A few dozen steps forward, and we reach Building No. 13, or the Customs House. It was built in 1927, and the purpose of the building is clearly evident in its name – it was to keep track of trade. Like many of its neighboring companies, the Customs House was not the first stop of its owners. No, their road to the Bund was long. When talking about the symbol of the Bund, people mean the Peace Hotel. But there are those who feel that in truth, the honor of being the symbol of the whole street should belong to the Customs House. Looking at their respective measurements, we see that they are both nearly equal; in height, for example, the difference is very small. But there is one thing that the Customs House has that the Peace Hotel doesn’t. And that one thing is a clock tower.
London has Big Ben; Shanghai has the Customs House. Ideally, this should be the message found in tourism brochures. Curiously enough, though, the story about the Customs House clock has not found the fame it deserves. Consider – the tolling of the clock can reach as far as Big Ben’s, and the sound is as deep. The clock was manufactured in England, and is still the third largest in the world, after Big Ben in London and the Kremlin in Moscow. In fact, the clock is a replica of Big Ben. Considering the length of the journey from England to Shanghai, the extravagance of the architects, developers and owners becomes quite clear. And still, nearly the only place where one can see a mention of it is in history books. One reason for this is the same history that locked Shanghai away from the rest of the world for 50 years. For the Chinese, the Customs House mainly represents the Opium Wars, and the unjust control the foreigners had over Chinese trade, reaping unbelievable profits in the process.
As said before, most of the buildings on the Bund have switched hands and tenants. Most of the residents have left for good, never to return. What a surprise it is, then, to discover that there exists one building that has never belonged to anyone other than their original owners. This building is, of course, the Customs House, which today still houses different departments of Chinese Customs. The only difference is that the people keeping track of the imports and exports are Chinese and not English any longer.
The next building may make you feel like you were in central London. Building No. 12, or the HSBC Building, is described as "the most luxurious building from the Suez Canal to the Bering Strait". HSBC stands for Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. As we will see, it deserves this title. Along with the Customs House next door, the HSBC Building creates a spectacular link on the Bund promenade - one to rival the buildings of the Peace Hotel and Bank of China, even.
Built in 1923, its original purpose was to serve as headquarters for the English HSBC Bank. At the time, it was the second largest banking building in the world, surpassed only by the main building of the Bank of Scotland. The gigantic measurements of the building hinted at the power HSBC Bank possessed. Like most of the businesses here, HSBC Bank witnessed an enormous rise in both activity and profits at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. In 1923, HSBC had become one of the largest banks in China, lending money to many different companies engaged in foreign trade. Today, the headquarters of HSBC Bank can be found in Hong Kong, where its extravagant architecture makes it a sight to see among the other skyscrapers. The HSBC Building on the Bund is a strong competitor for being recognized as the symbol of Shanghai.
The building was planned and built with exquisite care. For longevity and good luck, the builders turned to Feng Shui – both the location and arrangement of the building were carefully chosen in line with these ancient principles. In fact, Feng Shui was, and still is, an everyday occurrence in China. Often design studios receive outrageous sums to make sure a new building follows the dictates of Feng Shui. The skeptically minded people will note that all things considered, Feng Shui was not of much help here. In 1955, the Chinese Government ordered HSBC Bank to vacate the building. In the 1990s, the company tried to open negotiations with the municipal government and return to Shanghai, but they did not succeed. Today, the building houses the headquarters of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank.
But history goes on, and often repeats itself. In their time, HSBC engaged in shaping Hong Kong to be one of the financial centers of the world. Today, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank is doing the same thing, only with Shanghai. And if one is to believe the forecasts, predictions and take into consideration the “arrangement of planets”, they will succeed very soon! In either case, the Chinese Government is willing to do anything it takes to set Shanghai up as the next financial heaven; Shanghai Pudong Development Bank is one of the steps necessary for their goal.
In front of the entrance to the HSBC Building, we see two lion statues. These are not Chinese statues in the traditional style – rather, they are lifelike statues brought here from London to symbolize protection and security. Given the history of Shanghai, the fate of the lions is not uncommon – in 1937, when the Japanese assumed control of Shanghai, they shipped the pair of bronze statues off to Japan. Everything of value was to be sacrificed on the altar of war; the Japanese decided to melt the statues in order to reuse the bronze they were made of. Perhaps it was Feng Shui, perhaps not. The fact is that good fortune favored the lions, and they narrowly escaped being reborn as metal destined for the battlefield. More so, when the war ended in 1945, the lions were returned to HSBC Bank.
Today, the original statues can be seen at the Shanghai Museum. The solemn pair standing watch over the HSBC Building is replicas. Still, the locals believe that it brings good luck to rub the head and paws of the lions. Who knows?
As we near the end of our tour, we come across the lowest building on the street. This is Building No. 9, or the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company Building. Jokingly, one might say that this represents the foundation of the Bund. The building was completed in 1907, and in a certain way, commemorates Chinese independence and pride. In the early 20th century, it housed the first logistics company based on Chinese capital and Chinese intellectual capacity.
