As soon as I strolled through the Garden of Joy (check out the review here) or grabbed a bite to eat at that futuristic restaurant, I'd head straight to the Bund and walk past this super cool tree structure that looks like two intertwined snakes to me.

When I look at this, I see the Bund as a symbol of how old and new Shanghai blend together. Because on the Bund, you'll see buildings from the early 20th century, built during the time of foreign concessions when Shanghai was one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. That's when European and American banks, trading houses, hotels, and insurance companies set up shop here, and the buildings on the Bund were constructed as status symbols. They're all in the neoclassical and art deco styles, with massive facades. Today, they're left as a reminder of the time when Shanghai was the "window to China".

It's like a memory of a bygone era.

And when I look at them, Paris and London come to mind.

On the other side of the river, you'll see the Pudong skyscrapers, which are the symbol of modern China.

I was in the tallest building, and I'll tell you all about it in my next posts, so stay tuned!

So, the Bund is essentially the border between old and new Shanghai, which is why it's become one of the city's main attractions, especially among locals.

Best time to visit

Around 5-6 pm, when it's a bit darker and the buildings across the river start to light up.

Two buildings that really stand out to me are:

1. The Oriental Pearl Tower, which was built to withstand strong winds, so it has a hollow structure and two giant pearls at the top and bottom.

2. The tallest building in China and the third tallest in the world - 632 meters.

I was stoked to find that the hotels right on the waterfront are pretty pricey, but one of the more affordable options with a river view is the Maxx hotel. A two-night stay in the cheapest room with a waterfront view will set you back around 500 euros. That's the second-tallest building on the right.

And on the waterfront, with a stunning view of the skyscrapers, is our little piece of Russia - the Russian embassy, which just fell short of being a Stalinka:

How to get to the awesome view like on postcards?

We're heading from the Garden of Joy to the Russian embassy. Along the entire waterfront, you'll find a mix of tourists, bloggers, vendors, and police. On the lower level, you'll spot a monument to the Chinese Revolution. By the way, there's a free toilet nearby.

Next, you'll see a massive stele lit up in red at night:

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The Monument to the People's Heroes in Shanghai. The monument was built in 1993 and consists of three granite steles, each about 60 meters tall. They symbolize three stages of the Chinese people's struggle: against colonialism (19th century), for revolution (early 20th century), and for a new era (after 1949).

By the way, the area in front of the stele is almost deserted, and the view is pretty great:

but still a far cry from perfection, which I'm striving for. Next, we need to find the pedestrian bridge. It's just behind the Gothic-style church:

Behind the church, it's also pretty cool, with the sea of twinkling lights:

But we're on a mission to find the most epic spot in Shanghai, right?

Honestly, the pedestrian and cycling bridge is where it's at. The car bridge, as you can see in the photo below, isn't really necessary for us and is often closed due to some pretty wild political reasons. So we head to the pedestrian and cycling bridge. You'll know it when you see it – there are tons of photographers, bloggers, and just really beautiful people. Check it out:

It's 6 pm, still early, and everything is working, but the views of Pudong are already looking pretty sweet.

As I mentioned earlier, the Bund is divided into two levels: the upper level with the fancy views and the lower level with free restrooms and restaurants, plus historic buildings that are way closer. We're heading to our next stop – the tunnel under the river. It's right next to the second free restroom:

Unfortunately, the tunnel isn't free, but it's got some seriously amazing views.

Whether or not it's worth taking a ride, I'll cover that in my next posts. In the meantime, you might be interested in:

1. Where to eat in Shanghai: delicious and interesting (those are separate posts)

2. How to use the Shanghai metro

3. When I'm in Shanghai, I always make time to visit the Shanghai Botanical Garden, check out the Lunghua Temple, and pay my respects at the Temple of the City God.

4. And let's not forget the Tianzifang Historic Market - it's a must-visit for any Shanghai newbie.