The stone side
A row of banks built to look permanent by people who were not sure they would be.
Modern Shanghai by Architecture
Two skylines facing each other across half a kilometre of water, ninety years apart, both making an argument about what a Chinese city should be. Spend a day with someone who can read them and the whole place stops being scenery.
- Duration
- One day, roughly 10:00 to 19:00
- Party
- Private, or a small group by arrangement
- From
- Enquire for pricing
- Best months
- March to May, September to November
Above the water
A long tea sitting, with the whole argument laid out below.
What is being drawn now
The districts nobody photographs yet, which is where the interesting work is.
The Bund is a row of banks. That is the thing to hold on to — every one of those buildings was put up by an institution that wanted to look like it had been there forever and would be there afterwards, and most of them were wrong on both counts.
Across the water is the reply, built in a single generation and still going up. Whether it is better is not the interesting question. The interesting question is what each side thought a serious city was supposed to look like, and how completely those two answers disagree.
The day
- Walk the Bund with an architectural eye rather than a camera route
- Understand why the two banks of the river look nothing alike
- Take a long afternoon tea with the skyline at eye level
- Visit a district being built now, not one that has finished
- Finish at street level where the new city is actually used
Included
- Private host and interpreter for the full day
- Afternoon tea sitting
- Private vehicle and driver
- Not included: Accommodation
- Not included: Flights and intercity transport
- Not included: Observation deck admissions, which vary by tower
- Not included: Personal spending
Questions
Is this day suitable if I am not an architect?
Yes — it assumes no background. The guide explains what to look at and why, and most guests say it changed how they saw the rest of their trip.
Which tower do we go up?
It depends on visibility and queue on the day. We choose in the morning rather than committing you to a two-hour wait in poor air.
Can this be combined with the cooking day?
That is the usual pairing — one day for the food and lanes, one for the built city. Two nights in Shanghai covers both comfortably.
How much walking?
Around five kilometres, flat, with long seated breaks.
Will there be other guests?
Only if you want them. The day is normally private to your party; we also run it as a small group when travellers ask to share, and we will tell you which applies to your dates.