The Bund is famous for its western-style buildings built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The main feature of this place is the architectural style from the old colonial era to the new classical, Bux-art, Gothic and Baroque. It is surrounded by 22 heritage Art Deco buildings built between the 1920s and 1930s. We can also see modern skyscrapers in Lujiazui, Pudong District, near the river bank. It is often referred to as the ” Building Museum”. It has been one of Shanghai’s most popular tourist destinations for centuries, making the Bund a must-see. This is the pride of Shanghai.
The best way to appreciate buildings is to walk along the wall. As you browse through the architectural complexes, you can gain a better understanding of the century-old charm of this city.
The Bund has a very controversial history involved. China did not want Western powers to settle and trade in China, but in 1842 the first opium war in Shanghai was defeated. It was therefore forced to open under the Upliftment Agreement. According to the agreement, the Western powers demanded trade rights from China, which were then granted arbitration or concessions. After they settled, warehouses and trading houses were built along the Huangpu River. During that time the area was augmented by farmland and wetlands. The treaty, which was won by the British with the intention of dominating the people, was a disgrace to the Chinese. In 1863, the British and Americans merged to form international settlements, and the Bund continued to grow.
In the early decades, the Bund had only a few small offices. Large neo-classical and British colonial-style buildings were erected only in the late 19th century. Initially, trading companies dominated the Bund, but as sales in Shanghai increased, so did the financial institutions. By the early twentieth century, the largest industry in the city was the financial institutions. The Imperial Bank of China, the first Chinese bank, was opened in 1897. Banks such as the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) then opened on the Bund.
