Shanghai

The Bund

A riverfront of early-20th-century banks and hotels, facing the Pudong skyline

By EvanFacts reviewed 4 October 2026

Why it's worth the trip

Come as the light fades and stand on the raised walk above the river. Behind you runs a row of grand stone banks and hotels, with domes, columns and a clock tower. Across the Huangpu, the glass towers of Pudong rise from the far bank. Then the lights come on along both shores. The old stone fronts turn gold, the towers glow and flicker, and lit-up boats slide past below.

Most of these buildings went up about a century ago, when foreigners ran this part of Shanghai. This riverfront was where their banks, trading firms and clubs showed off to every ship coming up the river. The far bank was another world. Until the government opened Pudong for development in 1990, Lujiazui was crowded ferry landings, narrow lanes and makeshift houses, and every tower you see there has gone up since. So you stand between two skylines, one about a hundred years old and the other little more than thirty.

It is free, with no gate to pass, so come twice if you can, once by day and once after dark. Each bank is best seen from the other. From the Bund you look across at Pudong's towers; to see the old stone row itself lit up, cross the river and look back from the Pudong riverside. On a first evening, walk the Bund south from Waibaidu Bridge past the old banks and hotels. Then take the Metro one stop under the river from East Nanjing Road for the view back.

Don't miss

Look along the river from Waibaidu Bridge
At the north end, an old steel bridge crosses Suzhou Creek just before it flows into the Huangpu. Stop in the middle and look south: the whole row of old buildings curves away along the river, with Pudong's towers rising on the left.
Look up inside an old bank
Inside No. 12, the former HSBC building, look up at the dome of the eight-sided entrance hall. Its mosaics of the zodiac and of eight cities where the bank had branches, from London to Calcutta, were plastered over in the 1950s and uncovered only in the late 1990s. Visits are free but have to be booked ahead through the bank, so check the current arrangement before you go.
Cross the river by ferry
From the Jinling Road East pier at the south end, the public ferry crosses the Huangpu in a few minutes, alongside commuters. Turn round on deck and the whole Bund spreads out behind you. It lands at Dongchang Road on the Pudong side.

Fitting it in

Time to give it: An hour or two to walk the Bund from end to end and back, longer if you wait for the lights. Crossing to Pudong for the view back adds about an hour.
When to go: Arrive before dusk and stay until it is fully dark. The city switches the lights on and off on a fixed schedule rather than at sunset, and keeps them on longer on some public holidays, so check the time for your date. From Friday to Sunday and on public holidays, the lights may add colour and slow movement. For a quiet walk, come in the hour after sunrise, when the sun comes up behind the Pudong towers. Avoid public holiday evenings if you can. On the first day of the October holiday in 2024, more than 460,000 people came and police ran one-way routes.
Pair it with: Nanjing Road East, Shanghai's best-known shopping street, runs inland from the Bund towards People's Square. For Pudong, take Metro Line 2 one stop from East Nanjing Road to Lujiazui; the Shanghai Tower is about ten minutes' walk from there. Yu Garden and the old town are a short taxi ride south.
Who can skip it: If you want the Shanghai of lanes and neighbourhoods, the Bund is the city's grand front, not where people lived. Give the time to the old lanes of the former French Concession instead. If crowds wear you out, skip the evening and come at sunrise. Short of time? A Huangpu river cruise shows you both banks in one go.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Bund worth visiting?

Yes, especially from dusk into dark. On the riverside walk you have a row of century-old stone banks behind you and Pudong's glass towers across the water, and then both banks light up. It costs nothing. Give it an hour or two, and walk the full 1.5 kilometres from Waibaidu Bridge if you can.

What is the best time to visit the Bund?

From just before dusk until fully dark, for the lights. For a quiet walk, come in the hour after sunrise, when the sun rises behind Pudong. The lights follow a fixed city schedule rather than sunset, so check the time for your date. Avoid holiday evenings if you can: more than 460,000 people came on the first day of the October holiday in 2024.

Is the Bund free?

Yes. The Bund is an open riverside walk with no ticket and no gate, by day or night. You pay only for extras such as a river cruise or the public ferry to Pudong. Some old bank halls can be visited free too, some with a sign-in at the door and some by booking; the arrangements change, so check before you go.

When do the Bund lights come on?

In the early evening, at a time set by the city rather than at sunset. The Bund and Lujiazui light up together and switch off later the same evening, and on some public holidays they stay on longer. From Friday to Sunday and on public holidays, the display may add colour and slow movement. The times change with the season, so check them for your date and be in place a little early.

Where is the best view of the Bund?

From the opposite bank, because each side is best seen from the other. From the Bund you see Pudong's towers; from the Pudong riverside you see the old stone row lit up. The two are one stop apart on Metro Line 2, or a few minutes by public ferry. For the view along the whole curve, stand on Waibaidu Bridge at the north end.

Sources: Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau: Bund and Lujiazui lighting schedule (2024)Meet in Shanghai (Shanghai tourism): Huangpu ferry piers at Jinling Road East and Dongchang RoadCailian Press: 462,000 visitors on the Bund waterfront, 1 October 2024The Paper: the Customs House at 90 and its clock (2017)The Paper: what Lujiazui looked like before 1990 (2015)