The history and architecture of the Bund

Author: Xue Liyong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: The Origin of the Name "The Bund"
The Huangpu River is the largest river flowing through Shanghai. It originates from Dianshan Lake (now part of Qingpu District in Shanghai) and flows southeast to the vicinity of Minhang, then turns eastward along the main channel and northward near the former Luojiabang estuary (near the current Nanpu Bridge). It empties into the Yangtze River at the Wusong River mouth. The Huangpu River is widest in the urban section, approximately 800 meters wide. Due to its connection to the sea and tidal influence, it experiences two noticeable high and low tides daily, with a daily water level fluctuation of over 4 meters. During astronomical tides, the difference is even greater.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Shanghai was only a medium-sized county in the Jiangnan coastal region with underdeveloped shipping. People had neither the need nor the ability to build embankments along the river. Therefore, except for the Huangpu River bank near the eastern gate, most of the riverbanks were natural shoals. During low tide, the water gathered in the center of the riverbed, revealing a vast expanse of shoal land, while high tide submerged it again.
The Huangpu River is Shanghai's main waterway. Due to its width and strong currents, ships sailing against the current had to use manpower to pull them along. Over the centuries, the footprints of boatmen along the Huangpu River shoals formed a winding path known as "the towpath," which became the earliest road on the Bund. In Shanghai's naming conventions, the upstream of a river is called "inside," and the downstream is called "outside." For example, today, Shanghai residents refer to the Hanyang Road Bridge over Hongkou Creek as "Inside Hongkou Bridge," the Changzhi Road Bridge as "Middle Hongkou Bridge," and the Damai Road Bridge as "Outside Hongkou Bridge," all named based on their positions along the river. Similarly, the Bridge at the mouth of the Suzhou River into the Huangpu River is called "Outside Baide Bridge," and the bridges further inland are colloquially known as "Inside Baide Bridge" (now the Zhapu Road Bridge) and "Three Baide Bridge" (now the Sichuan Road Bridge)."
When referring to the county, areas closer to the city are called "inside," while those farther away are called "outside." For instance, "Inside Qianggua Street" and "Outside Qianggua Street" in the Nanxi District, as well as "Inside Cangqiao Bridge" and "Outside Cangqiao Bridge," derive their names from this convention.
As the Huangpu River approached the Shanghai county seat, it formed a sharp bend near the Luojiabang estuary. Thus, the Shanghai people used Luojiabang as a boundary, referring to the upstream as "Inside Huangpu" and the downstream as "Outside Huangpu." The shoal land of "Inside Huangpu" was called "Inside Huangpu Shoal" or "Inside Shoal," while the shoal land of "Outside Huangpu" was called "Outside Huangpu Shoal," also known as "Huangpu Shoal" or "The Bund." Based on this, "The Bund" originally referred to the Huangpu shoal land from Luojiabang to the Suzhou River.
In the 22nd year of the Kangxi reign (1683), the Qing army recaptured Taiwan, and Zheng Kesheng, the grandson of Zheng Chenggong, surrendered, marking the complete suppression of anti-Qing forces along the coast. In the 24th year of the Kangxi reign (1685), the wise Kangxi Emperor issued the "Order to Lift the Maritime Ban," easing the restrictions on coastal shipping and trade imposed since the early Ming Dynasty. China's coastal shipping and trade once again flourished.
Located at the midpoint of China's northern and southern coastlines, Shanghai is the estuary of the Yangtze River and backed by the wealthy Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Hu. It quickly became an important coastal port in China. Piers, warehouses, and trading houses were soon built along the Huangpu River shoal near the small eastern, large eastern, and small southern gates of the Shanghai county seat, boosting the city's economic and urban development.
Around the 40th year of the Kangxi reign, the Huangpu River shoal land from Luojiabang to Fangbang (now Fangbang Road) gradually disappeared under the construction of various buildings. From then on, the actual area of "The Bund" became the Huangpu River shore from Fangbang Road to the Suzhou River.
The Opium War and the Opening of Shanghai
In 1840, the British government, citing China's obstruction of trade, unilaterally provoked the First Opium War. As Lin Zexu had prepared for a possible British attack, the British army's advances in Guangzhou were repeatedly repelled. Realizing that their strategy of attacking China from Guangzhou was unviable, the British decided to advance northward along the coast and land elsewhere. On August 26, 1841, the British captured Xiamen, and by October, they had successively seized coastal cities in Zhejiang, such as Dinghai, Zhenhai, and Ningbo. On May 18, 1842, the Qing coastal defense stronghold of Zhangpu fell, and by June, the British entered the Yangtze River estuary, captured the gateway of the Yangtze River at Wusong, and advanced toward Shanghai.
