The Waibaidu Bridge

The Waibaidu Bridge, aka The Garden Bridge due to its proximity to the Huangpu Park, was built in 1907. It was constructed to replace the previous Waibaidu Bridge which was made of wood. Since its opening on the 20 Jaunuary 1908, it has witnessed the lives and hardships of the Chinese and also the foreigners who were living in the foreign settlements in Shanghai, especially during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).

A view on from the bridge.

After several repairs and renovations over the past decades and finally the 10-month removal and restoration which commenced in 2008, the Waibaidu Bridge was reopened for public use in April 2009. With the installation of a LED lighting system, the steel bridge eludes charm under the night sky, forming a picture of harmony with the brightly-lighted buildings on the opposite bank of the Huangpu River.

We travelled to the bund by bus 910 and took a 10 minute walk to the Waibaidu Bridge. Unfortunately, the pathway along the bund was under renovation, human traffic was disrupted and much of the view was blocked. If not, it would have been an even more rewarding trip for our cameras… ~meόωy