The Bund, Waterfront promenade in Shanghai, China
The Bund is a waterfront promenade along the western bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, stretching for roughly a mile and a half and gathering 26 buildings with different European architectural styles. The facades display Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical and Art Deco elements side by side.
The area developed between 1860 and 1930 into a major trading port after the Treaty of Nanking allowed foreign banks and firms to establish branches in Shanghai. British, French and American institutions built their headquarters here, which explains the architectural variety.
The old colonial buildings still carry inscriptions and facade details from the time when European trading firms had their headquarters here. Today many of these structures house banks, luxury hotels and restaurants, with their historical entrance halls and staircases often open to the public.
The promenade is quieter during the day and busier in the evening when the Pudong skyline across the river is lit up. Pedestrian crossings link the different sections, and ferries dock along the riverbank.
The buildings form one of the largest collections of Art Deco architecture outside New York and Miami, dating mostly from the late 1920s. Some facades still show original lamps and bronze fixtures from that era.
Location: Shanghai
Address: Zhong Shan Dong Yi Lu, Waitan, Huang Pu Qu, Shang Hai Shi, China, 200002
GPS coordinates: 31.23803,121.48614
Latest update: December 5, 2025 12:29
Shanghai brings together the past and the present in a single city. The Bund lines up colonial facades from the 1920s and 1930s directly across from the Lujiazui skyline, where glass towers rise on the opposite bank of the river. In the narrow lanes of the French Concession, old plane trees shade historic townhouses while just a few blocks away the new city center climbs with office towers and shopping malls. This mix defines the whole cityscape. The city preserves its religious and cultural roots in active temples such as Longhua and Jing'an, which stand in the middle of modern neighborhoods. The Ming Dynasty Yu Garden remains surrounded by traditional teahouses even as contemporary shops have grown up around it. Water towns like Zhujiajiao and Qibao sit on the outskirts and show how life looked centuries ago in the region. Museums such as the Shanghai Museum and the China Art Museum collect art and history from different eras. For families there are the Ocean Aquarium, Shanghai Disneyland, and the Science and Technology Museum. Places like Tianzifang, M50 Creative Park, and Duolun Road reveal contemporary cultural life in converted old buildings. Each neighborhood has its own character, from the wide boulevards at People's Square to the small workshops along old industrial structures like 1933 Old Millfun.
Shanghai blends centuries of history into a cityscape that shifts from one district to the next. Along the Huangpu River, the Bund lines up colonial buildings from the early 20th century, while across the water in Pudong, glass and steel towers rise hundreds of feet into the air. In older neighborhoods, Buddhist temples sit near traditional gardens where pavilions and ponds follow designs from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The French Concession spreads out with tree-lined streets and low brick houses that now hold cafes and small shops. Converted factories and warehouses have become art spaces and museums. Yu Garden winds through courtyards and corridors built in the 1500s, while water towns like Zhujiajiao and Qibao keep their canals and stone bridges from centuries past. Nanjing Road connects old and new with its mix of department stores and neon signs. In Xintiandi and Tianzifang, narrow lanes of restored shikumen houses now hold restaurants and boutiques. Places like the Power Station of Art, Rockbund Art Museum, and 50 Moganshan Road turn industrial spaces into galleries. The view from Shanghai Tower or the World Financial Center stretches across the entire city, showing the scale of this metropolis.
HSBC Building
100 m
Shanghai Natural History Museum
593 m
Broadway Mansions
738 m
Huangpu Park
653 m
Sassoon House
535 m
Customs House
284 m
Shanghai Club Building
284 m
Holy Trinity Church
395 m
Rockbund Art Museum
645 m
Bank of China Building
402 m
Monument to the People's Heroes
703 m
Bund Center
516 m
Former Consulate-General of the United Kingdom, Shanghai
722 m
Union Building
217 m
Asia Building
705 m
Palace Hotel
535 m
Bank of Taiwan Building
368 m
Brookside Apartments
284 m
Jardine Matheson Building
535 m
Headquarter Buildings of Y.W.C.A
669 m
Gutzlaff Signal Tower
352 m
Russo-Chinese Bank Building
192 m
Yokohama Specie Bank Building
338 m
Great Northern Telegraph Company Building
106 m
上海中汇大厦
760 m
Banque de l'Indochine Building
568 m
China Merchants Bank Building
148 m
Glen Line Building
535 mReviews
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A particularly impressive mythical walk at night!
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