The Bund is one of the most characteristic places of Shanghai and its photos appear in most guides and websites about the city. It is the promenade next to the river where most of the foreign companies settled after the Opium Wars and the first mad rush into Chinaīs market and it seems to split this area into the old city and the new city.
I arrived at the Bund from Nanjing Road, so I was facing the area of Pudong, built around during the nineties to encourage business. The view is breathtaking as you can see the highest sky-scrapers (which, as most things Chinese, have a little Chinese twist and have a peculiar design), the famous television tower with its Pearls (which you can visit and go to the top to get some more Shanghai views provided itīs just rained and thereīs less pollution so you can see something). If you go in the evening everything lights up to give you the impression of a modern city living in the future. Itīs like looking into some science fiction city.
The promenade is really wide and has trees, benches and areas to rest. There are plenty of kiosks to buy drinks and ice-creams in the summer and if you are lucky and are there at the right time you can observe the Shanghainese practising Qigong, ball-room dancing, or Chinese calligraphy on the floor. It is very long, so you can get a good walk or even use it to go jogging (but beware of the pollution, as you will probably choke without some oxigen).
It is not the quietest place in the world though. As in any other city in China, there are many people and they all seem to meet in the same places. At the weekends, the Bund is a place where families go to take the kids, and there are plenty of people trying to make business as well by selling toys, souvenirs, etc. as well as beggars, which if you are not careful will run after you for a while. If you are a foreigner you are also likely to get stared at, although Shanghainese are quite used to Westerners, many people from outside the city that are visiting are not, so be prepared for people staring at you and even asking you to be in a photo with little old nan or the kid.
On the other side of the Bund, you find the "collonialist" area where most foreign companies settled down. They buildings are grand and also seem to take you to another era. Most of them are in good condition and also look great in the evening with all the lights on.
The river always surprises foreigners because itīs sooo wide and itīs full of barges carrying merchandise up and down the river. Itīs just like a road.
Along the river, you can board the tourist boats that will take you across or give you a little tour of the river. I didnīt try this, as I preferred to walk on my own and was getting fed up of people staring at me (thereīs only sooo much you can take).
Regarding safety, I didnīt have any problems and didnīt feel threatened at any time (I am a girl and was travelling on my own at the time). And Chinese friends assure me that foreigners have nothing to worry about.
If you ever go to Shanghai, donīt miss it.
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Sightseeing
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