As Western technology slowly invaded China in the middle of the 19th century, the Chinese started to realize that their technological prowess was greatly lacking and was hindering their efforts to keep the foreigners in check. The brighter minds of the country considered learning from Western accomplishments, and then enact thorough reforms to catch up. In history books, this movement has been named the Self-Strengthening Movement, and it was supposed to make the dreams of such scholars a reality. The China Merchants Steam Navigation Company was the keystone to the whole movement, and doubtlessly one of the most successful Chinese enterprises of the time. By taking up residence on the Bund, the boost to national pride was considerable.
The Bund - buildings No. 7-1
No building on the Bund was created in a vacuum. Building No. 7, or the Great Northern Telegraph Company Building, had a specific function to perform. Strategically, it was perhaps the most important building in the area. At the beginning of the 20th century, the building housed Great Northern Telegraph Company, a Danish company that was the largest and most active in its sphere. They had branches in China, the U.S., Russia and Europe. In the late 19th century, Great Northern Telegraph Company successfully connected Shanghai to Hong Kong – which, at the time, was the most important centre of foreign power in China’s front garden.
A few years later, they developed a network of telegraph lines for the military of the Qing Dynasty – the first telegraph lines on Chinese soil, by the way! Additionally, the company sent experts to teach in China, and in 1880, founded a telegraph school near Beijing. The school was located West of Beijing, in the city of Tianjian, called Little Shanghai before World War II.
Earlier, we have mentioned large Western nations like England, France and Germany; but even smaller countries like Denmark had a strong role to play in the development of Shanghai. Today, the building houses the branch office for Bangkok Bank of Thailand, and the Consulate of the Kingdom of Thailand. The top of the building is adorned by the flag of Thailand – the only foreign flag you can see
anywhere on the Bund.
Closer to the end of the Bund, with No. 6, we see another building erected at the height of the Self-Strengthening Movement. This is the first bank that was based on Chinese capital only – Imperial Bank of China, founded in 1897. In the 1950s, when the effect of the newly formed People’s Republic of China struck the Bund, and China in general, Imperial Bank of China vanished from the stage, remaining only a note in history books. All the same, the building presents an interesting and beautiful example of Neo-Gothic architecture dating from 1906. Due to this, the building has also been called the Synagogue of Shanghai. Today, it is owned by a Hong Kong company.
Moving on, we return to the topics of trade, transport and logistics. Building No. 5 represents Nisshin Kisen Kaisha Shipping Company, at one time the largest Japanese shipping company; the building is called the NKK Building.
The company in question was established in 1906. It was supposed to provide shipping services on the Yangtze River. In the early 20th century, however, the trade between Japan and China greatly increased, in part due to the growing power of Japan, in part due to the forced opening of China. This led the Japanese government to assume control over several smaller shipping companies, and Nisshin Kisen Kaisha Company was one of them.
For a time, the construction work on the building was stalled, as the company found itself lacking funds. The Japanese only managed to complete the first three floors; the upper three floors were added later, after borrowing money from a Jewish businessman in order to finance the construction. Due to this, the NKK Building is also called “the building in the Japanese-Jewish style”. When the shipping company came to an end, Building No. 5 quickly transferred to new owners. Among these have been the Chinese Navy, but also the Shanghai branch office of Hua Xia Bank – which was founded by Deng Xiaoping, the father of Chinese reforms. The current headquarters of Hua Xia Bank are located in Beijing.
And now we come to Building No. 4 and the end of the Bund is almost here. This house, built in 1916 in the Neo-Renaissance style, was originally shared by many different insurance companies. Before World War II, the building went to the Union Bank; this gave the house its name – Union Building. Today, it is one of the most spectacular shopping and entertainment venues on the Bund – on its eight floors you can find different department stores dealing in luxury goods, exhibition halls and restaurants.
Our next stop, Building No. 2, is called the Shanghai Club. During the first half of the last century, it was the central location for entertainment on the Bund. This prominent establishment was one of the most popular places for high society in Shanghai, and the membership fee was hefty indeed. For this reason, members were predominantly foreigners, especially the English. Next to the horse and greyhound racing tracks, it was a central location for all social events. The L-shaped Long Bar, located on the second floor, was, for a time, the longest bar in the world – one end of the L was 33 meters long, and the other 13.
After the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, the history of the building has been varied and the tenants have been colorful. After renovations that were completed in 2010, Building No. 2 now houses the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Hotel.
And here, at the end – or the beginning - of the Bund - the ‘financial dragon’, we find Building No. 1, or the McBain Building, or the Asia Building. It was built in 1913; the name of the building refers to the bank that financed the construction work. Still, right after the building was completed, the rooms were rented out to Asiatic Petroleum Company, today known as Shell. Shell operated from these rooms until 1966, when the Cultural Revolution began. Today, the building is owned by one of the largest insurance companies in China, China Pacific Insurance Company.
