The Bund Architectural Exhibition Group | A Century-Spanning Architectural Epic

✨🏙️From the original 11 foreign trading houses' brick and wood buildings to the rise of skyscrapers like the HSBC Building and Customs House in the 1930s, this area encapsulates the glory of Shanghai's "Far East Wall Street." In 1996, the Bund architectural group was designated a national key cultural relic protection unit. Today, it is both a historical landmark and a modern stage pulsing with financial vitality.
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🎨 Architectural Style Showcase
The charm of the Bund lies in "harmony in diversity," with each building serving as a living textbook of architectural art:
1️⃣ Neoclassicism: The Customs House (1927) clock tower resembles London's Big Ben, and the HSBC Building's eight dome murals depict world trading cities, combining solemnity with luxury.
2️⃣ Gothic Revival: The Peace Hotel North Building (formerly Sassoon House) features spires and vertical lines, as if a medieval church has traveled through time.
3️⃣ Art Deco: The Peace Hotel South Building's geometric lines and metal decorations represent the pinnacle of this style in China.
4️⃣ East-West Fusion: The Bank of China Building incorporates Chinese window lattices and flying eaves into its stone facade, subtly expressing cultural confidence.
5️⃣ Baroque Style: The Pujiang Hotel's curved dome and intricate carvings tell the story of 19th-century romanticism.

🔍 Must-See Architectural Details
📍 No. 12 The Bund (former HSBC Building): Step into the octagonal lobby, look up at the mosaic dome, and stand on Italian marble columns, as if in a European palace.
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📍 No. 6 The Bund: Victorian Gothic architecture with layered arcades and pointed arch windows, contrasting stone walls on the lower floors with red brick above.
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📍 No. 13 The Bund (Customs House): At every hour, the melody of "The East is Red" floats from the 49-meter-high clock tower, echoing over the Huangpu River.
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📍 No. 18 The Bund: Former Standard Chartered Bank headquarters, now a collection of luxury flagship stores and Michelin-starred restaurants. At night, the riverside view from the rooftop bar blends with the building's lights in a dazzling display.

Post by LUCIA WEBER | Oct 18, 2025