Revamped Shiliupu Pier to attract tourists and residents

Huangpu District has launched a new round of renovations on Shanghai’s historic Shiliupu Pier to develop it into a tourist transport hub and a place of waterfront recreation.

A new sightseeing platform and ship dock are being built for the pier, once the city’s major point for transportation across the Huangpu River, the Huangpu government announced over the weekend.

The 460-meter-long riverside platform will officially open to public by the end of 2018 as an extension of the Bund’s waterfront walkway. A new dock for sightseeing cruise ships is under construction near the platform, said Ding Tao, general manager of site-operator Shilupu Waterfront.

In related news, a new tourist service center has been unveiled for the Shiliupu area, according to the district’s tourism bureau. The center features a newly decorated hall, cultural exhibitions and an English-speaking robot. 

The Bund Tourism Comprehensive Service Center on Xinkaihe Road, located opposite the historic pier, was unveiled over the weekend after a redesign and renovation.

The three-floor center covers 6,000 square meters, and features underground parking for over 100 tourist buses, said Liu Yijing, the bureau’s director.

A collection of old photos, archival videos and exhibitions about the history of the pier and Bund are showcased at the center.

The pier was initially built in Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) when the Huangpu River replaced the Wusong River as east China’s main waterway. 

After the opening of the city’s port to foreign involvement, the pier became a transport hub for cargo ships traveling to and from southeast Asia and the Americas. The Qing Dynasty government eventually purchased the pier and built 16 docks along the river — hence the area’s name, which literary means “16 piers.”

Shiliupu became the city’s largest ferry port in 1980s. In its heyday, thousands of cyclists were ferried across the river on dozens of boat passages every morning.

The city government converted it into a dock for sightseeing ships after 2004 when ferry service became unnecessary. It served as one of the “water gates” for the 2010 World Expo following a major renovation. After the Expo though, visitors to the area declined rapidly due to a lack of nearby services or amenities.

“The government now aims to develop the pier into a new tourism attraction with many newly opened hotels, restaurants and commercial facilities,” Liu said.