Shanghai Handbook-Nanjing Road & the Bund

For visitors to Shanghai, the East Nanjing Road is a must-see. Every day after sunset, the sky is lit up by neon lights around this dedicated commercial zone. Bathed in the breeze coming from the Huangpu River, it is a great moment to feel the city's spirit.

The Nanjing Road is always crowded with people, from locals to visitors. It's a shoppers' paradise. You can find almost everything you need here, from food to garment.

If you keep walking east, the road will lead you to another famous spot–the Bund, which was re-opened to the public in March this year after a two-year major restoration project.

The Bund is a museum of historical buildings of diverse western styles. It was part of the Shanghai International Settlement since the end of the 19th century to the early 20th century. By the 1940s, the Bund housed the headquarters of many major financial institutions operating in China, which made the Bund a major financial hub of East Asia. Now, the buildings are still functioning as their former uses, bank headquarters and hotels.

It takes only 5 minutes to cross the river by shuttle train through the tunnel. The single trip ticket is 35 yuan, 45 round trip. If you want to visit the Oriental Pearl Tower or take the sightseeing cruise along the Huangpu River, buying a ticket set for all of the above at the tunnel box office will cost you less than buying the tickets separately.

Here you will have a glimpse of Shanghai's past and look into the bright future of the city. Starting from the Bund the boat will bring you upstream to the Nanpu Bridge, turn around downstream to the Yangpu Bridge and all the way to Wusong Mouth, where the river meets the Yangtzi, and then turns back.

Video: Huang Lan, Christie Lee & Wang Wei