Staying on the West Bund

The West Bund is the most successful urban regeneration project in Shanghai: former industrial riverfront turned into a five-kilometre park with museums, galleries and running track, built in sequence from 2012 onward.

It is well worth visiting regardless of where you sleep. Whether you should stay here depends on how much of your trip is art.

What is there

The West Bund Museum, the Long Museum, the Yuz Museum and the Power Station of Art sit within walking distance of each other along the promenade, plus numerous commercial galleries.

The riverside itself runs continuously now, and walking it at dusk is one of the best things to do in Shanghai that is not in most guidebooks.

Practicalities

It is roughly 25 minutes from the centre by metro, longer to the Bund area. It rewards a dedicated half-day rather than a spare hour.

Dining has improved considerably but is still thin compared with the centre.

Who it suits

People visiting specifically for exhibitions, people doing long stays who want somewhere quiet, and anyone who wants riverside running.

Less good for a three-day first visit, where time is best spent more centrally.

The downside

Fewer hotels than the centre and further from everything else.