01
Long Museum
A museum built around a preserved coal-unloading structure: raw concrete vaults, very little decoration.
Admission fee, closes Mondays. The building is worth seeing even if you skip the exhibitions.
50 min
Contemporary · Xuhui
West Bund: Museums & Riverfront
Four kilometres of former coal docks and runway turned into museums, oil tanks and the best flat riverside path in the city.
The West Bund was an airport, a coal terminal and a cement works. In fifteen years it became the densest stretch of contemporary art in China: two major museums, an oil-tank art park, and a continuous riverside promenade running north to south.
Come on a clear afternoon. Most of this walk is outdoors and the light on the water is the whole reason to do it.
The route
6 points · schematic, not to scale
02
The Tank
Five former aviation fuel tanks converted into exhibition spaces and a public park.
Free to walk the grounds. The tanks themselves are the attraction; check what is on inside.
40 min
03
Riverside promenade
A wide, flat, dog-walking, running, kite-flying stretch along the Huangpu. The most relaxed kilometre in Shanghai.
Bring water. There are few shops along the river itself until you reach the next cluster.
40 min
04
West Bund Art Center
A former aircraft hangar turned exhibition hall. Home to major contemporary art fairs.
Only worth it when something is on — check the calendar before walking the extra distance.
35 min
05
Yuz Museum / galleries cluster
Finish at the southern cluster of smaller galleries and cafés.
The cluster is spread out. Take a shared bike or a short taxi between the last two stops.
25 min
Getting there and back
Start at Yunjin Road (Line 11), Exit 2. Finish: West Bund Art Center / Long Museum area.
Keep walking
Nearby routes
01
Hongkou: Shanghai's Jewish Quarter
A neighbourhood that took in 20,000 refugees in the late 1930s, still standing, still lived in, and almost entirely missing from most itineraries.
Under-visited→
02
Suzhou Creek to M50
Follow the creek west through warehouses, a 1930s post office and a battle-scarred warehouse, ending in the city's best cluster of galleries.
Industrial & art→
03
Wukang Road & the French Concession
Plane trees, low balconies and a street that bends eleven times. The Shanghai most visitors picture, walked slowly.
The classic→
1
Guides who walk this route
Every route on this site can be walked on your own. If you would rather have someone explain it, these are the listed guides who cover this one.
West Bund — galleries, cranes and the river
English · Mandarin · French
On request
FAQ
Questions about West Bund: Museums & Riverfront
Everything on this site is written and re-checked on the ground. When something changes, this page changes.
Is the West Bund walkable in one go?
Yes, roughly 5 km on flat riverside path. Allow three hours including one museum.
Are West Bund museums free?
The grounds and promenade are free. The major museums charge admission and generally close on Mondays.
How do I get to the West Bund?
Metro Line 11 to Yunjin Road, or Line 7 / 12 to Longhua Middle Road, then walk toward the river.
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