Of all the sights evocative of the splendor and decadence of old Shanghai, none is singularly more impressive then the Bund.
Getting its name from an Anglo-India word meaning "muddy embankment," the Bund rolls down a million dollar mile along the west bank of Shanghai's most essential waterway, the Huangpu River. It's on this swampy riverbank where Shanghai's previous taipans (heads of trading houses) erected these monuments of wealth. The Bund still remains Shanghai's number one tourist site and with all the things to see in Shanghai, this is the one that can't be missed. Running the length of the Bund is Zhongshan East Road, a major thoroughfare that can be crossed by tunnels or pedestrian bridges.
Bund Today
Today's Bund is as evocative of Shang hai's yesteryears with hints of the city's tomorrow. The once teeming wharves have been moved further downstream, though the Bund is still a great place to view the Huangpu River's ship traffic. When the foreigners left, control of the buildings was assumed by the state though very few continued to perform their original functions. The Peace Hotel, the AIA Building and the Shanghai Customs House, though no longer holding the eminent prestige of the past, have persisted throughout the march of time. On the Bund, one of the city's classiest restaurants serves martinis and haute cuisine while providing stunning views of the Huangpu and Pudong.
