For travel enthusiasts, there are actually two Bunds in Shanghai: the Zhongshan East 1st Road Bund and the Bund behind Zhongshan East 1st Road.
Behind the bustling and lively facade, you can find art exhibitions, century-old buildings, classic landmarks, and new internet-famous spots.
Let me take you on a stroll to savor this lesser-known Bund tour route!
Route: Huqiu Road (PERROTIN Gallery) → Beijing East Road (Swatch Art Peace Hotel) → Sichuan Middle Road → Sichuan Road Bridge → Shanghai Postal Museum → North Suzhou River Bank → Zhapu Road Bridge → Yuanmingyuan Road (Bund Origin) → Beijing East Road
Huqiu Road
Recommended Check-in Point: PERROTIN Gallery
Although Huqiu Road is only 334 meters long, there are quite a few places worth lingering along the way.
For example, food lovers can visit La Vierge vintage store on the 1st floor of No. 27, NNNF Coffee Shop at No. 45, and “Meet the Time You Want” Teahouse at No. 67.
Art enthusiasts can visit No. 27 Huqiu Road, where three galleries are worth exploring. The PERROTIN Gallery on the 3rd floor is highly recommended, with top ratings in terms of reputation. The gallery has branches in Paris, New York, Tokyo, and other places, and has collaborated with well-known artists such as Takashi Murakami and Daniel Arsham.
The exhibitions held from time to time are highly anticipated, and most require advance reservations. The gallery is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The Shanghai Bund Art Museum at No. 20 Huqiu Road still exudes a sense of historical depth from its architectural appearance. Scan the “Readable Architecture” QR code to learn about the Asian Society Building where the art museum is located.
Since the mid-19th century, the building has been a public cultural center and academic exchange center in Shanghai, and was once one of the earliest museums established in China. The current five-story building was rebuilt in 1932.
Until it ceased receiving visitors in 1952, the Asian Society Building had established cooperation relationships for collections and business with important international museums such as the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Many of the original collections can now be found in the Shanghai Natural History Museum and the Shanghai Museum.
Beijing East Road
Recommended Check-in Point: Swatch Art Peace Hotel
Beijing East Road runs parallel to Nanjing East Road. If you only walk a section of the Bund’s back street area, you can start from the Bund Origin at the easternmost end, which is known as the most diverse high-end shopping center in the Bund area in terms of brands and business formats.
Walking westward, find an angle to take a picture of the Oriental Pearl Tower. The contrast between the ancient Westernized buildings and the modern city landmark is a recommended photography angle by many experts.
At the intersection of Beijing East Road and Sichuan Middle Road, you cannot miss the “most mysterious building” on the Bund – the Swatch Art Peace Hotel! This five-story Baroque-style building features a stone façade, emphasizing curves and reliefs in the façade architectural elements.
After reopening in 2021, the Swatch Art Peace Hotel immediately became an “internet celebrity.” There are three ways to explore the interior: one is to book a stay at the hotel inside the building, which is said to be “hard to find a room”; the second is to go to The Living Room on the second floor on an afternoon to try coffee and light meals; the third is to directly make an appointment for an exhibition at the Viper Gallery on the third floor.
Sichuan Middle Road
Recommended Check-in Point: Shanghai Petroleum First Gas Station
Did you know? Adjacent to the Sichuan North Road Bridge is China’s first state-owned gas station – Shanghai Petroleum First Gas Station. The gas station was completed and put into operation in 1948, breaking the monopoly of the petroleum sales market by three foreign companies: Mobil, Texaco, and Asia.
In May 1949, Shanghai was liberated, and the gas station was taken over by the military control commission. In January 1950, the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government Public Bureau registered it and issued the “Business License No. 1”. Later, when Shanghai Petroleum Company numbered the gas stations, it was named “Station No. 1”.
After 70 years, the gas station renovation project was jointly planned and designed with the Suzhou River waterfront connectivity project. The renovation was completed at the end of October 2020, and the station debuted with a new look.
