People’s Square to the Bund, a heritage stroll
Print Edition
WELCOME to Nanjing Road E., where culture and city life meet in spectacular style. Beyond its famous shopping arcades lies a treasure trove of theaters, museums and historic landmarks, each revealing a different facet of Shanghai’s story.
Here, world-class theaters share the skyline with historic landmarks, and traditional operas echo beside futuristic digital art. Here, we pick eight iconic places on the “cultural attraction route” which promises an unforgettable journey through time, creativity, and the rhythm of a modern city.
Great World & Gong Stage
Opened in 1917 by Huang Chujiu, the Great World embodied Shanghai’s joyful urban life as the “largest amusement center in the Far East.” Inside, floors, theaters, games and music halls drew thousands daily. Today, it thrives as a hub for traditional arts and creative performances.
Within its historic complex stands Gong Stage, originally one of Shanghai’s “four great Peking Opera theaters,” now reborn as a dynamic venue for modern musicals and contemporary stage productions. Its updated stagecraft and lighting preserve the intimacy of its early architecture while connecting new audiences to Shanghai’s enduring spirit of performance and reinvention.
Shanghai Concert Hall
Known as the Nanking Theater at the time of its opening in 1930, this neoclassical landmark was moved 66 meters in 2003 to safeguard it from subway development. Its acoustics remain among the city’s best, hosting orchestras, jazz nights and film concerts.
Shanghai Museum (People’s Square)
With its signature “round-heaven, square-earth” silhouette, the Shanghai Museum ranks among China’s finest cultural institutions. Its 10 galleries display bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings spanning every dynasty. It also pioneers new curatorial design, cross-border exchanges and inclusive educational programs, serving as both a cultural repository and a gateway for global dialogue.
The Grand Theater
Designed by architect László Hudec in 1932, the Grand Theater defined Shanghai’s Art Deco era. It was Asia’s first cinema with widescreen projection and stereo sound. During the 1930s, its audiences used an earphone translation system to follow foreign films in real time. Painstakingly restored in 2008, the building now glows with its original curves, marble floors and “Hudec cipher” patterns — a timeless tribute to cinema and design.
People’s Square & People’s Park
Once the city’s racecourse, this heart of modern Shanghai was reshaped into an “urban living room” in the 1990s. Today, it blends art and recreation — tree-lined paths, music fountains and sculpture plazas surrounded by the city’s leading museums and theaters. On weekends, the park hums with family picnics, amateur artists and the famous marriage market, capturing Shanghai’s social pulse in real time.
Bund Central
Bund Central fuses four historic buildings, the Central Department Store, and the Meilun, Huaqiao and Xinkang Buildings, under a spectacular 4,000-square-meter glass dome. The dome’s 12,000 LED lights transform it into a canvas for digital art and public events. Since its phased renovations, Bund Central has become a “second façade” to the Bund, a place where heritage, shopping and community interact through architecture and light.
Fairmont Peace Hotel
At the meeting point of the Bund and Nanjing Road, the Peace Hotel remains a landmark of Shanghai style. Its two buildings, the North (Cathay Hotel, 1929) and the South (Palace Hotel, 1908), embody Art Deco grandeur. The hotel hosted statesmen and celebrities, from Charlie Chaplin to the Clintons. After its heritage restoration and the TV series “Blossoms Shanghai,” the hotel’s British Suite and “Flourishing City”-themed teas revived its legend as a living symbol of old Shanghai charm.
Rockbund & Former Union Church
Where the Huangpu River meets Suzhou Creek lies Bund Origin, the birthplace of Shanghai’s modern identity. Spanning 16 hectares and housing 15 buildings from 1920 to 1936, it was the site of the first British Consulate and early financial houses. The district is now revitalized through projects such as Rockbund, combining preservation and cultural reuse to host exhibitions and festivals. Standing nearby is the former Union Church, constructed in 1886 and enlarged in 1901. It reflects the Victorian-era Romanesque style.
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