Shanghai Bund Light-Up Times & Nanjing Road Guide 2026

Hello, fellow travelers!

I'm Nihao Lily, your go-to Greater China travel blogger.

Today, I'm bringing you a complete guide to Shanghai's absolute must-visit spots: The Bund and Nanjing East Road!

From essential travel info and top sights to a curated shopping list,

I've got it all laid out for you.

📌 Nihao Lily's Signature China Notes!

As someone who has visited Shanghai over 10 times,

I've shared an insider tip on a much less crowded route to The Bund

right in the middle of this post, so make sure to read all the way to the end! 🤍

Must-Visit Shanghai Destinations

:: The Bund & Nanjing East Road Basic Info

❣️The Bund, Shanghai (外滩)

The view of Pudong's towering skyscrapers soaring into the sky

directly across from the classic, European-style historic buildings of The Bund

is a breathtaking sight that never gets old. It's the ultimate iconic landmark of Shanghai.

❣️ The Bund Light Show Schedule

Lights On: Between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM (just after sunset)

Lights Off: 10:00 PM

❣️Nanjing East Road, Shanghai (南京东路)

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This is a massive, bustling shopping street that stretches from

The Bund to People's Square and Nanjing West Road, packed to the brim

with department stores, boutiques, cafes, and trendy pop-up shops.

Often described as the 'Times Square' of Shanghai,

it sits right at the heart of the city's tourism hub. This makes it

one of the absolute best areas to book your accommodation!

📌

Nihao Lily's China Notes

Insider Travel Tips from a

Greater China Travel Blogger

How to Get to The Bund

- Let's take the less crowded route! -

Most people get to The Bund by walking straight down Nanjing East Road.

And if you do, this is the massive crowd you'll be walking with! ^.^

The photo above shows the sheer volume of people waiting to cross

the street just to get to the riverside... 🤩

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My personal recommendation is

to start walking from Yu Garden (Yuyuan) instead.

The two ultimate spots for Shanghai's night views are The Bund and Yu Garden,

and they are actually connected. It takes about 40 minutes of leisurely walking,

and the path is incredibly scenic.

I highly recommend taking this stroll to capture some legendary, crowd-free shots.

It's super easy if you start from Yu Garden and follow the blue line shown in the map below.

If you're using Gaode Maps (Amap), just pin any spot along the riverside near Yu Garden, and walking towards it will lead you straight to The Bund.

If you head that way, you'll find it's blissfully empty like this! haha

Of course, as you walk further along, the crowds will start to pick up, but it's a much more peaceful approach!

Nanjing Road East, Shanghai

:: Best Places to Visit & Shopping List

Shanghai's ultimate shopping hub, Nanjing Road East!

Nanjing Road East is a bustling district packed with restaurants, cafes, and endless shopping,

making it the perfect spot to get all your shopping done in one go!

❣️POP MART

POP MART, famous as the home of Labubu!

Besides Labubu, they have an absolute treasure trove of different character merch.

It's amazing to see how many of China's own original characters have taken off.

If you're a fan of figurines and cute character collectibles, this is a must-visit!

❣️M&M's Flagship Store

Who knew a chocolate brand could have such adorable merch?

There were so many things I regretted not buying afterwards! $_$

❣️MINISO

The lineup here is way more diverse than what you usually find elsewhere.

Especially because of their massive Disney collaboration—the sheer amount of Disney products

is mind-blowing.

Buying merch at Disneyland can be super expensive,

but you can grab them here for a fraction of the price!

Before heading to Disneyland,

I stopped by here to pick up some cute headbands first.

❣️White Rabbit Candy (Da Bai Tu)

This is China's iconic national candy brand.

The classic rabbit logo is adorable, and they sell them in giant novelty candy-shaped packages,

making them super popular as souvenirs and gifts.

The original milky, creamy flavor is definitely the crowd favorite!

❣️Universal Studios Store

Alongside Disney,

there is also a Universal Studios merch shop!

Seeing rows and rows of adorable Minions was just too cute to handle! 💛

❣️Qingzi Hand Cream

This is a local Chinese hand cream brand.

They offer a unique scent for every single day of the year,

from January 1st to December 31st,

making these hand creams highly recommended as birthday gifts!

The scents are beautifully subtle and pleasant.

❣️Polo Walk

Have you ever heard of 'Polo Walk'?!

It's a Polo knock-off brand that you'll see all over the place in China.

Honestly, they're so shamelessly confident about being a knock-off that I was left speechless... haha 😂

Today, I shared my ultimate travel itinerary for The Bund & Nanjing East Road!

❣️Chinese Characters (Hanzi)

❣️ Gaode Map (Amap) Addresses

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If you need any of this information or have any questions,

just leave a comment and I'll reply back to you!

Have an amazing trip to China!

Zaijian (Goodbye)! 🖐🏻🖐🏻🖐🏻

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