The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu (East Zhongshan 1st Road), is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds a 1500 meters (less than one mile) length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower. Being one of the Top Ten Shanghai Attractions, the Bund is a really beautiful and special place which is worth visiting.
The newly-built Flood Control Bank takes the function of preventing the oversize flood; the square with the statue of Marshal Chen Yi is an open air podium which gives new views of the Shanghai Plaza Culture; the Cenotaph which stands on the man-made island is a monument of people's heroes; the riverside greenbelt, the Electronic Waterfall Bell, and the Great Mural Carving are all representatives of the Bund. The most famous and attractive sight which is at the west side of the Bund are the 52 various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance.
History of the Bund
Before the 1840s, the Bund was a muddy narrow lane with tall reeds. After Shanghai was established as the trading port in 1846, a street was paved there and the bank was reinforced. Then, rows of commercial buildings were constructed. As the UK Concession, the Bund is the starting point at which Shanghai walked into the modern times. It was the centre of Shanghai's politics, economy and culture hundreds of years ago, consulates of most countries and many banks, businesses and newspaper offices were settled there, and that's why we have these art-like buildings. Although they were not designed by the same person or built in the same period, the architectural pattern is similar.
Among the earliest banks established on the Bund, the most powerful ones are Jardine Mathrson & Co., Dent & Co. and David Sasson and Sons Company invested by Great Britain, and Russell & Co. sponsored by the United States. In 1868, today's Huangpu Park was set up there. At that time, it was named Bund Park, which is the oldest park in Shanghai. Until July 1st, 1928, the park started to be open to Chinese people. By 1930, the layout of the Bund had been formed.
On September 30, 1995, the Bund History Museum was opened. The museum collected many historical pictures as well as some representative literatures and tangible objects. It shows the 150 years' developing history of the Bund.
Brief Intro to the Famous Buildings on the Bund
The current East Wind Hotel on the Bund was founded up at the site of the exclusive Shanghai Club. It's a typical British classical architecture. It owned the longest bar counter at that time in a length of 110.7 inches.
The Grecian igloo was the past HSBC Building. Built in 1923, the British people once said it's the most splendid building from Suez Canal to Bering Strait.
Today's Peace Hotel once was the famous Sasson House. It's a ten-storied building, 77 meters high. In the past, it was the tallest building on the Bund. In 1992, Peace Hotel was entitled the World Famous Hot
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