The Bund, Shanghai
The Bund
The picturesque Bund, Shanghai's waterfront promenade stretching
for one mile (2km) along the bank of the Huangpu River, was once
the most famous street in Asia, and is still renowned for its strip
of Art Deco buildings. One of the grandest of these buildings,
formerly the City Communist Party headquarters, is now the home of
the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. The wide riverfront promenade
on the east bank of the river provides a captivating view of
Shanghai, particularly at night. From the Bund visitors can take a
river trip down the Huangpu to the mouth of the Yangtse. Boats
leave regularly from the Shiliupu Pier south of the Bund and the
trip takes about three hours.
Shanghai Museum
The new Shanghai Museum is situated on the People's Square, the
political and cultural centre of Shanghai. The square itself boasts
a giant musical fountain and some attractive green recreational
areas where locals dance and fly kites. It is surrounded by the
City Hall, an underground shopping centre and the Grand Shanghai
Theatre. It is the Shanghai Museum, opened in 1996, however, that
draws the most interest. The building is shaped like a giant bronze
urn, and the museum contains a collection of 123,000 cultural
artefacts in 21 categories. Chief among the museum's collections
are bronze ware, ceramics, calligraphy and art works.
Address: 2 Ren Min Da Dao;
Telephone: (0)21 6372 3500;
Website: www.shanghaimuseum.net/en;
Transport: Bus 46, 71, 123, 574;
Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm, until 7pm on Saturdays;
Admission: ¥45 includes admission to the museum and theatre; ¥5 extra also allows entrance to the art gallery
Yuyuan Gardens
The Yuyuan Gardens date back to 1559 to the Ming Dynasty, and
are the best example of Chinese classical gardens in Shanghai. The
relatively small gardens are laid out in an intricate design with
pavilions, rockeries, ponds and a traditional theatre arranged in
an ornate maze. The gardens are on Yuyuan Street in downtown
Shanghai and can be reached via the Town God Temple Market, a
warren of shops and stalls that is becoming increasingly popular as
a tourist bazaar.