After capturing Zhenjiang, the British army advanced up the Yangtze River, reached the capital of the two rivers, Nanjing, and were faced with no choice but to send the special envoy Qiying to negotiate with the British army. On August 29, 1842, Qiying and the British plenipotentiary Planchet signed the first unequal treaty in modern Chinese history—the Treaty of Nanking. According to British Shanghai historian G. Lanning in his book A History of Shanghai, after signing the Treaty of Nanking, Planchet left Nanjing on October 2 and arrived in Shanghai on October 9. His purpose was "to arrange living quarters for the British consul to be stationed in Shanghai, to resolve the issue of Chinese compensation for reclaiming Shanghai, and to discuss matters of opening the port for trade with the Shanghai prefect and magistrate."
Captain George Balfour of the Madras Artillery, who accompanied Planchet to Shanghai, recalled: "As we sailed down the Yangtze River to visit Shanghai, Sir Planchet instructed me to inspect various areas near the city to select a suitable location for establishing a settlement. For this purpose, I, together with the Chinese authorities in Shanghai at the time, designated a piece of land north and east of the county seat as the settlement area, as there were few Chinese residents there, and it had a natural boundary. There was also a 3,600-foot-long riverfront where merchant ships could dock conveniently and safely, and the hinterland was vast farmland."
Clearly, even during the height of the Opium War, Planchet had taken note of Shanghai and planned to include it as one of the trading ports. After the war, he began planning to establish a British settlement in Shanghai, which was located north of the county seat—the Bund. On December 1, 1842, Captain George Balfour was officially appointed by the British government as the first consul to Shanghai and began working on establishing the consulate and fulfilling Planchet's tasks.
On November 8, 1843, the first British consul to Shanghai, Captain Balfour, along with his entourage—Walter Henry Medhurst (agent), Dr. Hale (military physician), and A. F. Stranchan (clerk)—arrived in Shanghai aboard the Medusa. The next day, they entered the city to pay a visit to the Shanghai prefect Gong Muyou at the prefectural office. The following day, Gong Muyou returned the visit aboard the Medusa. The primary issue discussed between the British consul and the Shanghai local government was the housing for the consulate.
After the Opium War, the arrogance of Qing officials had long been shattered. The war made it clear that the Great Qing Empire was no longer an invincible empire, and the Treaty of Nanking was a humiliating surrender to foreigners. Therefore, they adopted a cautious attitude toward the newly arrived British, fearing that offending them might lead to dismissal by the court. They proposed that the crowded city of Shanghai had no available land for the consulate and hoped the British would find land outside the city to build their own consulate.
However, according to British colonial regulations, the British consul in a colony was not allowed to purchase land or construct a consulate independently. Balfour wanted to follow Planchet's instructions but dared not violate British law. Thus, he proposed: "He would go to find a house himself. If he couldn't find one, he would be willing to live and work in a temple courtyard, perhaps moving into a government official's home."
Due to Balfour's firm stance, Gong Muyou had no choice but to yield. A few days later, Balfour rented 52 rooms from a family named Gu in the city's new government lane, using them as a temporary consulate and began working there.
After several meetings, Balfour and Gong Muyou agreed on some details of the opening of the port. On November 14, Balfour issued a notice to the expatriates in Shanghai, announcing the opening of the port on November 17, along with two points:
First, "It is hereby notified to all British subjects that the British consulate is temporarily established in the city, located on a street near the east and west gates, close to the city wall."
Second, "The boundaries of the Shanghai port are temporarily set as a straight line between Baoshan Point (facing west) and the right bank of the Wusong River fort (facing southwest). Within the port, the anchorage for merchant ships loading and unloading is located on the left bank as close as possible to the bend in the Huangpu River, adjacent to the Wusong River mouth (i.e., the Suzhou River mouth)."
November 17 became a unforgettable day in Shanghai's history—a day some Chinese view as "National Humiliation Day," as it marked Shanghai's forced opening under humiliation, while foreigners celebrated it as their "National Day." Every year on this day, the concessions held "Anniversary of the Opening of the Port"—one of the most significant celebrations in the concessions.
United Bank Moving into the United Building
The headquarters of the United Bank was in London, England, and its founding date is unknown. On October 2, 1854, the English North China Daily News published an announcement by the bank's agent Richard Newby, announcing the establishment of the United Bank's (Mercantile Bank of India, London and China) Shanghai branch, making it one of the earliest foreign-funded banks to enter Shanghai. In 1857, the bank merged with the Chartered Bank of Asia, and its English name was changed to the Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London.