One of Shanghai’s most recognizable symbols is the skyline of the new Pudong skyscrapers from the boardwalk on the Bund side. It is indeed quite a sight, though still pale in comparison to the long & shiny Hong Kong skyline.
Best time, I would say, to go enjoy that view is during the evening time, when the masses of Chinese tour-groups start heading back and the Pudong buildings & crossing ferries light up.
I was really surprised to see a huge Hebrew “Coca Cola” advert on one of the buildings…
Now, if you were wondering maybe you should go visit it during the day, you might want to rethink that. One of the big tragedies of Shanghai is the insane levels of pollution. “Worse than Hong Kong?” you ask. Much much worse. It’s the kind of pollution that you can taste in your mouth and doesn’t allow you to see further than a few hundred meters. Don’t believe me? Take a look…
Absolutely horrible. I challenge you to find a recent daytime photo from The Bund that’s much clearer than that. Even on smoggy Hong Kong days, it usually never gets as bad as this, and this was how it was for the entire duration of my stay. But perhaps I was just unlucky.
BTW – I checked the newspapers and websites for the reported pollution for the days I visited (see below) and it is my impression that these numbers have been heavily massaged. There’s a big gap between what the numbers suggest and what you can’t help but feel when you’re there.