shanghai，New Asia Hotel - Shanghai Spots nearby: Jinmao Tower, Nanjing Rd, The Old City God's Temple.

Description

The Bund is Shanghai’s waterfront and is one of the symbols of Shanghai. It lines the Huangpu River as it winds down from the mouth of the Yangtze towards the East China Sea. The Huangpu River divides Shanghai into eastern and western districts otherwise known as Puxi and Pudong.

The Bund stands among the Shanghai’s outstanding foreign buildings, most of which were built before 1937. To the Europeans, the Bund was Shanghai’s Wall Street. In the 1930s, the string of buildings hosted the city's financial and commercial centers, and the world's greatest banks and trading empires established a base here.

"Bund" comes from an Anglo-Indian word for an embankment along a muddy waterfront and that is what it was at the beginning when the first British company opened an office there in 1846. The Bund became the site of some of the earliest foreign settlements after Shanghai was opened as one of five "Treaty Ports" specified in the Nanjing Treaty that ended the Opium War in 1842. Because of its proximity to the Yangtze River - the path into central China, Shanghai grew rapidly as the economic center of foreign interests.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Bund became the financial and political center of the international community in China. As Shanghai's financial market, it became the third largest in the world (behind London and New York). A number of important consulates, including the British, American, Russian and Japanese are located nearby.

At the west side of the Bund is a "museum of international architecture" with the various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance, they are the most famous and attractive sight. The combination of these structures creates a unique boulevard that resembles the Liverpool Docks and 1920s New York City. Unfortunately, since 1949, many of the structures were subdivided into government offices, department stores or storage areas, furnishings were sold off or destroyed, and architectural features covered.

The Bund has undergone a great change with the revitalization of Shanghai, strongly encouraged after the reform and opening by a visit of Deng Xiaoping in 1992. The next year the plans for the Bund were finalized and the renewal of Shanghai began in earnest. The Bund resumes its role as a central business district (CBD) and now the lights are coming back up.  

The flower-stands together with street lamps have become the resort place as well as sightseeing for the ordinary people. The Bund is one of the favorite morning exercise place for local shanghai. It also offers a charming view of the modern Pudong with its Oriental Pearl TV Tower and numerous majestic skyscrapers. After sunset the view becomes even more beautiful. When lights are turned on between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m., the Bund has the best nocturnal scene to offer. Naturally the best place to see the Bund is from the river, and there are countless river trips to choose from. Some tours take just one hour while others can choose to take an excursion up the river into central China. Many years ago, a "Lover's Wall" made the Bund more romantic. The 500-metre section between Beijing Road East and Yan'an Road East was packed with lovers kissing and hugging, regardless of the reproachful glances cast by passer-bys!

Today, the Bund is in the process of another transformation. The building, identified by a crowing dome, is the old Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, which was completed in 1921. The Bund is a beautiful sight and one of the most beautiful places in Shanghai. Come to the bund, you will get a memorable trip!