Attraction
Yu Garden
A Ming-dynasty private garden of rockeries, ponds and halls in Shanghai's Old City, begun in 1559 and set beside the Huxinting Teahouse and Yuyuan Bazaar.
The Bund
Shanghai's colonial-era waterfront, a 1.6-kilometre line of 52 banks, hotels and trading houses facing the Lujiazui skyline across the Huangpu River.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic waterfront
- Area
- Huangpu, Shanghai, China
Good to know
- Free access
- Riverside promenade
- Evening illuminations
- Ferry to Lujiazui nearby
Why we recommend it
The Bund is the curving stretch of the Huangpu River's western bank where foreign banks, trading firms and clubs built their headquarters when Shanghai was a treaty port. It began as part of the British settlement, which merged with the American settlement in 1863 to form the International Settlement, and from the 1860s to the 1930s it was the commercial heart of foreign Shanghai. By the 1940s most of China's major financial institutions had offices here. Many firms left for Hong Kong in the 1950s, and from the late 1970s the buildings were gradually returned to commercial and civic use.
The waterfront runs for about 1.6 kilometres and holds 52 buildings in a mix of styles, from Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance revival to Beaux-Arts and Art Deco. Look out for the Asia Building at No. 1, built for Shell, and the former Shanghai Club at No. 2. The domed HSBC Building at No. 12 was completed in 1923, and the Customs House next door at No. 13, with its large clock tower, followed in 1927. Further north, Sassoon House at No. 20 is now part of the Peace Hotel, and the Bank of China Building stands at No. 23. The slim Gutzlaff Signal Tower, whose current structure dates from 1907, is another survivor of the era.
The raised promenade sits on a flood wall built in the 1990s, and a major reconstruction finished in March 2010 moved much of the traffic underground and widened the walkway. Huangpu Park lies at the northern tip, with the People's Heroes Memorial Tower of 1993, and a bronze statue of Chen Yi, the only bronze statue on the Bund, stands near the junction with Nanjing Road. From the promenade you look straight across to the towers of Lujiazui in Pudong.
Come twice if you can: in daylight to study the facades, and after dark, when both banks are lit up each evening. Early morning is usually the calmest time. The promenade is free and open-air, and it gets very crowded on national holidays, so keep an eye on official crowd notices then.
There is no Bund metro station. The usual approach is from East Nanjing Road station on Lines 2 and 10, about five minutes' walk away. The Jinling Road ferry wharf at the southern end runs a short public ferry to Dongchang Road in Lujiazui, which is a cheap way to see the skyline from the water. River cruises also leave from wharves nearby.
The Bund FAQs
Is the Bund free to visit?
Yes. The promenade is a public waterfront with no admission charge.
How long is the Bund?
The waterfront runs for about 1.6 kilometres along the western bank of the Huangpu River.
What is the nearest metro station to the Bund?
East Nanjing Road station on Lines 2 and 10, about a five-minute walk away. There is no station called Bund.
When are the buildings lit up?
Buildings on both banks are illuminated each evening, so come after dark for the night view.
Which buildings should you look out for?
The HSBC Building at No. 12, the Customs House clock tower at No. 13, the Peace Hotel at No. 20 and the Bank of China Building at No. 23.
How can you cross to Pudong from the Bund?
The public ferry from Jinling Road wharf crosses to Dongchang Road in Lujiazui, and Line 2 runs under the river.
What is the best time to visit?
Early morning for quiet and evening for the lights. National holidays bring very large crowds.
What is nearby?
East Nanjing Road, Yu Garden and the Huangpu River ferries are all within walking distance.