Shanghai Waibaidu Bridge

The Waibaidu Bridge is at the northern end of the Bund in Shanghai, spanned the Suzhou Greek. It is a steel truss bridge, connecting Huangpu and HongKou districts. It is a steel bridge on Suzhou Creek in central Shanghai, connecting the Huangpu and Hongkou districts where the Suzhou River flows into the Huang Pu, 106.7 meters long and 52.16 meters wide.

The history of the bridge can be traced to the mid 1850s after Nanjing Traty. At that time, People crossed Suzhou Greek only by ferry. In 1856, a British businessman surnamed Walles, along with several other British and American bankers, set up a bridge company. The company built a wooden bridge at the confluence of Suzhou Creek and Huangpu River, called Welles Bridge. Foreigners could cross for free, but the local Chinese had to pay a toll for the bridge. Angry Chinese boycotted it. The company had to sell it to the Shanghai Municipal Council. Soon the bridge was dismantled.

In 1873, the Shanghai Municipal Council built a floating bridge several meters west of Welles Bridge. The floating bridge was free for all people, include Chinese. In 1906 it was dismantled and replaced by a steel bridge in 1907, called Waibaide Bridge. It is the largest steel bridge in Shanghai.

In 1937, when Japanese invaded Shanghai, Waibaidu Bridge was the border between Japanese occupied territory and the International Settlement. Chinese citizens crossing the bridge were often endured the Japanese solders' interrogation and harassment.

In the middle of 1999, Waibaidu Bridge was restored to its glory and it just celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2007.