We have reached the end of our tour on the Bund. But before we leave it behind, we would like to show you a very peculiar tower on the banks of the Huangpu River. It is a weather-watching tower, built in 1907.
As the Huangpu River was heavily trafficked, and goods were constantly being shipped in to and out of Shanghai, weather forecasts were always in demand. In a way, it was a possibility to decrease risks and help guarantee that one’s goods reached their destination. A beacon of trade, if you will!
On the Bund, trade was a constant. Even more than the rest of Shanghai, it was a magnet for all kinds of trades, deals and currencies; here, money exchanged hands with blinding speed, and profits rose or fell with each second. It is an historic irony that the same place where foreigners earned their fortunes by dominating over the locals is the birth place of the Chinese Communist Party that would later come to lead all China.
Shanghai was and still is a Babel of ideas and nations. Only time will tell whether the fortune seeker finds what he or she is looking for, or vanishes without a trace. Future historians will perhaps view the birth of the Bund as the first ripple in the coming of a worldwide financial centre. The second wave is almost here – in Pudong, where the concentration of finance companies is growing by the hour. As to how large this wave will be, we can only guess…
Yuyuan Garden - introduction
address: No. 218, Anren Road (in the center of the Old City), Shanghai
Map of the site is at the end of this e-book.
Considering the fact that Shanghai is a financial centre rather than a place of imperial beauty, it might surprise you to know that one of the most lavish and celebrated gardens in China is located in Shanghai. The same Shanghai that is a hub to much of China’s financial activity; the same Shanghai that is home to more than 20 million people. To find a piece of idyllic parkland somewhere in the same Shanghai that to different people is part mist, part swamp, part merry-go-round, part El Dorado, part Promised Land, is a mind-altering experience. This pearl of the Orient allows you to experience refinement, harmony, purification, and clarity. Yes, Yuyuan Garden is an embodiment of classical Chinese landscape paintings.
But now we must say that although Yuyuan Garden is often called a park, it’s actually a garden and not a park at all. This distinction is important – a park is much larger than a garden, and Chinese gardens in particular are much more detailed, intimate and harmonic. This reflects the Chinese sentiment that a garden should be a part of nature and, ideally, imitate it. For this reason, Chinese gardens often contain artificial hills, ponds, fish and trees, all laden with symbolic meanings. All these elements are present in the wild as well. A park, on the other hand, is often a bleak alley, built with modern materials and in modern style, complete with monuments, sculptures and memorial plaques, lacking in both privacy and connection between people and nature.
In this, Yuyuan Garden is a bit unusual – the once cosy garden has become one of the most popular tourist sites in Shanghai. And obviously, this results in huge numbers of visitors. Because of this, Yuyuan Garden can’t really be called private, not even during the winter. The garden, also called the Master of Parks, is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. During summertime, Yuyuan Garden, along with the Bazaar, which is located nearby, is the most visited area in Shanghai. The people on the streets remind you of a roaring river. A comparison quite shrewd, really, as water plays a major role in the garden. Here you can find the statue Beautiful Woman’s Waist, or Meiren Yao, carved by both time and water, or the Exquisite Jade Rock, looking like a beehive.
Before visiting Yuyuan Garden, Chinese sages recommend you read some Chinese poems or study a Chinese landscape painting – this helps with connecting with the garden. Otherwise, a visitor might not comprehend the refined design or the pure style of the garden. It is said that people who have never read Chinese poetry or studied Chinese paintings should visit Yuyuan Garden three or even four times. Only then can the visitor understand and really see the garden. In a way, it’s like meditating – cleansing and honing the spirit to create the proper mood for your visit. We recommend you read the poems of Li Bai, for example. Additionally, knowing Chinese poetry will help you understand the names given to the buildings in the garden – many
of these names come from famous poems.
A warning, however, to the prospective visitor. One cannot browse through a poem or skim over a painting; similarly, one cannot run through the garden and expect a stunning experience. You must choose the right rhythm, make frequent stops, try to take photographs from different angles, and most of all – think. You should think about what you see, digest it and only then move on. Yuyuan Garden is not the Louvre in Paris, with masterpieces packed side by side. In this garden, all details are closely tied to one another. And in order to understand the whole, you need to take time!
Although today, Yuyuan Garden is a glittering pearl in the middle of Shanghai, the history of the garden is much darker and filled with tragedies, pain, and misery. The history of Yuyuan Garden reaches back 400 years – to the Ming Dynasty. During that time, there lived an official by the name of Pan Yunduan. He wished to build a garden, so that his father, Pan En, might spend his old age in peace and comfort. To you, this might seem weird; in Confucian China, however, this is perfectly normal. In China, taking care of your parents is the most noble thing of all. In Confucian spirit, in the year 1559, Pan Yunduan set out to build a spectacular garden to serve as a trouble-free home for his father in his old age. The garden was named the Garden of Peace and Harmony, or Yuyuan in Chinese. A beautiful name, is it not? Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying – Pan Yunduan built this garden to please his father.
Shanghai Stories TOP3: the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse Page 3