Neighbourhood guide

The Bund

The Art Deco riverfront

Shanghai

The vibe

The Bund lines up some fifty Neoclassical and Art Deco buildings over about 1.5 km, facing the towers of Pudong. The raised promenade along the Huangpu offers China’s most famous view, by day or night.

Good to know

The public ferry between the Bund and Pudong costs a few yuan and offers the same view as the cruises.

When to go

At sunset, then when the towers light up.

Getting there

Metro to East Nanjing Road (Lines 2 and 10), then a 10-minute walk.

The story

How the neighbourhood came to be

After 1842, foreign banks, trading houses and hotels settled along the river. The Peace Hotel, formerly the 1929 Cathay Hotel, hosted visiting celebrities, and its jazz band still plays. After decades of slumber, the façades were restored for the 2010 World Expo.

Did you know?

1The Custom House clock, from 1927, is nicknamed “Big Ching” after Big Ben.
2The name Bund comes from an Anglo-Indian word for an embankment.

Want to explore further?

See on the map Plan a day