On sunny days the Bund in Shanghai the ideal place to soak in the diverse atmosphere of the city. I love to go for walks along this modern waterfront early mornings, before the tourist crowds arrive. As a visit to Shanghai would not be complete without a stroll along this beautiful waterfront, this place gets really packed in the afternoons, especially on smog free days.
Here are some random facts about the Bund that I have learnt during my many walks along this promenade.
1. The Bund translates to ‘Outer Beach’ and is situated along the western bank of the Huangpu River, the main river that runs through Shanghai. From here you have the ideal view of the modern Pudong skyline for which Shanghai is famous.
2. Yes, this riverfront boardwalk is touristy, but part of the fun of strolling down the Bund is checking out the people checking out other people. Local people often start their day by doing exercise at the Bund. Getting up early and joining them is a pleasant way to take in the real lifestyle of locals as this boardwalk gets extremely crowded in the afternoon or on public holidays.
3. The architecture along the Bund is a living museum of the colonial history of the 1800s on the one side contrasting with the hyper modern buildings on the opposite river bank. I have not yet explored these old buildings, I will leave that for cold winter days.
4. Due to the historical nature of the architecture along the Bund, there are limitations on the architecture of the surrounding area, so as not to mar the view or the architectural beauty of these grandiose old buildings that have finally been restored to their former glory. The buildings are a mix of several designs, including Baroque, Gothic, Classicism, Romanesque, and Renaissance styles.
5. In the evening, it is a world for the lovers. Whenever night comes, the light-flooded buildings on the Bund, like Crystal Palace, amaze both local and overseas visitors.
Where is your favourite waterfront area to go for a stroll to soak in the local atmosphere?
Janaline's world journey 
you had such a beautiful day weatherwise – so clear! Im jealous! wonderful photos!
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Oh yes, the city is often covered in a haze of smog so whenever it is a clear sunny day you have to take advantage of it. This was after a couple of days of rain so it cleared the air…
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Such beautiful spots you portrayed there. My favourite water-side location is the “Kordon”, a promenade in Izmir (Turkey) just next to the Aegean sea. You can observe marvellous sun sets from there and it’s also a great place for people-watching. 😉
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That is definitely an extremely beautiful water-side location! My favourite would be the boardwalk next to the coast in Blouberg, Cape Town!! So peaceful and also a great place to watch the sunset.
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We had a ~7 hour layover and got to walk the boardwalk, it was early in the morning and so few people it was amazing!!
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That is great, yes early morning the place is quiet and relaxing, it only gets busy after 11am.
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I love an early morning job along the Thames in London.
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Morning walks along a waterfront is always very refreshing!
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The last sequence of photos is my favourite, Janaline. The boat dock? And lovely patterns from the overheads 🙂 🙂
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Thank you Jo!! I also love those photos. The glass covering of the walkway creates a great effect on the photos. Gives it a bit of a futuristic look I think.
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nice holiday!
i go to mendocino 🙂
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Enjoy your holiday!!! At the moment I am working and living here in Shanghai so had a staycation!
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We visited here in October last year! It’s such a great city and the view of the skyline at night is awesome!! 😆
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We got to see the skyline in the early morning I can only imagine what it looked like at night! So cool!
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I agree, the skyline is beautiful during the day and stunning at night with all the different lights and colours.
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The expressions of the men on guard remind me of the ones on the faces of the guards at Buckingham palace.
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They do look very serious but at the same time a bit bored as well….
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