The Bund (Waitan), Shanghai (must see)

If you wish to trace the history of Shanghai as the financial powerhouse of modern China, The Bund is the place. Originally a towpath for dragging barges loaded with rice, it was the site of the first foreign settlement in Shanghai, gradually turning into a business district where major banks and trading companies set up their presence to reap benefits from the newly emerged trading opportunities.

Back in the day, The Bund was also the location of the Russian and British consulates, along with the English club and the Masonic lodge. Before the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, there were many statues of prominent colonial and European statesmen here, currently replaced with a bronze statue of Chen Yi (the first mayor of Shanghai after the communist takeover) and a Monument to the People’s Heroes at the North end.

Sparking with its newly-found glitz, the Bund area was restored in the 1990s, featuring a waterfront lined with an array of buildings representing styles of the nations that once sought to have their finger in the Shanghai pie.

The Western part of The Bund is older and has impressive colonial-style architecture dominated by the neo-classical Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and the Signal Tower once maintained by the Jesuits for the benefit of local shipping. For many locals, however, this area is a reminder of the century of foreign domination, which now - in a new golden age - has become a hub of prime dining, entertainment and shopping.

Set against the backdrop of the now-famous Shanghai skyline with its iconic skyscrapers of different shapes, heights and colors, The Bund is particularly impressive after sunset when all the lights are on, but make sure to visit here before 10pm when some of the lights go down.

Tip:
If you're out taking a stroll along The Bund, make way to the high-ground part beside the river for a better look at the two sides of the promenade. Otherwise, climb to the observation deck of one of the high towers to the east of the Huangpu River and see the whole stretch of the riverfront from up there. A sight not to be missed!