Photoblog

What is Bund? The Bund or Waitan is a waterfront in central Shanghai and the one of the most famous touristic area of the city. Bund runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River in the eastern part of Huangpu District, from Yan’an Road (formerly Edward VII Avenue) in the south to Waibaidu Bridge (formerly Garden Bridge). Facts: The area along the river faces the modern architecture of Lujiazui in the Pudong District; making it one the most photographed vistas in China. The word “Bund” means an embankment or an embanked quay. The word originated from Persian word band, through Hindustani, having the meaning of embankment, levee or dam. There are various “bunds” in east Asia, probably named after the bunds/levees in Baghdad along the Tigris; the Baghdadi Jews, like the famous Sassoon family, might have given the name. This family immigrated and settled their businesses in Shanghai  and other port cities in east Asia in the 19th century. Lujiazu...

All the travel brochures presents Shanghai as a modern and international city. They all show the Bund and the amazing architecture seen from there, the tallest observation platform in the world or the vibrant shopping streets and malls. But besides that, Shanghai has another face: neighborhoods almost stuck in time. Only 4-5 kilometers away from the myriad of lights and colors of financial center, there is another world of colors and smells, around Yuyuan Garden and Old Town.  It is another face of Shanghai, that requires scratching a bit the surface and spending time to explore it. And it will reward you with colorful urban landscapes; with interesting human figures populating a world that is dying every day with each deal that owners of the decaying houses are agreeing with municipality. It will be soon replaced with modern neighborhoods, office building and shopping center, able to accommodate and give employment to a larger portion of the continuously increasi...