The Bund

1

Asia Building

Once used by Asiatic Petroleum, this building connects the Bund’s commercial history with the international oil trade.

Look for arched windows and the returning facade beside Yan’an East Road.

2

Shanghai Club

The former Shanghai Club served British merchants, revealing the social world that accompanied the Bund’s colonial commerce.

Notice the pale facade, repeated arches and small towers at either end.

3

Union Building

Named for the Union Bank, No. 3 uses a corner tower and river-facing facade to make its presence felt.

Follow the corner tower upward and compare it with the regular window rows.

5

Nisshin Building

Built for the Nisshin shipping company, this building recalls commercial links along the Yangtze and between East Asian ports.

In this illustration, compare tall columns, deep windows and ground-floor arches.

6

Imperial Bank of China Building

The Imperial Bank of China was an early modern Chinese bank: its former home reveals Chinese participation in the Bund’s financial history.

Pointed gables and narrow arched windows distinguish it from its classical neighbours.

7

Great Northern Telegraph Building

The Danish Great Northern Telegraph Company worked here, connecting this address with Shanghai’s international communications history.

Compare its curved roof features and symmetrical windows with the red-brick neighbour.

9

China Merchants Building

China Merchants belongs to the history of modern Chinese shipping. Its low red-brick building offers a quieter scale among the banks.

Look at red brick against pale galleries; Fuzhou Road opens between this building and HSBC.

12

Former HSBC Building

Opened in 1923 for HSBC, its broad facade and central dome express Shanghai’s ambitions as an international financial centre.

Trace the stone base, colonnade and dome: the dome is its clearest landmark.

13

Customs House

Completed in 1927, the Customs House recalls Shanghai’s port trade. Its clock tower is one of the Bund’s defining silhouettes.

Look for clock faces, the stepped tower and the heavy stone base.

14

Bank of Communications Building

A later addition to the historic Bund, the Bank of Communications contrasts with its classical neighbours through a restrained, vertical facade.

Notice straight window rows and the raised centre of the roofline.

15

Russo-Chinese Bank Building

The former Russo-Chinese Bank links Shanghai with Russian-backed finance; it later housed the Central Bank.

Compare the pediment, columns and broad low body with its taller neighbours.

16

Bank of Taiwan Building

The Bank of Taiwan’s Shanghai branch dates from Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period and reflects the reach of East Asian finance.

Look at its compact facade and repeated windows between larger neighbours.

17

North China Daily News Building

Former headquarters of the North China Daily News, this building represents the English-language press within the Bund’s commercial world.

Look up for paired roof towers above the vertical window rows.

18

Chartered Bank Building

Known locally as Maijiali, the Chartered Bank’s former home at No. 18 recalls international banking on the Bund.

Study the columns and cornice; the illustration interprets rather than surveys the facade.

19

Palace Hotel Building

The former Palace Hotel later became the Peace Hotel’s south building, facing a later generation of hotel architecture across Nanjing Road.

Notice the red facade; Nanjing Road separates it from the green-roofed Peace Hotel.

20

Peace Hotel · Sassoon House

Victor Sassoon’s building housed the Cathay Hotel, later the Peace Hotel’s north building, linking hospitality with the Sassoon family’s business history.

The green pyramidal roof is the key landmark; follow the setbacks beneath it.

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23

Bank of China Building

The Bank of China established a visible presence on this international banking street, standing beside the Peace Hotel.

Compare its Chinese-inspired roofline with the neighbouring green pyramid.

24

Yokohama Specie Bank Building

The Yokohama Specie Bank operated here, connecting Shanghai’s banking district with Japan’s overseas trade networks.

Notice the broad colonnade and heavy base beside the taller tower.

26

Yangtze Insurance Building

The former Yangtze Insurance building recalls the insurance business that supported maritime trade alongside banks.

Look at compact window rows and the roofline between two broader neighbours.

27

Jardine Matheson Building

Jardine Matheson was a major British trading house in early Shanghai; its building anchors the corner of Beijing East Road.

Study the monumental columns and the street opening to the right.

28

Glen Line Building

The former Glen Line building recalls international shipping and faces Jardine Matheson across Beijing East Road.

Look at the rising central roof and the turning corner facade.

29

Banque de l’Indochine Building

The former Banque de l’Indochine building connects Shanghai with French overseas banking networks.

Notice the flat balustraded parapet and classical columns. A narrow gap separates its north side from the Peninsula hotel; there is no street opening to Yuanmingyuan Road here.