The North Bund is a riverside district in southern Hongkou District, Shanghai. Its boundary stretches from Dalian Road‑Qinhuangdao Road in the east to North Henan Road in the west, bounded by the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek in the south, and Zhoujiazui Road‑Haining Road in the north. The planned land area covers 3.66 square kilometres, with a waterfront shoreline of 3.53 kilometres along the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek. Together with the Bund and Lujiazui, it forms Shanghai’s “Golden Triangle”.

As a vital sub‑district in central Shanghai with a solid market foundation and comprehensive central‑business‑district functions, the area is positioned as a shipping‑service cluster. It is planned to host corporate headquarters bases, a shipping‑factor aggregation centre, an international cruise passenger terminal and a port‑service centre. In 2009, the State Council designated it as the core functional zone of Shanghai International Shipping Centre.

In accordance with the Controlled Detailed Planning for the North‑Bund Area (2020), the district advances the development pattern of “one core, two zones, and integration of old and new developments”. A new 480‑metre‑tall Puxi landmark and an aerial sky‑walk network are under construction. Its development goals are to build a “World‑Class Living Room” and a demonstration zone for the green development of international shipping. The shipping industry of the North Bund has undergone three phases of transformation: “old docks — shipping‑oriented street — shipping‑headquarters base”, forming a complete industrial chain covering ship valuation and maritime law. In 2024, China’s first‑ever green‑methanol ship‑to‑ship bunkering operation was completed here, alongside the sea trial of the world’s first all‑battery‑powered container ship. More than 2,100 financial‑sector institutions have gathered locally, with assets‑under‑management totalling 8 trillion yuan. In the technology sector, innovation carriers including the D.Transformer Incubator have been established. By 2024, over 4,700 shipping‑service‑related enterprises and more than 40 functional institutions such as the Shanghai Shipping Exchange had settled in the district. Following the riverside greenway‑renovation project in 2024, the riverside green space has been placed under park‑style management.

The North‑Bund area lies at the confluence of Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River. It extends from Dalian Road and Qinhuangdao Road in the east to North Henan Road in the west, with the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek as its southern boundary and Haining Road‑Zhoujiazui Road as its northern boundary. Its planned land area reaches 3.66 square kilometres and the waterfront along the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek totals 3.53 kilometres [1].

Eastern Zone

Bounded by Ping’an Road to the west, Zhoujiazui Road to the south, Dalian Road to the east and the Huangpu River to the north, this zone sits close to the Dalian‑Road Tunnel and Metro Line 4 and enjoys remarkable geographical advantages. It is the designated area for distinctive cultural‑tourism‑and‑leisure development within the North‑Bund master‑plan.

Centred on the historically formed Tilanqiao commercial district, the scheme extends Tilanqiao’s commercial activity toward the riverbank to create a modern‑style regional commercial‑cultural hub. While fully preserving the historic character of Tilanqiao, priority is given to tourism featuring water‑based excursions, the Tilanqiao Cultural Street and Haixia Temple attractions, so as to enrich cultural‑recreation offerings.

Supported by the riverside green space, distinctive cultural‑commercial facilities will be built in surrounding areas, delivering a full range of diversified cultural, tourist and leisure services for residents and visitors.

Eastern Waterfront of Shanghai’s North Bund

Owing to repeated adjustments to its planning scheme, construction in this zone started slightly later than in the central and western sections. No construction work has commenced on the former Yintai Garden residential site east of Gongping Road. Apart from the listed creative‑industry cluster Tongli Park and the residential project Xuyuan currently on sale, only Shanghai Ruifeng International Building at the junction of Yangshupu Road and Pingliang Road was under construction. The building covers a total construction area of 66,000 square metres across 28 storeys; floors 1‑6 comprise commercial podium space.

Western Zone

Located east of Henan Road, west of Wusong Road, south of Haining Road and north of Suzhou Creek, this zone forms part of the Bund skyline, acting as an extension of the historic Bund. It also marks the overlapping boundary between the North Bund and North Sichuan Road.

A wealth of classical buildings are found here, including the River‑Side Building, the Post‑Telecommunications Mansion, historic British‑style premises on Kunshan Road and Garden Road, as well as the well‑known Zhapu Road food‑and‑beverage street. Future planning emphasises the connection between people and water, creating estuarine waterfront landscapes. Leveraging its geographical and cultural strengths, a cosmopolitan leisure complex integrating culture, commerce, entertainment and tourism with distinct Shanghai characteristics will be developed.

Central Zone

Bordered by Wusong Road in the west, Haining Road‑Zhoujiazui Road in the north, Gongping Road in the east and the Huangpu River in the south, this core zone of the North‑Bund district accommodates knowledge‑service‑industry and shipping‑service‑industry clusters and hosts key functional facilities. Home to large‑scale business‑and‑shipping projects, it has seen the fastest construction progress across the whole North‑Bund area.

Divided by Hongkou Creek, its western sub‑area is designated a modern‑business district focusing on knowledge‑intensive modern‑service industries, while its eastern sub‑area prioritises shipping‑service‑zone development. The southern stretch of East‑Changzhi Road will mainly accommodate commercial premises, offices, information centres and hotels. Along the southern side of East‑Daming Road, facing the Huangpu River, land is reserved for commerce, offices and high‑standard apartment‑style residences. Most major construction projects currently underway in the North‑Bund district are concentrated in this central zone.

The Huangpu‑River waterfront within this section runs 1,300 metres long and contains the former Gaoyang Wharf and Yangzijiang Wharf of Shanghai Port Authority. It represents the densest shipping‑and‑business cluster of the North Bund, primarily distributed along Daming Road and East‑Daming Road. With the completion of Yaojiang International Plaza and other developments, the commercial atmosphere and office‑building quality of this area have been greatly upgraded.

Riverside Green Space

North‑Bund Riverside Green Space (International Cruise Terminal Section)Situated along the central reach of the Huangpu River, this green zone extends east‑west from Gaoyang Road to Liyang Road, bounded by East‑Daming Road to the north and the Huangpu‑River revetment to the south, covering a total area of 64,088 square metres. It connects westward with the historic Bund, and faces Lujiazui and the Oriental‑Pearl Television Tower across the river, offering panoramic views of Shanghai’s world‑famous river‑bank scenery.

The whole riverside landscape is designed around the Huangpu River and adjacent historic buildings, inheriting local heritage with a fusion of Chinese and Western‑style design. Diverse trees and plant communities create a “water‑friendly, open‑view and visually‑appealing” waterfront environment, delivering a high‑quality green leisure venue for the public.

An opening ceremony for the North‑Bund Riverside Green Space (International Cruise Terminal Section) was held at No. 558 East‑Daming Road on the morning of 16 July 2012.

The green space is managed in park‑style mode and is open from 6:00 to 22:00.

From 11 November 2024 to 20 December 2024, comprehensive resurfacing and renovation were carried out on the riverside greenway between the International Cruise Terminal and Zhiyang Section. During construction, the whole green‑space area was fully closed to visitors.

In December 2024, the renovation project of the riverside greenway from the International Cruise Terminal to Zhiyang Section was fully completed, and the site reopened to residents and tourists.