Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2017 | Page 17

New Tales of Old Shanghai
Green Oasis School, Fang, Ailsa - 11
T
he Bund in Shanghai were located along the Huangpu River. That is a famous place, you can take a walk there. It
has the Shanghai Landmarks Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jinmao Tower in the opposite across the Huangpu River.
When you visit Shanghai, I suggest you go to there because it is a famous place.
Since 1943 the Bund had been also known as Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road. It has the total length of about 1.5km. The
Bund starts South from the Yan’an East Road, North to the White Bridge on the Suzhou Creek, East faces the Huangpu
River, West has the 52 different classical revival building in the Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque, Chinese and Western
style which constitute the financial center of old Shanghai and concentration zone of foreign.
History of The Bund
After 1840, as one of the five treaty ports, Shanghai, was opened to the public. In 1845, the British colonialists seized the
Bund and established the British concession. In 1849, the French colonists also seized the Bund and established the French
Concession. Till the early 1940s, the Bund has been occupied by the British concession and the French Concession, and
was known as the the "British Concession Bund" and " French Bund".
The western powers operated, managed and constructed the concession in their way, hence, the Bund became earliest
constructed and most bustling place in the concession. Early Bund was a foreign trade center, here, there were foreign
firms and prosperous trade. From the late 19th century, many foreign and Chinese banks were established in the Bund,
here became Shanghai's "Financial Street", but also known as "Oriental Wall Street".
Features of The Bund
The Bund Shanghai faces the mother river of Shanghai — Huangpu River, leans on rigorous modeling and different
styles building group. Due to its unique geographical location and its influence in the areas of economic activity in
Shanghai and China over the past century, it has a very rich cultural connotations. The streets view constituted by the
surface of the river, the long beach, green belt and beautiful buildings is the most characteristic landscape. In the morning,
the Bund is the place for exercise. During the day, it is a bustling tourist attraction. In the evening, it is a world for the
lovers. Whenever the night comes, the light-flooded buildings on the Bund, like Crystal Palace, make both local and
overseas visitors amazed.