Zhujiajiao Ancient Town – The Venice of Shanghai

Situated forty seven kilometers away from Shanghai city, Zhujiajiao Water Town is a popular tourist location to escape the noisy modern city. Covering an area of 47 square kilometers, it is a typical and ancient water town well-known throughout the country, in Qingpu District, south of the Yangtze River, with a history of more than 1700 years.

Zhujiajiao is the best-preserved ancient water town among the four ancient towns in Shanghai. Zhujiajiao is the little fan-shaped town which are compared with a bright pearl in the landscape of lakes and mountains. With lovely waterways, old streets cemented with stone, curved rock bridges and over 10,000 buildings dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911), Zhujiajiao is considered as Shanghai's Venice.

In the centuries past Zhujiajiao was a trading area due to the canals, which were used to ferries along in little boats and barges, especially in Ming dynasty. Now Zhujiajiao is a graceful and peaceful town. The graceful ancient town is well-decorated with water ways, 36 unique old bridges in different shapes and styles, from wooden to stone to marble across bubbling streams, small rivers shaded by willow trees,unsophisticated local people, traditional Chinese-style residences with courtyards attached all transport people who have been living among the bustle and hustle of the modern big city to a brand-new world full of antiquity, leisure and tranquillity.All of these are the charm of the small town.Young people and those who want to unwind after a day’s work go there from Shanghai to relax.

Zhujiajiao Ancient Town – The Venice of Shanghai

Zhujiajiao has numerous historical sites and private gardens. Those gardens were designed and built between the Qing and Ming dynasties. The most famous destinations here are Fangsheng Bridge, Kezhi Garden andPost Office of Qing Dynasty. Fangsheng Bridge is the longest, largest and tallest stone bridge in Zhujiajiao and in the Shanghai region, resting on five arches. A stone tablet named Dragon Gate Stone engraved with 8 coiling dragons encircling a shining pearl is stood on the bridge. On top of the bridge are 4 lifelike stone lions.Kezhi Yuan at the northern edge of the old district on Xijing Street is a garden dating to 1912.Among the ancient architecture, Ke Zhi Yuan garden is the largest manorial one.There are three different parts in this destination which is the main hall, the garden and the artificial hill area.Post Office of Qing Dynasty was an official body introduced from the Western Europe. It is more than just a depository of mail.This place also has an exhibit of old post cards and letters.

Visitors go there not only to see the old buildings, shop, and but also to eat in the many restaurants and coffee shops.