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.