The Bund

History, Highlights and Features

For years, it had been the first sight that people saw – and identified Shanghai with – upon reaching Shanghai’s shores. At night, the whole area turns into a spectacular display of colours as the buildings are bathed in multi-coloured lights. There are also other attractions worth exploring here.

On the north end, the Waibaidu Bridge marks the point where Suzhou Creek meets the Huangpu River, and where once stood a wooden toll bridge in the 19th century. On the rivershore stands a granite obelisk called the Monument to the People's Heroes, dedicated to Chinese patriots dating back from the 1840s. At the base of the monument is a small museum, the Bund History Museum, which contains a few artifacts and some historical documents relating to The Bund. Located just south of the monument is a public park called Huangpu Gongyuan, which was originally christened the British Public Gardens in 1868. Back then, only Englishmen were allowed access into the park; Chinese people were only allowed entrance when they were accompanied by their British masters. This explains the infamous sign at the entrance that says “No Chinese or Dogs Allowed”. The park eventually opened to everyone, including the Chinese, in 1926.

Right across from the Peace Hotel down south is the entrance to the Asia’s first underwater pedestrian tunnel, the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel. Connecting downtown Shanghai to Pudong New Area, the tunnel itself is a major tourist attraction with hydraulic lifts, automatic electric tram cars and audio-visual displays. State-of-the-art technology is used in giving visitors an exciting audio-visual experience consisting of background music and visual representations of Shanghai’s people, culture, history, science and technology, as they pass through the tunnel to the other side of the riverbank.