Bumming around the Bund in Shanghai

 

The Bund offers a spectacular view of the Pudong business district on the opposite side of the Huangpu River with its gleaming skyscrapers. The promenade is the place where selfies are a must.

The Bund is the pride of Shanghai, if not of all China. It is the strip on the west bank of the Huangpu River where the foreign powers first settled, just north of the old city. It is home to many historic buildings of different architectural styles influenced by the multicultural heritage of the foreigners who carved out their own quarters collectively called the international settlement. It is a great place for the visitor to bum around as there are many sights, sounds and tastes from its cosmopolitan past to be savoured at a leisurely pace.

At nightfall join the throngs of locals and tourist on a stroll along the bund for a spectacular view of the skyline.

The old Meteorological Signal Tower is a historic landmark built in 1907 at the southern end of the Bund. A cafe and bar with rooftop deck offers stunning panoramic views of the Bund and Huangpu River and the Pudong skyline on the opposite bank.

The Signal Tower viewed from the Huangpu River.

Nanjing Road East is a pedestrian mall where you can shop till you drop or feast till you burst. A small electric tram will help relieve your tired feet.

This plaza along Nanjing Road is a popular meeting spot.

The Post Office Museum houses a collection of postage stamps and other postal paraphernalia covering over a century. In the glass roofed backyard are parked antique post vans including a horse-drawn carriage, and an air-mail plane suspended from the ceiling.

Taking wedding photos against the historic Waibaidu Bridge (Garden Bridge in English). It was built in 1908, the first and only surviving camel-back truss steel bridge in China. Crossing over of the Suzhou Creek near where it flows into the Huangpu River, the bridge was virtually rebuilt following the original plans, befitting its status as heritage architecture. In the background is the famed Broadway Mansions Hotel.

The Monument to the People’s Heroes commemorates
the sacrifice of the martyrs during the Opium Wars. There are plaques and bas-reliefs detailing those heroic moments.

Rush hour on the Bund’s arterial highway. As office workers head home, tourists and locals pour in for the colourful nightlife.

Wide boulevards and floodlit buildings provide a romantic setting for visitors thronging the Bund at night.

The HSBC Building (left) resplendent in its neo-classical architecture complete with a domed roof, once reputed to be the most luxurious building east of Suez. On the right is the Customs House topped by a four sided clock tower that chimes out “The East is Red!”

This stretch of the Bund features three prominent buildings, the tallest from left: the AIA Building (formerly the North China Daily News Building) with twin domes, the Fairmont Peace Hotel (formerly Sassoon House) unmistakable for its pyramid roof, and the old Bank of China Building, with a history linked to the brother of the famed Soong sisters, among others.

You can cruise the river on your choice of vessels and luxury levels. Those on a budget can opt for the ferry (boarding south of the Signal Tower) which will take you to the Pudong side.

The Monument to the People’s Heroes is a focal point
on the Bund in night view.