Shanghai Bund: A Free Walking Tour of Historic Architecture

It is possible to see many major sites in Shanghai for free. Join me as I visit several locations along the northern part of the classic Bund (or Waitan) next to the Huangpu in central Shanghai. I pass by all the buildings but focus on the HSBC, Cathy Peace Hotel, Península Hotel and former British Consulate. The Bund or Waitan is a waterfront area and a protected historical district in central Shanghai. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road (East Zhongshan Road No.1) within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River in the eastern part of Huangpu District. The area along the river faces the modern skyscrapers of Lujiazui in the Pudong District. The Bund usually refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent areas. This region has a significant European influence, with the style of many structures most comparable to that of European cities, particularly Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romanesque, Art Deco, and Renaissance architecture. Additionally, some of the city's top eateries are located there. From the 1860s to the 1930s, it was the rich and powerful centre of the foreign establishment in Shanghai, operating as a legally protected treaty port. The HSBC Building (also known as the Municipal Government Building) is a six-floor neo-classical building in the Bund area of Shanghai, China. It served as the headquarters of the Shanghai branch of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation from 1923 to 1955, and currently houses the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. The building is situated at number 12, the Bund. Designed by the British architecture firm Palmer & Turner Architects and Surveyors, construction of the building lasted from 5 May 1921 to 23 June 1923. The Peace Hotel is a hotel on The Bund in Shanghai, China, which overlooks the surrounding areas. The hotel has two different buildings.