MyPlain

Category: Exploring Shanghai

  • No. 5 The Bund – A Tale of Two Cultures in Stone

    No. 5 The Bund was formerly the Nisshin Building. Its facade is elegantly divided into a tripartite composition, blending Meiji-era Western-style architecture with traditional European classical elements.

    Standing in front of the building, you might notice the stylistic nuance between the bottom and top, which comes from its complex origin.

    Construction began in 1921 and was completed in 1925, commissioned by Nisshin—the largest Japanese shipping enterprise in China at the time. Due to funding shortages during construction, the company entered a joint venture with a Jewish businessman.

    They agreed to a vertical division of labor: the Japanese investors handled the lower three floors and semi-basement, while the Jewish partner financed the upper three floors.

    This collaboration produced a distinctive architectural fusion — the lower section features a clean, minimalist aesthetic, while the upper floors boast elaborate classical columns, ornate window frames, and intricate reliefs. This blend earned the building the colloquial title of “Japanese-Jewish Style” architecture.

    The building’s history mirrors the turbulent 20th century. After the Anti-Japanese War ended in 1945, it was seized by the Chinese government as enemy property and repurposed as the office building for the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company.

    In the decades that followed, it served variously as the headquarters for the Shanghai Maritime Bureau, earning the local nickname “Maritime Building.”

    A new chapter began at the turn of the millennium. In 1999, an Australian entrepreneur opened M on the Bund on the top floor — the first privately owned Western restaurant on the Bund. With its sweeping views of the Huangpu River, it quickly became a favorite spot for dining and socializing, and helped bring new life to the Bund’s restaurant scene.

    Today, No. 5 The Bund is still a popular spot for international dining and leisure. But if you look up at its facade, you can still see the story it carries — the clean lines below, the ornate details above, and a history that refuses to be simplified.

  • The Original Story of Fangsheng Bridge

    If you’ve been to the famous water town, Zhujiajiao, you might never forget the amazing Fangsheng Bridge.

    It’s the town’s most iconic landmark. This five-arch stone bridge is the largest of its kind in the Shanghai region, measuring 70.8 meters long and 7.4 meters high. The current bridge was built in 1812, but its story begins much earlier.

    Legend has it that in 1571, a Buddhist monk named Xingchao from a nearby Temple called Cimen raised funds to build the first bridge at this site.

    Before the bridge, people had to cross the river by a small wooden ferry. One stormy day, strong winds turned over the ferry. Xingchao’s pregnant mother was pulled from the water and gave birth on the shore—but she did not survive. Xingchao was left an orphan. He was raised by the villagers and eventually became a monk.

    To honor his mother’s memory and spare future travelers from similar danger, he traveled far and wide to raise money to build the original bridge.

    The name Fangsheng Bridge, literally ‘Setting-Free Bridge’, also reflects the Buddhist practice of releasing captive animals—a ritual that was once held there.

  • No. 1 The Bund – The Asia Building & Shanghai Jiushi International Art Center

    Completed in 1916, No. 1 The Bund sits right at the southern end of the waterfront. It’s widely known as the Asia Building.

    Just a year before it was finished, the Yangjingbang Creek — the waterway that separated the French Concession from the British Settlement — still flowed past its south side. It was filled in to become Avenue Edward VII, which later evolved into today’s East Yan’an Road.

    Architecturally, it’s a masterpiece of Eclecticism. It has the formal symmetry of Neoclassicism, but is adorned with rich Baroque details — like the swirling carvings above the entrance and the grand Ionic columns. Back in the day, it served as the headquarters for the Asiatic Petroleum Company — a subsidiary of Shell and one of the major British oil firms in the region.

    Later, it housed various local institutions, such as the Shanghai Metallurgical Design & Research Institute and the Shanghai Silk Company, before being carefully restored in recent years.

    Today, it has been beautifully transformed into the Jiushi International Art Center — the perfect place to experience the rich layers of Shanghai’s modern history, making it a must-see on any Bund visit.

  • No. 2 The Bund – The Shanghai Club Building & Waldorf Astoria

    No. 2 The Bund — widely known as the Shanghai Club Building — is an iconic landmark with a rich past. Founded in 1861, the club originally occupied a three-story brick-and-timber structure. The current building was constructed between 1909 and 1911.

    Architecturally, it’s a masterpiece of British Neoclassicism. The main facade follows a classic horizontal tripartite composition: the base features Baroque ornamentation at the entrance; the middle section is supported by six grand Ionic columns and adorned with pediment reliefs above the windows; and the roof is crowned with Baroque towers at both ends.

    Inside, the entrance hall is framed by eight pairs of Tuscan double columns spanning the first two floors.

    On the south side, a magnificent 34-meter bar — crafted from Italian marble and framed by 5-meter-high oak paneling — became legendary. Back then, it was said that a visit to Shanghai wasn’t complete without a drink here.

    In 1989, the ground floor made history again by hosting Shanghai’s first KFC. The original long bar was dismantled, and the interior was reconfigured to accommodate the fast-food restaurant.

    In 2009, the building was reimagined as the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, and the legendary long bar was meticulously restored to its former glory.

  • On the Bund, No. 3 is No. 4

    If you’ve been to Shanghai, you must know the Bund. But did you know that what is now known as No. 3 The Bund was actually No. 4 before?

    That’s a long story. Let me tell you from the beginning.

    It was completed in 1916, designed by George Wilson — his first project in Shanghai. Not a bad start, right? He went on to design some of the Bund’s biggest names, including No. 12, No. 13, and No. 20.

    The building is in the Free Renaissance style, and it was Shanghai’s first steel-frame structure. The Far Eastern Review called it “one of the most noteworthy architectural advances of the time.”

    This site goes back to 1860, when Adamson, Bell & Co. built a three-story brick house there. Then, two insurance companies bought it. In 1914, they tore it down and hired Palmer & Turner to build this one. When it opened in 1916, it was called the Union Building — named after the insurance companies that jointly funded it.

    In 1937, the Mercantile Bank (known in Chinese as 有利银行) bought the building and renamed it — which is why people started calling it the “Youli Building” (有利大楼).

    Now here’s the twist: the actual address is No. 4 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road. But in the early 2000s, Michael Graves led a restoration, and when it reopened in 2004, it was rebranded as “Three on the Bund” — or No. 3. The new name signaled a shift from bank to lifestyle hub — art, dining, fashion.

    Call it No. 3 or No. 4 — either way, it’s a Bund highlight. And if you get a chance, check out the terrace bar — great views, great vibe.