1. Home
  2. China
  3. Shanghai
  4. History

Shanghai · History

From the Racecourse to the Bund: Shanghai of the Concessions

In less than a century, a walled town of cotton merchants became one of the richest ports in Asia. This route walks through the heart of the old International Settlement: the British racing club, the skyscraper that was once Asia's tallest, the department stores of Nanjing Road and the stone frontage of the Bund, with Pudong across the river. It ends beside China's first steel bridge.

  • 6 stops
  • 3.3 km
  • 2 h 10 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
The old HSBC Building with its dome and the Custom House clock tower, from the Bund promenade

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 The Old Racecourse and Clock TowerWhere People's Square now stands, the British raced horses for almost a century.
  2. 2 Park HotelThe dark-brick skyscraper that was the tallest building in Asia for almost thirty years.
  3. 3 Nanjing Road and the Department StoresChina's most famous shopping street, where two families back from Australia invented modern retail.
  4. 4 The Old HSBC Building and the Custom HouseThe dome of Asia's most powerful bank and a clock modelled on Big Ben, at the heart of the Bund.
  5. 5 The Peace HotelVictor Sassoon's green pyramid, where Shanghai danced to jazz in the 1930s.
  6. 6 Waibaidu BridgeChina's first steel bridge, where Suzhou Creek meets the Huangpu opposite the towers of Pudong.

Loading the map…

Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From the Racecourse to the Bund: Shanghai of the Concessions

A century in three kilometres

From the Treaty of Nanking (1842) to the opening of Pudong (1990), each stop tells a different chapter of the city.

The stone Bund

The old HSBC bank, the Custom House with its Big Ben-style clock and the hotel with the green pyramid.

Details most people miss

Shanghai's zero point, the bank's bronze lions and the bridge that was taken apart and put back in 2009.

Keep exploring

More routes in Shanghai

Back to Shanghai
Mysteries & legendsGods, Pirates and Spirits of the Old City MixedFrench Concession Highlights: Plane Trees, Villas and Lanes

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Shanghai?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Shanghai in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Shanghai in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Shanghai in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary