The Bund Shanghai: a strip of land to behold
Shanghai, with all its history, culture, and people, has so many things to be proud of. On the surface, it may look like another industrialized city, but once a visitor explores deeply what's behind the city façade, he will surely be amazed at its profoundness. Sometimes, visitors tend to just look at the surface, without really knowing the story or history - and oftentimes, they'll be surprised at how rich it could be.
Let's take The Bund Shanghai for example. People may just treat it as another strip of land in Shanghai's busy streets where buildings and structures stand. However, if they just understand what The Bund Shanghai stands for, they'll learn that it has a rich history and story. Its name itself means so many things - and they all signify something in Shanghai's The Bund. Sometimes, what it really takes to know and appreciate a place is to grasp what it really is. Now, let's try to go in-depth with The Bund Shanghai.
The Bund Shanghai, a wide area in Huangpu District, runs along the western bank of Huangpu River. It refers to the many beautiful and unique buildings and wharves of the area. It carries dozens of historical buildings - from the late 19th century until now. The buildings of The Bund Shanghai were once offices, banks, and trading houses from Britain, France, USA, Russia, Germany, Japan, and other European countries. During the building boom of early 20th century, The Bund has become a major international financial center of East Asia. Many financial institutions from China and all over the world operated in this area. Even until now, The Bund Shanghai continues to house major national banks, international offices, hotels, and major financial centers.
The Bund is approximately one mile long that stretches the riverbank of the Huangpu River. It runs from Yan'an Road to Waibaidu Bridge and crosses Suzhou Creek. There lie 52 buildings of Western classical and modern styles - a main feature of The Bund. These various structural designs make The Bund Shanghai a famous and sought-after attraction in Shanghai. The architectural types are patterned and modeled from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco.
If you want to see authentic architectural styles from the past centuries, or if you want to experience walking along a historically gifted area, then undoubtedly, The Bund Shanghai is the place to be - where history, culture, influence, and style merge.
