Boating along the Huangpu River, visitors could take a glimpse of the yesterday and today of Shanghai. On one side of the river is the bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, which is regarded as a landmark as well as the birthplace of Shanghai.

 

Four kilometers long, the Bund has long been one of the most important areas in Shanghai. The bund is dotted with various grandiose, solid buildings of western style dating back to the early 20th century. Due to these imposing buildings, the bund is also reputed as "an international exhibition of architecture". Compared to the west, east of the bund is a newly developing Shanghai.

 

At the northwestern end of the Bund was Huangpu Park (once called British Public Gardens). More of a pedestrian walkway than a conventional park, this area was also under the control of the Brits. It was forbidden territory to Chinese people for years, unless they were accompanying employers. Today, the park is free and open to everyone; it is a well-maintained walkway providing excellent views over the river to Pudong and down the river to the old Customs House and other colonial relics.

 

On the west side of the Bund are various towering buildings of different architectural styles, including Gothic, Baroque and Romanesque. The combination of these structures creates a unique boulevard that resembles the Liverpool Docks and 1920s New York City.

 

Today, the Bund is in the process of another transformation. The building, identified by a crowing dome, is the old Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, which was completed in 1921. For many years it has housed the Shanghai People’s Municipal Government. The statues that once lined the Bund no longer exist. The pair of bronze lions that once stood outside the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank are now housed at the Bund History Museum.

 

The pleasure of the Bund is that it is not simply a tourist strip but a place that everyone enjoys. At sunrise, the boulevard fills up with people of all ages practicing Tai Chi or dancing. In the day, while visitors file up and down the long strip, it is business as usual in many of these magnificent buildings. And, in the evenings, couples wander along the river front, holding hands and enjoying the spectacular city lights, buildings and atmosphere of the area which provide a continual reminder that Shanghai was, and in many ways still is, a foreign invention.

 

Now, a 646.7-meter-long sightseeing tunnel, connecting the bund to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is complete and was opened to the public in October 2000, through which visitors can experience a marvelous trip under water.