City Icons – Bund, Pudong Shanghai China

Shanghai’s icons are all about its cityscapes and the juxtaposition of old and new. The city has two distinct skylines competing with one another, the colonial era Bund and directly across the Huangpu River futuristic Pudong. Both are brilliantly lit up at night.

The grand and elegant architecture of The Bund was built during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some of the most distinct buildings include Customs House, the Peace Hotel and the granddaddy of them all the former Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation building.

Pudong’s space age skyline is always being updated, each new structure looking to steal the show. The Feng Shui compliant Jin Mao Tower was the tallest building in mainland China until the Shanghai World Financial Center, which will be completed next year, surpassed it.

It’s hard to believe the land on which Pudong’s buildings sit was farmland less than 20 years ago. Its young skyline is flashy in comparison to the elder Bund. The bling bling neon of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the glass orb of the Shanghai International Convention Center glow well into the night.

Previous City Icons: Beirut and Jaipur.