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The Bund is a one-km long strip starting from the eastern tip of Yan’an...
The Bund is a one-km long strip starting from the eastern tip of Yan’an Road on the south and Waibaidu Bridge on the north. It is a raised promenade on the western bank of Huangpu River in Shanghai.
It runs from north to south paralleling Zhongshan East No. 1 Road flanked by the 22 heritage art deco buildings built during the concession era in 1920s and 1930s. Across the river stands the skyline of the futuristic skyscrapers, a sharp contrast with the old buildings by the Bund.
Strolling along the Bund is the first thing to do in Shanghai if you visit Shanghai for the first time. It is the most awesome urban city walk in the world though you may have your own favorites such as Piccadilly in London, Champs-Elysees in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York and Victoria in Hong Kong.
Various options to get to the Bund given the different locations you stay in Shanghai. The most used way of travel is to take the subway line 2 and 10, then get off at the station of East Nanjing Road.
It is less than a 10-minute walk along East Nanjing Road to the Bund. But very often it takes you much longer time as you may be distracted by East Nanjing Road itself, the most popular shopping traffic-free shopping street in Shanghai, plus so many people moving on relatively narrow sidewalks in the east direction of the Bund.
If you are an early riser, come to the Bund to see the first sunshine lights on your new day, the magnificent sunrise over the forest of the high-rises.
An interesting bonus is the Taichi crowd and morning exercises that enliven the Bund, a great way to mix with the locals.
A daytime walk on the Bund gives you a clear picture of the Pudong Skyline, a remarkable achievement in the past decade. Here you can see the second highest building in the world plus plenty of dazzling skyscrapers.
The modern skyline is sharply contrasted by the elegant historic Concession buildings on the Bund. If you have enough visit time, you are recommended to walk through the Peace Hotel or Fairmont, just across from the Bund, viewing the Art Deco interiors which meet or surpass those in Europe or North America.
The Bund is at its best when night falls, sandwiched by the two strips of the illuminated buildings, ultra-modern and historic Concession buildings with lit-up boats plying on Huangpu River.
The dreamy nigh neon show attracts huge crowds of visitors from so many cultures, young and old, all enjoying the views. It is a great place full of energy, people-watch, a unique night during your Shanghai tour.
When the sun sets, it is a good option to take the river cruise for better views of the amazing lights on the both sides of the river with the Bund on the west and the Pudong skyline on the east, flowing through a fairyland.
At present, there are two kinds of cruises on Huangpu River – Highlight Cruise (RMB 100: 1 hour) and Classic Cruise (RMB 150: over 3 hours). Buy your tickets at Shiliupu Wharf ( No.171, Zhongshan South Road ), 15 minutes' walk south of the centeral area of the Bund.
Taking the cheap short ferry ride from the Bund to Pudong is a good option for viewing the awesome lights show on the river banks.
You may consider to see the skyline from one of the bars or restaurants on the Bund. For this, you may need to pay a high price drink.
Alternatively you may enter for dinner the Hakkanan in Building No. 18, or drinking cocktails on the rooftop bar of The Peace Hotel, a fantastic place to take the perfect photo of the Bund and the skyline.
There are few places to eat and drink on the Buns, and relatively expensive around the Bund. So make you have something to eat before or after your visit to the Bund. You may bring your own snacks and bottles water.
Each tourist place has itinerant vendors pushing you to buy, selling everything from Rolexes to sexy massages, an annoying act.
If a touts approaches you, just ignore them.
Anywhere around the world where there are larger groups of humans, there will be more opportunities for scams. The Bund has no exception.
Try to avoid striking a conversation with a strangers and deny their offering services. Be careful of the tea room scam and pickpocket.
You can find some pay toilets nearby. You are better off calmly entering a hotel close to the Bund.
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself bus route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Shanghai:
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