Renovation wraps up for Shanghai Bund

With the World Expo some five weeks away, host city Shanghai is wrapping up the renovation of the Bund, one of its most prominent landmark zones.

By this weekend, all guard railings on buildings in the Bund will be removed. This will mark the conclusion of the latest renovation of the European-style boulevard. The goal is to restore the area's aesthetic function and reduce its role in the local traffic system. The ten-lane road will be narrowed to six lanes to make room for pedestrians. The public space will be expanded by some forty percent.

With the World Expo some five weeks away, host city Shanghai is wrapping up the renovation  of the Bund, one of its most prominent landmark zones.

The Bund is known as one of the most elegant places in Shanghai's hustle and bustle. On the waterfront of the Huangpu River, the boulevard first took shape in the early 20th century. At the time, Shanghai was considered a paradise for adventurers from the world over. Recent decades have seen that past sophistication revive, with a host of bars, restaurants and shops.

The Bund is known as one of the most elegant places in Shanghai's hustle and bustle.

The renovation is meant to present the most charming of Shanghai's landscape. The waterfront leisure zone will consist of four public squares: Huangpu Park, Chen Yi, Financial, and Meteorological Station. Historical monuments have all received facelifts or cleanups, to be ready to greet visitors during the World Expo.