Waibaidu Bridge and Suzhou Creek
外白渡桥 Waibaidu Bridge · 苏州河 Suzhou Creek · Huangpu District, Shanghai, China
Cross the steel truss bridge opened in 1908, then head west along the connected Suzhou Creek waterfront path to see Broadway Mansions, the Post Office Building and the Sihang Warehouse.
Know before you go
- Do not stop on the bridge's traffic lanes or bicycle lanes to take photos
- do not climb over bridge or riverbank railings for a shot
- do not cycle into pedestrians on the waterfront promenade
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Suzhou Creek is the common name for the urban stretch of the Wusong River in Shanghai. It rises at Guajingkou on Lake Tai, runs about 125 km and joins the Huangpu River east of the Waibaidu Bridge. After the port opened, foreigners found they could sail up it all the way to Suzhou and called it "Soochow Creek" in English; from 1848 official documents also used the name Suzhou Creek. The Waibaidu Bridge (Garden Bridge) at the river mouth is the fourth bridge built near this spot since 1856; the current bridge opened to traffic on 20 January 1908 and is regarded as China's first all-steel riveted bridge, linking Huangpu and Hongkou. In its name, "wai" (outer) refers to the lower reaches of the river, and "baidu" (free crossing) is said by one account to come from the toll being abolished. In 1994 Shanghai listed it as an outstanding historic building. The banks of Suzhou Creek are lined with buildings such as Broadway Mansions, the Shanghai General Post Office, the former British Consulate and the Sihang Warehouse, and by the end of 2020 the 42 km of public waterfront in the central districts was essentially connected and open.
Local customs
- Early in the morning and in the evening, many residents run, cycle and stroll on the Suzhou Creek waterfront walkway, and the Waibaidu Bridge is a popular spot for wedding photos and cityscape shots. Every autumn the Shanghai Rowing Open is held on Suzhou Creek, finishing near the Waibaidu Bridge
- the "Leisurely Suzhou Creek" water route has been in trial operation since 2022, and you can board a boat around the Rockbund area and travel west along the creek.
Religion & beliefs
- The bridges and the river themselves have no religious function. The historic buildings along the river are mostly modern public and commercial buildings such as consulates, post offices and warehouses
- the Sihang Warehouse is now a memorial hall of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, so please stay quiet and follow the hall's rules during your visit, and don't fool around or pose for photos in the memorial exhibition areas.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas
Do
- Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
- Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
- Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
- Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
- Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave
Don’t
- Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
- Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
- Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos
During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday
China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones
Do
- Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
- On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
- Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
- Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
- If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app
Don’t
- Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
- Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
- Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes
If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking
China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages
Do
- Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
- Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
- Use headphones for videos and music
- In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
- Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings
Don’t
- Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
- Don't take someone else's seat
- Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)
Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains
China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks
Do
- Walk only on open sections and marked routes
- On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
- Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
- Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
- Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail
Don’t
- Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
- Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
- Don't run or push on steep sections
Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall
China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels
Do
- Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
- Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
- Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
- Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly
Don’t
- Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
- Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
- Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days
Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows
China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport
Do
- Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
- Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
- Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
- Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
- If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane
Don’t
- Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
- Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
- Don't book with details that differ from your passport
Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China
China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites
Do
- Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
- On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
- Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
- Sort your rubbish into the right bins
- Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat
Don’t
- Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
- Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
- Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
- Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
- Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places
Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit
Don’t DON'T
- Do not stop on the bridge's traffic lanes or bicycle lanes to take photos
- do not climb over bridge or riverbank railings for a shot
- do not cycle into pedestrians on the waterfront promenade
- do not throw litter into the river
- in strong winds or heavy rain, do not go near unrailed waterside platforms
Locals appreciate DO
- Look back at the international buildings of the Bund from beside Broadway Mansions north of the bridge
- at dusk walk west along the North Suzhou Road promenade to Sichuan Road Bridge and Zhapu Road Bridge
- take in the river view in front of the Post Office Building
- take a Suzhou Creek cruise to see the bridges on both banks
- see the bridge's steel truss lit up at night
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Seeing just the Waibaidu Bridge takes about 30 minutes
- walking along Suzhou Creek from the bridge to the Sihang Warehouse is about 3 kilometers, so allow half a day including visits. Nanjing East Road Station on Metro Lines 2 and 10 or Tiantong Road Station on Line 12 are within walking distance of either end of the bridge, and buses serve the Bund Origin area. The bridge is a city road open around the clock
- piers, schedules and ticketing for Suzhou Creek cruises are as announced by the operators, and the Sihang Warehouse Battle Memorial usually requires a reservation and is closed on Mondays—check the official announcements. Nearby: south of the bridge are the Bund and the Bund Origin, north of it are Broadway Mansions and the North Bund in Hongkou
- heading west along the creek you reach the Shanghai Post Museum and the Sihang Warehouse, and farther west the M50 creative park.
Photos
Photos
kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0
Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0
EditQ · CC BY-SA 4.0
How do you like this place?
More nearby
Also in Shanghai
Nearby sights
Shanghai History Museum
In the former Shanghai Race Club building next to People's Square, trace the story from the Majiabang culture to the treaty-port era of the "ten…
Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
A water town with a history of about 1,700 years, where thirty-six stone bridges span the waterways; the five-arched Fangsheng Bridge is the tow…
Xintiandi and the Site of the First CPC National Congress
Xintiandi, a commercial district converted from shikumen lilong lanes, sits right next to the memorial hall at the site of the First CPC Nationa…
Lujiazui
A peninsula on a bend of the Huangpu River where the Oriental Pearl Tower stands beside three supertall skyscrapers, Jin Mao Tower, the Shanghai…
Wukang Road and the Hengfu Historic Area
Just 1.17 km long, plane-tree-shaded Wukang Road has 37 protected historic buildings; together with the garden houses around Hengshan Road and F…
City God Temple of Shanghai
The Taoist City God Temple of Shanghai's old town honours three city gods at once, Huo Guang, Qin Yubo and Chen Huacheng; right outside is a liv…
