October 18, 2009

The Bund has been closed to the visitors due to the grand renovation project. The main concern for this decision is safety issues as they are afraid that large crowds on the Bund which is still in the process of the construction would cause serious problems.

Though the Bund isn't the only attraction of Shanghai, and the most convenient location for transport and accessibility, it is pobably the most famous and the most photographed, and often one of the major reasons tourists choose to visit Shanghai (at least a walk there at both daytime and night is brilliant). Unfortunately, it is closed for reconstruction of the road system and a construction wall blocks off the view. It is just your luck if you happen to book a nice hotel on the Bund, which looks awful right now! However, if you want a view the best option at the moment is the Garden Bridge (looking towards Pudong), and the riverside walk from the Pudong side is still pretty good (looking towards the Bund). 

All the constructions are aimed to finish before the 2010 World Expo (May 1, 2010). The nearly two-kilometer riverside strip will be turned into a pedestrian-only promenade featuring restaurants and other tourist attractions. The greatest pity is that Shanghai's only curved major road ramp, a big tourist attraction that provided a close-up view of the Bund and its opposite skyscrapers in Pudong, disappeared. Anyway, please visit the Bund during that time and hopefully we can see a much more glamorous new Bund!

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