The Bund, Shanghai

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Walk along the Bund while the sun is setting. The contrast between the old European Embassies and new skyscrapers on the other side of the river is stunning. It was one of my most memorable moments in Shanghai. It is also a blissful relieve after along hot day.

At the south end of the Bund stands the old Gutzlaff Signal Tower, originally built by the French in 1865 and rebuilt in 1907. It was used to transmit weather reports from the Zikawei Observatory at Xujiahui to ships at sea, and served this function until 1956. Nowadays, it serves as a small museum - the Bund Museum, with black-and-white photos of the Bund during Shanghai's heydays (entry fee RMB10). There is an attached, rather expensive, cafe.

The former Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank headquarters building is at no. 12 on the Bund. It was built in the early 1920s in Greco-Roman style, dominated by a 150-foot-high dome supported by eight marble columns imported from Italy. The building now houses the Pudong Development Bank and is open to the public. The inside of the dome contains beautiful mosaics of the world's greatest banking cities. Two bronze lions frame the main entrance - these are copies of the originals, now found in the Shanghai History Museum.

At the northern end of the Bund is the Bund Memorial, a granite structure dedicated to war dead, with calligraphy by Jiang Zemin. It's pretty ordinary in my jaded eyes, but there are a number of riverside cafes and restaurants here - pricey no doubt but a nice place to watch the world go by.

This was one of the highlights from my trip to Shanghai. I hightly recommend a day and night stroll by the waterfront if you have the time. On the bund side, the buildings are straight out of Batman's gotham city and have a new york city feel to them. Many of the buildings were built in the 1930's around the time the Empire State Building was being contructed. They are beautifully light up at night. The modern pudong side is an interesting clash of light, color, and design. The pearl tower is the colorful centerpiece.

We didn't do this, since we didn't hav emuch time, but one can also take day or dinner boat trips on the Huanpu river. I highly recommend heading to a bar or restaurant on either side for a wonderful view. We had dinner at M on the Bund and it was wonderful.

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Stretching 1.5 kilometers along the Huangpu River, the Bund is undoubtedly Shanghai’s most famous location. Famous for its grand old buildings with ornate facades and decadent interiors, the Bund is buzzing day and night.

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The Bund is a must for all visitors to Shanghai, is famous both at home and abroad.
On the Bund stand many tall buildings of different styles. They used to be the political, economic and cultural headquarters for the capitalist countries in the West to exercise control over Shanghai. From the architectural point of view, these high building are identical in their architectural tone and their skylines are harmonious though they were designed by different architects and constructed at different times in the early 20s and 30s. These buildings, in a way, are one of the architectural complexes, symbolizing the city of Shanghai and it is now being built into a new financial and commercial centre.
Bank of China was built in 1934. Standing out on the riverside skyline with latticed windows and cornice at the top, the Bank of China combines the Chinese national style with modern-day western architecture characteristics. Today, the bank building is 60 inches lower than its neighbor. Its neighbor is the north section of Peace Hotel. It was built in 1929. The building with a green pyramidal roof is one of the most prominent structures on the Bund. Completed in 1928 and owned by Victor Sassoon, a Jewish merchant, it was once the most deluxe hotel in Shanghai, known as Cathay Hotel.Standing out on the riverside skyline with latticed windows and The south section of Peace Hotel was built in 1906. It was the place where Jiang Jie Shi and Song Mei Ling got married in 1909. The first elevator in Shanghai of OTIS was installed here.
The building with a clock on the top is the Shanghai Customs House. The Customs House is a classical building with a fine neo-Grecian metalwork portico and four giant columns of Doric order. Inaugurated in 1927. it is of majestic proportions with a chock tower to top. The chimes from the chock tower are clearly audible with echoes fading into the distance. It is said that this clock is one of the three in the world. The other two are in London and Moscow.

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My hotel was 4 minutes walk from the Bund. The Bund promenade is a walkers paradise, hugging the shore of the busy Huangpu River and presenting panoramic views of the old Shanghai immediately west and new Shanghai on the eastern shore. Nearly everyone who comes to The city walks the length of this embarkment. River cruises depart almost hourly from the docks on its southern end. The views at night of the Bund and Pudong ( oriental pearl tv tower, jin mao tower & other skyscrappers) while walking the promenade are truely spectacular and must not be missed.