By KRISTIE KELLAHAN
Celebrity favourite ... the M on the Bund.Credit: AFP
IT RHYMES with fund and this Euro-style boulevard is one of the prettiest places in frenetic Shanghai: on one side are elegant low-rise buildings in early 20th-century designs; on the other side is the Huangpu River. Much of 1930s Shanghai has disappeared but here on the Bund you can still glimpse the pre-war decadence and sophistication at a host of reinvented glamour bars, restaurants and shops.
THREE ON THE BUND
START your exploring at Three on the Bund, a buzzy, multi-floor reincarnation of an elegant post-Renaissance building. Here you'll find an exciting melting pot of art, culture, food, fashion, pampering and music. Four original restaurants cover most palates, including nouveau French by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Mod Oz by Greek-Australian David Laris. New Heights cafe on the top floor is less fancy (and less pricey) than the others, making it a popular spot for a drink under the stars. On the floors below you'll find the impressive Shanghai Gallery of Art, the chi-chi Evian Spa and enough high-end stores to rattle the strongest of wills (Armani recently opened its China flagship store here, the first major fashion house to take up residence on the Bund).
No. 3 The Bund, entrance at 17 Guang Dong Road; +86 (21) 6323 3355; threeonthebund.com.
HUANGPU PARK
GREEN is always gold in Shanghai, where high-rises and 24-7 construction are the norm. Huangpu Park is the oldest and smallest park in the city, sitting pretty at the northern end of the Bund. Here you'll find the impressive Monument to the People's Heroes, a 24-metre concrete monolith honouring those who helped to free China from foreign occupation. Drop by at dawn to witness legions of elderly Chinese practising tai chi and qigong. Also in the park is the small but well-formed Bund Historical Museum, showing the history of the Bund in old black-and-white photographs.
The Bund, near the intersection with Beijing East Road.
THE HSBC BUILDING
ARCHITECTURE buffs won't want to miss a peek into the vast lobby area of the renovated HSBC Building. Built in 1923, it's one of the best examples of neo-classicism in China. In its heyday it was called "the most luxurious building from the Suez Canal to the Bering Strait". It was renovated a decade ago, with the work revealing exquisite mosaic murals of world cities. A quick-thinking architect had the mosaics covered over in paint to save them from destruction by the Red Guards.
No. 12 the Bund.
M ON THE BUND
AUSTRALIAN Michelle Garnaut is a visionary. When she created her signature restaurants and bar on the Bund a dozen years ago, the area was derelict and unpopular. Today, the roll-call of guests who have eaten at M on the Bund (pictured) includes Kevin Rudd, Henry Kissinger, Richard Branson, Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, Bette Midler and John Galliano. The adjoining Glamour Bar is the most popular bar in Shanghai, a luxe, grown-up establishment with excellent views where bankers from Paris mix with starlets from Hollywood. The epic cocktail list includes terrific martinis. Sunday afternoon tea is also a treat.
No. 5 the Bund (corner of Guangdong Lu); +86 (21) 6350 9988; m-restaurantgroup.com.
THE PEACE HOTEL
IF THESE walls could talk ... the Peace Hotel stands proud and legendary along the Bund, a keeper of glamorous secrets from the 1930s, old Shanghai's most decadent period. Back then, every night was an excuse for diplomats and celebrities to dress up and play. On March 28, after a three-year renovation and millions of dollars spent, the fabled hotel reopens as the Fairmont Peace Hotel. The new owners have promised the art deco ambience won't be lost in the swanky makeover.
The Bund (enter from Nanjing Road East); fairmont.com.
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.