The Bund - the old historical & cultural district in Shanghai
Last Update: 7th October 2020
Located by the Huangpu River in Shanghai, the Bund is 1.5 kilometers long. It starts from Yan’an East Road in the south, and ends at the Waibaidu Bridge on the Suzhou River in the north. The old Shanghai financial and foreign trade institutions are situated in the west. After Shanghai became a commercial port, foreign banks, commercial firms, chambers of commerce, and newspaper offices sprung up here. The Bund became the financial center of the country and even the Far East at that time.
The Bund Fast Facts
- Chinese Name: Waitan (外滩)
- Length of The Bund: 1.5 kilometers
- Things to do there: Photography, Architecture, Chinese History, Walking
- Who visits: Photographers, Chinese Culture and History Lovers, Adventure Enthusiasts
- Time required: 1 – 2 x Hours
Interested in visiting The Bund on a Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including The Bund, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.
What to expect at The Bund
52 classical buildings of different styles stand at the Bund. The building complex is one of the important historical sites and representative buildings of modern China and one of Shanghai’s landmarks.
There, you will find Neoclassical walls and Baroque wall, such as British, Italian, French, Spanish and so on. There are tens of historical buildings, including the Asia Building at No. 1 which was built in 1913, the Nisshin Shipping Building built in 1925, the HSBC Building built in 1925, General Assembly – United Kingdom, Sassoon House which is the tallest building at the Bund, etc. The buildings at No. 3, No. 6 and No.18 have been refurbished and developed into high-end leisure shopping and entertainment venues.
In addition, you can explore the Huangpu Park which is the oldest European Park built in 1868, Waibaidu Bridge, and Bund Sightseeing Tunnel and overlook the Oriental Pearl Tower at the Bund.
Best time to visit The Bund
If you are planning to visit the Bund for photography purposes, the best time to visit is in the evening.
The best months to visit are from April to June and from September to October.
How to get to The Bund
There are several buses passing by the Bund. Therefore, there are several options.
- Rent a vehicle to the Bund. This is the quickest and most direct option.
- Take Bus 33, 37, 55, 65, 71, 135, 145, 305, 307, 317, 320, 330, 576 and Bus 934 to the Bund.
- Take Sightseeing Bus Line 1, Line 3 and Line 5 to the Bund.
Additional The Bund Travel Advice
- Opening hours: 24 hours (the Bund); 08:00 – 22:30 (Monday – Thursday for the Sightseeing Tunnel) and 08:00 – 23:00 (Saturdays and Sundays for the Sightseeing Tunnel)
- Admission fee: free
- As at 7th October 2020, the entrance pricing to the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is 50 CNY per person for one-way and 70 CNY per person for the round-trip. Children under 1m tall (1m tall not included) are free of charge. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
- The building at No. 1 at the Bund, Peach Hotel, Bank of China Building, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Building, Shanghai Archives (the Bund), Shanghai Telecom Museum and The Bund Historical Museum are open to the public.
- The landscape light at the Bund is opened from 19:00 to 23:00 in summer and from 18:00 to 22:00 in winter.
- The recommended route is as follows: Yuanmingyuan Road – Waibaidu Bridge – Huangpu Park – The Bund Historical Museum – Chen Yi Square – Financial Square – The Bund Signal Square – Take a ferry to cross the river at East Jinling Road – Pudong Lujiazui
Interested in visiting The Bund on a Tour?
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including The Bund, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.