“Bund” is an Anglo-Indian word meaning "embankment," and Shanghai’s Bund area edges the city’s riverfront with more than a mile of promenade holding an astonishing collection of colonial buildings from the 1920s and 1930s. Today, the former financial institutions and trading houses are occupied by European fashion designers. If you’re strolling along this famous part of town and you’re not of Asian descent, you will want to become accustomed to garnering attention, as locals in Shanghai tend to stare. It’s not seen as rude, as you are simply unusual and therefore represent a curiosity. Why not add a little goodwill to global diplomacy and smile at the city’s intrigued residents!
You’ll want to take Kleenex with you if you are likely to visit the public toilets in and around Shanghai, as the only restrooms that supply toilet paper are those that cater to tourists and they are not as plentiful in the city as you might imagine. You will also want to read up on the “squat toilet,” (or squatty potties, as they are affectionately known), so you’ll be prepared when you make the rounds of all that Shanghai has to offer.