Huangpu River
The 97km long Huangpu river is Shanghai city's shipping
artery to the east china Sea and to the mouth of Yangtze
River. The river joins 29km north of downtown Shanghai,
and divides the city into the east and west sections. On
the west shore of Huangpu River is the world famous Shanghai
Bund, and on the eastern shore is the Pudong New Area.
Huangpu River is lined with wharves and warehouses providing
access to shipping vessels. The port here handles cargo
coming from the interior cities such as Nanjing, Chongqing,
and Wuhan - about 1/3 of China's trade with the world takes
place here. The river is also a major source of water for
Shanghai.
 Huangpu River, the most important shipping artery of Shanghai, wriggles like an undulating muddy dragon from the mouth of the Yangtze River in Wusong to the East China Sea. The yellow and ice-free Huangpu River is 114 kilometers (71 miles) long, 400 meters (0.25 miles) wide and has an average depth of nine meters (30 feet).
Huangpu River joins 29 kilometers (18 miles) north of downtown Shanghai and divides Shanghai into two parts, east and west. Cruises are available everyday, including the shorter cruises (navigating the main waterfront area between the Yangpu Bridge and the Nanpu Bridge) and the complete cruises (meandering eastward along the golden waterway, over a distance of 60 kilometers or 37 miles). Whether it is in the daytime or at night, the views along the river are the same beautiful. The great modern skyscrapers and the characteristic buildings in different architectural styles are the best records of the development of the city and the Huangpu River, the birthplace of Shanghai, is the faithful eyewitness.
Shanghai Bund - The Bund
The Bund (waitan) is the symbol of Shanghai, and its a
must see for all visitors to Shanghai. A wide street curves
along the western bank of the Huangpu river, and along the
street are old style european and western buildings. The
bund is one of the most famous architectural symbols of
Shanghai, and has been called the museum of international
architecture.
The Shanghai Bund extends from Jinling Road in the south
to the Baidu bridge over Suzhou Creek.
The Bund was the site of some of the earliest foreign settlements
in Shanghai. Built in the 1930's, there are probably about
3 to 4 dozen building structures constructed along the 1.5km
stretch of the Shanghai Bund. All of them are built with
western and european styles such as Gothic, classical, Romanesque,
and renaissance. It was here that the international banks,
businesses, hotels, exclusive clubs were located. Walking along the Bund, you will see an amazing contrast
of the old and the new Shanghai. On the Shanghai Bund side,
you will see old style architecture well preserved from
the 1930's, and just across the Huangpu River, you will
see the newest sky scrappers of the Pudong New Area - you'll
also get a fantastic view of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
As one of the top ten attractions, you should definitely
take a tour of the Bund in Shanghai.
The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds a 1500 meters (less than one mile) length. Walking along the Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower.Being one of the Top Ten Shanghai Attractions, the Bund is a really beautiful and special place which is worth visiting. The newly-built Flood Control Bank takes the function of preventing the oversize flood; the square with the statue of Marshal Chen Yi is an open air podium which gives new views of the Shanghai Plaza Culture; the Cenotaph which stands on the man-made island is a monument of people's heroes; the riverside greenbelt, the Electronic Waterfall Bell, and the Great Mural Carving are all representatives of the Bund.
The most famous and attractive sight which is at the west side of the Bund are the 52 various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance. The Bund was the centre of Shanghai's politics, economy and culture hundreds of years ago, consulates of most countries and many banks, businesses and newspaper offices were settled there, and that's why we have these art-like buildings. Although they were not designed by the same person or built in the same period, the architectural pattern is similar. |
