The Bund, Shanghai, China

The Bund: Where Shanghai’s Two Centuries Stand Facing Each Other

The Bund’s most historically revealing building is the HSBC building at Number 12, which has a dome painted with murals depicting the world’s major trading cities as they looked in 1923: London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Shanghai, Tokyo, Calcutta. The dome was plastered over in 1956 and not rediscovered until 1997, when renovation uncovered it intact. The image of those eight cities as imperial commercial power saw them, Shanghai included, is a more honest representation of what the Bund actually was than any heritage-tourism framing: a colonial banking district operating at the intersection of empire and trade.

The Bund runs 1.5km along the western bank of the Huangpu River. On one side: 52 neo-classical and Art Deco buildings built by foreign banking interests from the 1840s to 1930s. On the other: Pudong’s glass towers built in the 30 years after 1990. No two centuries of urban history have been positioned to stare at each other across a river quite like this. No two centuries of architectural history have ever been so directly positioned to stare at each other across a river.

The Promenade

The Bund promenade is free to walk at any hour. The morning before 8am has the lightest crowds and the best air quality. The evening view from here, looking across to the Pudong towers as the neon starts up around 7pm, is the famous shot and it earns its fame. The promenade stretches from Suzhou Creek in the north to Yan’an Road in the south; allow an hour to walk it properly with stops.

The northern section near the Waibaidu Bridge has the best concentration of original 1920s-era detail: the door handles, street lamps, and bronze railings have been preserved through successive restorations. The Peace Hotel at Number 20 is the grandest surviving building; the lobby is worth entering regardless of whether you’re staying.

The Buildings

Most of the Bund buildings have been converted to hotels, offices, and high-end restaurants. Number 3 The Bund is a multi-level complex with restaurants from the third through sixth floors and a rooftop bar that is overpriced but positioned well. Number 18 The Bund houses the Glam nightclub on the top floors and a shopping arcade below.

The Bund History Museum, accessed through a small entrance near the promenade’s southern end, is free and covers the colonial history of the international settlements in surprisingly objective detail. Worth 30 minutes.

Where to Eat

Mr. and Mrs. Bund on the sixth floor of Number 18 does French bistro food adapted for Shanghainese tastes; the lemon tart is routinely cited as one of the better desserts in Shanghai. Dinner for two runs ¥400-600. Book ahead. For something much cheaper: the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant in Yu Garden, a 15-minute walk south of the Bund’s southern end, has been serving xiaolongbao since 1900. The ground floor counter service is ¥48 for 16 dumplings. The upper floors have table service and slightly better seats at double the price.

Lost Heaven at Number 38 does Yunnan minority cuisine: wildflower salads, mushroom soups, and pork dishes from the border regions. Less well-known than the other Bund restaurants; considerably more interesting food than the European options.

Getting Around

The Bund is accessible by Metro Line 2 (East Nanjing Road station) or by taxi. The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel under the Huangpu is a psychedelic laser-light tram ride that takes 5 minutes from The Bund to Pudong and costs ¥50; it is completely absurd and entirely worth doing once. A Huangpu River night cruise runs from multiple operators on the Bund waterfront; the one-hour route costs ¥100-180 and is better at 9pm than at sunset.

The Peninsula Shanghai hotel at Number 32 has a lobby bar with a live jazz ensemble from 5pm that doesn’t require a reservation to attend; the cocktails are expensive and the room is exceptional.