A Hundred Years of Reflection: The Historical Changes in Architecture and Landscape of Shanghai's Bund

Author: Qian Zonghuo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: After Shanghai was opened to foreign trade in 1843, the Bund area took the lead in stepping away from the traditional agrarian society and embarked on the path of modern urban development. Over more than a century, it has been a focal point as a window showcasing Western culture and a symbol of Shanghai's urban development and prosperity. As a transplantation of architectural culture, the Bund holds significant typicality. These buildings, mostly formed in the early to mid-20th century, reflect the world's top architectural design trends, aesthetic preferences, and construction techniques of that time. From today's perspective, they serve as very concrete witnesses to the pulse of world architectural cultural development, and more broadly, they illustrate the connection between Shanghai and global trends. Thus, their historical and cultural value far exceeds their utilitarian value; they have become an irreproducible part of the city's human cultural heritage. Today, the Bund has become a hot topic of attention for many, because this short riverside avenue is home to a group of buildings with the highest historical and cultural value in Shanghai. However, despite the Bund having the largest and best-preserved modern architectural complex in China and East Asia, it remains largely unrecognized. Research on the Bund's modern architecture has also not been sufficiently carried out. The Bund architectural complex, known as the "International Architectural Expo," has been declared a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit by the State Council, but recognition of its value has only just begun.