China Guide
Shanghai
The Bund and around
Shanghai's original signature skyline, and the first stop for any visitor, is the Bund, a strip of grand colonial edifices on the west bank of the Huangpu River, facing the flashy skyscrapers of Pudong on the opposite shore. Since 1949, it's been known officially as Zhongshan Lu, but it's better known among locals as Wai Tan (literally "Outside Beach"). Named after an old Anglo-Indian term, "bunding" (the embanking of a muddy foreshore), the Bund was old Shanghai's commercial heart, with the river on one side, the offices of the leading banks and trading houses on the other. During Shanghai's riotous heyday it was also a hectic working harbour, where anything from tiny sailing junks to ocean-going freighters unloaded under the watch of British – and later American and Japanese – warships. Everything arrived here, from silk and tea to heavy industrial machinery. Amidst it all, wealthy foreigners disembarked to pick their way to one of the grand hotels through crowds of beggars, hawkers, black marketeers, shoeshine boys, overladen coolies and even funeral parties – Chinese too poor to pay for the burial of relatives would launch the bodies into the river in boxes decked in paper flowers.
Today, it's the most exclusive chunk of real estate in China, with pretensions to becoming the nation's Champs-Elysées; the world's most luxurious brands have set up shop here and there are a clutch of celebrity restaurants (though if you just want to eat, rather than have a gourmet experience, choice is rather limited).
Among the architectural highlights, the big name is the Peace Hotel, formerly the famous Cathay Hotel when it was one of the most fashionable in the country. Next door, at no. 19 The Bund, the Bank of China was designed in the 1920s with a Chinese roof topping its Art Deco edifice, creating a delightful juxtaposition of styles that has since been endlessly copied. Number 18 The Bund was originally the Chartered Bank of India and Australia, but today is home to the city's ritziest shops. If you want to spot Chinese celebrities, this is the place.
Huangpu River tours
Opening time: Jetty ticket office: daily 8am–4.30pm
Price: ¥45–150
Address: Depart from a wharf near the end of Nanjing Dong Lu
One highlight of a visit to Shanghai, and the easiest way to view the edifices of the Bund, is to take one of the Huangpu River tours.
The hour-long round trip south to the Yanpu Bridge costs ¥45, while the slightly longer trip to Nanpu Bridge costs ¥65 and takes two hours, but the classic cruise here is the three-hour-long, sixty-kilometre journey to the mouth of the Yangzi and back. There are departures daily at 9am and 2pm, and tickets cost between ¥90 and ¥120, with the higher prices offering armchairs, a higher deck, tea and snacks. On this, you're introduced to the vast amount of shipping that uses the port, and you'll also be able to inspect all the paraphernalia of the shipping industry, from sampans and rusty old Panamanian-registered freighters to sparkling Chinese navy vessels. You'll also get an idea of the colossal construction that is taking place on the eastern shore, before you reach the mouth of the Yangzi River itself, where the wind kicks in and it feels like you're almost in open sea. There are also two-hour-long night cruises, with boats departing at 7 and 8.30pm (¥78; ¥150 with buffet dinner). Note that tours do not run in foggy or windy weather.