The Bund is an area of Huangpu District which runs along the west bank of Huangpu River. With length of 1,700 meters, the Bund extending from Waibaidu Bridge (Garden Bridge in English) in the north to East-2 Zhongshan Road in the south is world-known destination and landmark of Shanghai. The Bund usually refers to the building and wharves on this section of road. Facing Huangpu River, the Bund houses 52 buildings of various architectural styles including Gothic, Romanesque, Renaissance, Neo-Classical and Art Deco so that it is nicknamed the world expo of architectures.
Before 1842, the Bund was a desolate area and there weren’t any protective facilities along the bank. According to Treaty of Nanjing which was signed after the First Opium War, Shanghai was forced to open as treaty port and the Bund began its development. In November of 1843, a British captain was sent to Shanghai and he asked for a piece of land on the bank of Huangpu River as the British settlement. Later, French and American settlements were combined. Since then, the Bund had gradually come into being. At the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century, a building boom led to Shanghai becoming a financial center of East Asia, which helped Shanghai step into its modern times. By 1940s, many buildings served as the headquarters of financial institutions running in China. After founding of People’s Republic of China, these institutions were moved out and buildings were converted to other uses.
The Bund experienced renovation in 1990s. A great change took place in Shanghai after a visit by Deng Xiaoping in 1992. In the next year, the plan for renewal and renovation of the Bund was finalized. The Bund resumed its role as financial hub. Chen Yi Square is a famous spot on the Bund. The only bronze statue of Chen Yi (the first communist mayor of Shanghai) standing on the square. On weekends, the concert is held in the front of the statue of Chen Yi. A pedestrian transit tunnel between East Nanjing Road and Oriental Pearl TV Tower crosses the Huangpu River. It only takes about 2.5 to 5 minutes to reach the other bank of the river. The spare space in the tunnel is also fully used to demonstrate various kinds of pictures related with history, culture, technology and scenery of Shanghai.
The Bund is a must-see destination in Shanghai for tourists.