(Historical buildings along the Bund)

Finally, historical buildings along the Bund have got their own IDs.

An iconic landmark of Shanghai, the Bund in Huangpu District has dozens of well-preserved historical buildings lined along the Huangpu River, most of which have undergone many reconstructions, and ultimately formed a part of the city’s skyline. To raise people’s awareness of the cultural heritage, QR codes have been put on 22 of those constructions, providing citizens with an easy access to information related to the buildings.

(A night scene of the historical buildings along the Bund)

Smartphone users who scan the QR codes on those buildings will get details about the constructions’ history, architectural styles and features, cultural value and relevant research findings.

Recently, reporters have seen many Chinese and foreign visitors at the Bund stop to experience the “readable architecture.”“It's very convenient. It seems that our mobile phone instantly turns into a ‘tour guide,' and with just a few clicks, we can know the past and present of this building,” a tourist from Jiangsu Province was very satisfied with the installation of the QR codes.

The QR codes have become electronic nameplates of the 22 buildings. According to the housing authorities of Huangpu District, in the next step, the district will continue to expand the scope of QR code installation on historical landmarks.