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All China Shanghai Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

This psychedelic tourist trap is a leisurely descent into madness.

Shanghai, China

Added By
Deni
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The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel   Mr Michael Phams on Flickr
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel   Mr Michael Phams on Flickr
The darkness at the end of the tunnel.   Yu Morita on Flickr
The rail cars that take you on the mind expanding journey.   Ana Paula Hirama on Flickr
  Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance to tunnel   Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
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About

When trying to cross the Huang Pu River in Shanghai's bustling Bund district, you can either hop on an inexpensive metro car, or you can take a psychedelic trip through the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel.

Located under the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower, the tunnel was built to be one of the Bund's major tourist attractions, and still manages to draw large numbers of travelers despite costing more than ten times as much as the metro. Although riders do get a rather mind-blowing (if dated) experience. After hopping into a small, futuristic rail car, riders are leisurely carried through a tunnel which is covered in pulsing, strobing lights that attempt to simulate flight through some acid-soaked version of space. The bombardment of flashing lights and colors is accompanied by a rather ominous soundtrack punctuated by an occasional intonation of English words such as "...shining star..." and "...hell..." It is unclear whether the ride is trying to evoke wonder or terror, but both reactions seem appropriate.

Despite its name, the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel offers no Shanghai sights other than its own sensory bombardment. The entire ride lasts just under five minutes, but the mind-blowing light show could have much more lasting effects.    

Related Tags

Roadside Attractions Tunnels Monuments Shops Subterranean Sites

Know Before You Go

Price is 50 RMB one way, 70 for a round trip

Community Contributors

Added By

deni367

Edited By

Jane Weinhardt Goldberg, Adam Sarac, EricGrundhauser

  • Jane Weinhardt Goldberg
  • Adam Sarac
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

November 26, 2015

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Sources
  • https://fabricofparis.com/2020/03/04/transport-that-never-was-sk.html
  • http://travel.cnn.com/shanghai/play/bund-sightseeing-tunnel-821085
  • http://www.chinasnippets.com/shanghai-cultural/bund-sightseeing-tunnel/
  • http://thechive.com/2013/03/08/the-bund-sightseeing-tunnel-looks-like-it-would-be-one-hell-of-a-trippy-ride-19-photos/
Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
349 Zhongshan East 1st Rd
Shanghai, 200000
China
31.239874, 121.490451
Get Directions

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Explore the Destination Guide

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