Photos: The shiny, spanking new Bund walkway

(Photo by Esther Young)

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For two years, a walk along the Bund meant congested roads, thundering bulldozers, and construction dust that made your lungs cry themselves to sleep. For two years, the decadent and sumptuous history of the shoreline was covered in scaffolding. For two years -- simply put -- the Bund was not a nice place to be.

The times, they are a changin': yesterday, the Bund's pedestrian walkway opened to the public, with enough fanfare and lighting to make Saturday's Earth Hour an extremely moot point. On a chilly but clear night, every Shanghai-ren (and not a few tourists) seemed to be milling about. They gaped at the view and seemed to appreciate the temporary respite from drills and rollers.

We've known about the re-open for a while, but the actual physical manifestation of it is spectacular. You may thank us later for braving the crowds to bring you these shots.