Shanghai North Bund Night Walk | The Most Modern And Advanced City In China | 4K HDR | 上海 | 外滩

Shanghai North Bund Night Walk | The Most Modern And  Advanced City In China | 4K HDR | 上海 | 外滩

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Chinese cities are climbing the ranks as the world's most powerful, with Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai now topping household names like Los Angeles, Berlin and Tokyo, to name a few. Shanghai’s North Bund area is set to become the next commercial hub in the city. Change is constantly taking place in Shanghai, and one of the areas currently undergoing the most extensive of developments is the North Bund. Located in the city’s Hongkou district where the Suzhou Creek and Huangpu River meet, the North Bund has long been a hub for the international shipping industry. Presently, the 4-square-kilometer area is the largest redevelopment zone in downtown Shanghai following the release of a master plan by the municipal bureau of planning and land resources. The bureau now aims to further unlock the area’s potential as a commercial district.

According to Wu Xinbao, secretary of the Hongkou district committee, the North Bund will become “a new benchmark for urban development in the new era, a core engine and a landmark for the city’s development”. To achieve this goal, the North Bund Development and Construction Expert Committee was established. Based on the plan, the area will be divided into three zones: the central business zone comprising office buildings and commercial facilities, the Tilanqiao zone in the east and the Hongkou port zone in the west where historical and cultural elements will be restored. “In line with international standards, we will strengthen global resource allocation and optimize the business environment in the area, building it into a central region for global headquarters and a meeting room for the world,” The surrounding 60,000 square meters of parkland and more areas in the North Bund area will also be opened up for commercial development this year. The region will feature over 200 office buildings aimed at attracting global enterprises to set up regional headquarters, space for conventions and events, and a grand theater with more than 2,000 seats. A 480-meter skyscraper, which would become the tallest building on the western bank of Huangpu River, and two other buildings measuring 380 and 320 meters in height, will also be constructed in the region.

The North Bund — the place where the city’s shipping industry was birthed when the first harbor was established by the British East India Company in 1845 — is presently home to about 4,600 shipping companies such as COSCO Shipping, nearly 1,800 domestic and international financial enterprises, one-eighth of China’s mutual funds and about US$900 billion in assets under management. As of December 2020, the area has introduced 279 key projects with a registered capital of over 30 million yuan (US$4.62 million). These projects make up nearly 120 billion yuan in investments. Shanghai’s North Bund area is set to become the next commercial hub in the city. Authorities said that they are planning to introduce more leading global financial institutions and shipping enterprises, as well as further develop financial services in multiple fields including asset management, equity investment and venture capital. Meanwhile, access to every corner of the city from the North Bund will be enhanced by a renovated transport network that includes new metro lines and bus stops.

In addition, 11 blocks spanning 0.5 square kilometers will be designated as “slow zones” where cars share the pathway with pedestrians and cyclists. There will also be an underground parking area that would help alleviate traffic pressure. Despite the focus on transforming the area, the development plans for the North Bund includes efforts to preserve its history, which can be traced back to 1843. The area used to be a wartime sanctuary for some 20,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Europe from 1933 to 1941 during the Nazi era.

Cultural landmarks, including the Memorial for the Site of the Fourth National Congress of the Party in Shanghai, are currently undergoing renovation. The renovated Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, which is located on the site of the former Ohel Moshe Synagogue that was built in 1927 in Hongkou district, reopened its doors to the public in December with an exhibition area four times larger than before. The refurbished museum now has new function halls, educational facilities and nearly 1,000 exhibits.

Clusters of shikumen, a Shanghai architectural style featuring Western and Chinese elements, in the area have also been preserved. According to the plan, the North Bund and its surrounding areas will accelerate the renovation and maintenance of historic architectures as well as introduce 17 high-quality modern residential buildings neighborhoods to achieve a blend of the contemporary and the traditional. In terms of education facilities, 10 kindergartens and seven primary and secondary schools will be built over the next five years. Medical and healthcare services will also be strengthened. “In the past two to three decades, the construction of the economic centers in downtown Shanghai was mainly focused on commercial functions, whereas this plan has more emphasis on people’s lives,” Wu Jiang, the executive vice-principal of Tongji University who participated in the formulation of the plan, was quoted as saying to local online platform Houkou Cultural Cloud in April last year. Zhou Changqing, a board member of Beijing-based commercial real estate service provider RET, echoed this sentiment, noting that the master plan is focused on achieving a balance between work, life and the environment, something which will likely be the standard approach the government takes for similar developments in the future.

Technology-wise, the North Bund is expected to become one of the world’s first areas with 5G coverage and superfast broadband. Since its launch in 2019, the 5G global innovation hub situated in the eastern part of the North Bund has become a hub where various 5G infrastructure scenarios related to telemedicine, online education, and naked-eye 3D displays are being piloted. As of April 10 last year, the science and technology commission in Hongkou district had introduced 41 5G companies and 41 traditional information service companies.

