This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

On a bend in the Bund riverfront, baroque, pillared palaces from Shanghai’s days as a high-society hub sparkle like diamonds in a décolettage. Across the water, the sun ricochets off 21st-century skyscrapers half a kilometre tall. And between them, thousands of people swarm the boardwalk, scrum for photos and pour out of ritzy restaurants to take in the panorama that’s become a symbol of the city’s might.

The Bund is a must-see for anyone in Shanghai, but it can get manic — just like the rest of this city of nearly 25 million people. Ever since British and other European merchants first arrived to colonise the city’s harbour in the 19th century, Shanghai has been the engine that fired China’s meteoric rise — champion

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