River cruises on the Huangpu River depart from piers on the Bund and offer views of both the colonial west bank and the contemporary east bank (Pudong) simultaneously — the classic Shanghai juxtaposition of 1930s Art Deco and 21st-century commercial skyscrapers that defines the city's visual identity. The standard tourist cruise runs one hour.
The evening cruise, from around 6:30 pm, captures both the sunset light on the colonial buildings and the illumination of the Pudong towers. The cruise terminal is at the south end of the Bund near Jinling Road East. Multiple operators offer the same route; the night cruise is worth the slight premium over the daytime service.