“Every building in the area will be smarter and safer than ever, making Shanghai a 24-hour city,” Wu Xinbao of Hongkou district said. Shanghai will give its North Bund a facelift, turning the 3.3 square kilometre waterfront area into another Lujiazu. Lujiazui, which sits across the Huangpu River from North Bund, is home to Shanghai’s most iconic skyscrapers and is often referred to as “China’s Wall Street”. The area will be one of three new growth engines in mainland China’s financial and commercial capital.

The project marks a milestone in the urban development of Shanghai. The project had been identified by the Shanghai municipality as a driver of the local economy along with the 120 square kilometre new free-trade zone at Lingang to the city’s east, and the 86 square kilometre Hongqiao area to its west. North Bund will be home to 8.4 million square metres of redevelopment that will include office, retail, residential, hotel and entertainment properties. The area will get a clutch of skyscrapers to rival those coming up in Puxi to the west. The tallest building will be 480 metres in height. The Hongkou district government aims to attract 100 big-name companies from home and abroad to set up their regional headquarters in the waterfront area, with priority being given to companies in the fields of finance, shipping and fifth-generation internet technologies.

In 2018, Shanghai successfully brought Tesla to Lingang, where it set up its Gigafactory 3. The US$2 billion manufacturing facility, Tesla’s first outside the United States, has helped the California carmaker become China’s top-selling electric car company this year, after becoming operational at the end of 2019. The city’s top officials have been urging local civil servants to impress foreign investors with their business-friendly attitude to draw overseas investment. For a century, the Bund has been one of the most recognizable symbols and the pride of Shanghai. The architecture along the Bund is a living museum of the colonial history of the 1800s. You've never been to Shanghai if you haven't seen the Bund.

The Bund, also called Waitan, is a famous waterfront on the west bank of Huangpu River and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai. Here, the charm of Shanghai as a bustling metropolis combining the century-old history and flourishing future is fully presented, making the Bund Shanghai a must-see attraction. Local people often start a day by doing exercise at the Bund. Here you can see them walking, jogging, practicing Tai Chi or flying kites. Getting up early and joining them is a pleasant thing to take in the real lifestyle of locals. The most classic route to explore the Bund is either to wander from the north end to the south or the contrary way.

Along the way, you will see the most famous and attractive sight in the Bund, namely 26 colonial-era buildings of different western architectural styles, which give the Bund Shanghai China the fame as a 'museum of international architecture'. Looking across the Huangpu River, dense high rises in Pudong New Area on the opposite bank come into your review, represented by the Oriental Pearl Tower, World Financial Center, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai Tower, top four highest skyscrapers in the city. They dominate the skyline and form a nice backdrop for taking pictures. At night, when the lights of buildings on both banks of the Huangpu River are illuminated, the Bund displays its most fantastic side. It is worth appreciating the florid Bund night view from a Huangpu River cruise.

The dazzling lights fully exhibit the magnificence of the various buildings and make up the best night scene of Shanghai together with the colorful light shadows floating in the river and the flashing lights on the far side of the river. The best locations for taking a panoramic Bund view are the promenade, the Monument to the People's Heroes in Huangpu Park, Waibaidu Bridge, and the Oriental Pearl Tower. During the first few decades, The Bund had only a few small offices. It was only in the late 19th century in which the larger neo-classical and British colonial-style buildings were built. In its initial days trading companies dominated the Bund, but soon as trade in Shanghai increased it gave way to the financial institutions.

The Bund, which is also known as Waitan, is a waterfront area in central Shanghai. The Bund is famously known for the grand western-style buildings that were built in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The main feature of this place is its architectural style, which is from old colonial-era like the neoclassical, Beaux-Arts, Gothic, and Baroque. It is flanked by 22 heritage art deco buildings built in the concession era between 1920 and 1930. We also get to see the modern skyscrapers of Lujiazui in the Pudong District along the river bank. For centuries now it has been the most famous tourist destination in Shanghai, making The Bund a must-visit place and the pride of Shanghai.

The financial institutions were the biggest industry in the city by the early 20th century. The Imperial Bank of China, which was the first Chinese bank, opened in 1897, and after that, banks like the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) opened at the Bund. The Bund is a mile-long stretch of waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River. To the west of this stretch stand 52 buildings of various architectural styles, including Gothic, baroque, and neoclassical styles.

It is often referred to as "the museum of buildings". The best way to appreciate the buildings is to have a walk along the Bund. Roaming among the architectural complexes, you'll have a better understanding of the century-long charm of this city.

2021-08-07 15:25

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