Now, outside the station, there are copper plates embedded in the green walkway, showing the major events of Shanghai Petroleum and displaying the development history of Shanghai Petroleum. Along the walkway on both sides, there are four gas pump models of the first, second, third, and the first domestic generation of Haisun brand, with introductions, showcasing the “evolution of gas pumps” and restoring that precious history.
The second floor of the gas station is the “Qin Qin Nong” coffee shop. With a cup of drink, preferably under the warm sun, you can sit outside and enjoy the view of the Suzhou River and the public landscape along the river, which is very pleasant.
Sichuan Road Bridge
Recommended Check-in Point: Shanghai Postal Museum
Sichuan Road Bridge, also known as “Libai Ferry Bridge”, connects Huangpu and Hongkou districts. It is a veritable internet-famous photography spot, where photography enthusiasts always gather on the bridge, with long lenses and short cannons, plus the exotic costumes of young men and women, creating a unique landscape.
Standing here, you can capture the “Lujiazui Four Pieces” as well as the Shanghai Postal Museum on the shore. This iconic building in the European Eclectic style has a unique British classical style, plus a Baroque clock tower, with a strong exotic atmosphere, which is very photogenic.
It is recommended that you visit the Shanghai Postal Museum. The building itself, completed in 1924, has stories to tell. There are also various historical materials and cultural relics on display, tracing the origin and development of the postal service.
The Shanghai Postal Museum is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with the last entry at 4:00 PM. For national holidays, separate notices will be given.
North Suzhou River Bank
Recommended Check-in Points: Zhapu Road Bridge, Riverside Origin
With the opening of the Suzhou River walkway, the renovated Suzhou River bank not only has historical heritage and a strong cultural atmosphere but also features diverse bridges and architectural styles, gradually becoming a great place for leisure, fitness, and entertainment.
Starting from the Postal Museum, walking along the North Suzhou River Road riverbank, you will pass through three special sections – the Postal Museum Messenger Garden section, the Bellagio Hotel Time Garden section, and the Shanghai Mansion Blue Dream Garden section.
By the waterfront, the greenery on both sides of the walkway is well-arranged. When tired, you can sit on the riverside benches to rest, stop to look at the sculptures rich in history and culture, or find a riverside coffee shop for a hot drink.
Don’t forget the Zhapu Road Bridge, which has already become a must-visit spot for photographers taking pictures of Shanghai and is an excellent location for capturing the scenery of the Shanghai Bund, only about 200 meters away from the Waibaidu Bridge.
Another great spot for taking photos is the Riverside Origin Observation Deck. As “the most Shanghai observation deck”, it allows the Waibaidu Bridge and Lujiazui “Four Pieces” to be perfectly framed together. At night, there are also lights, making it very beautiful.
Yuanmingyuan Road Bund Origin
Recommended Check-in Point: Image Art Special Exhibition “Looking Back: 9 Hidden Fragments of the Bund”
After passing the Shanghai Mansion and crossing the Waibaidu Bridge, you can either directly turn into South Suzhou River Road or enter from the former British Consulate at No. 1 Bund Origin to see a different Bund.
The 462-meter-long Yuanmingyuan Road is quiet yet elegant, with the renovation and preservation of old buildings being first-class. At the end of last year, Shanghai ROCKBUND announced that it would fully open in the first half of 2022, exactly 17 years after the official start of the Bund Origin development.
Strolling along Yuanmingyuan Road, you will encounter the Rowing Club, which was finally preserved on-site after several ups and downs, with partial reconstruction; the former Holy Trinity Church in the Victorian Roman style; the Zhen Guang Building, where the office of the famous architect Wudake was located; the Lanxin Building, the former site of Lanxin Theatre, one of Shanghai’s earliest theaters… They form a large outdoor architectural museum, with each building having a rich history.
Previously, few people had the opportunity to enter these buildings. Now, with the holding of the image art special exhibition “Looking Back: 9 Hidden Fragments of the Bund”, everyone can enter 4 of the buildings – the YWCA Building, the Hami Building, the Xiejin Building, and the Lanxin Building, without spending money.
If you want to visit other buildings in the area, you can choose to dine in the Yuanmingyuan Apartment or make an appointment to visit the Zhong’an Enterprise Exhibition Hall in the Zhongshi Building.
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