Call a local advisor
+86 186 1196 4400Email our team
[email protected]Tour Beijing Journal
Dear Travelers We’d like to have the following travel guide to be always...
Dear Travelers
Plan your Shanghai tour? While fascinated by Shanghai's futuristic buildings and fast developments, but if you are keenly looking for something old Shanghai, a kind of the old world charming, a half day trip can bring you to the ancient town of Zhujiajiao.
Zhujiajiao belongs to Qingpu District under the Shanghai Municipality, about 50km to the west of the Bund by road. The villages and towns on Yangtze River Delta have long used the water and canals for irrigation and transportation.
Its buildings can date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties ( 1368-1911). In the past, goods and people were carried by small boats on the narrow canals from house to house, passing under numerous ancient stone bridges. Some of the canals and stone bridges are still used by the local people and now tourists as well.
Zhujiajiao Water Town boasts many old historical buildings and sites of historic interest, such as banks, rice shops, spice stores and even a Qing Dynasty Post Office, Fangsheng Bridge, Kezhi Garden and the Yuanjin Buddhist Temple. The alleys in Zhujiajiao are teemed with numerous vendors selling souvenirs, snacks, and locals cuisine.
Once you get to the Zhujiajiao station, go out the exit that is the bridge over the road and take the stairs down to your right. From here you can either walk (about 1 km – 15 minutes), take a bus, or take a taxi to get to the tourist areas of town (I walked).
To walk turn left at the road in front of you (Zhuxi road), then take the first major right turn (Xiangningbang Road) and then take the second MAJOR left (Xinfeng Rd).
The tourist information office is a couple hundred meters down Xinfeng road on the right. On the return to the train station, we took one of the pedicabs from Xinfeng road which was 15RMB.
This place is definitely worth a visit. It is a mini Venice with an Asian flair. The boat ride is now 80RMB for up to 6 people for a 10 – 15 minute trip. Also, there are MANY bars, restaurants, and tea shops along the river. Don’t eat before you get here.
This place is good fun!
If you only want to spend about 1-2 hours to stroll along the old streets, see the old houses and bridges, you don't have to pay. If you are interested in the sites of interests and historical sites, you are kindly requested to buy a thorough tickets to cover the 8 inside sites in Zhujiaojiao Water Town.
The ticketing office ( served as Tourist Information Center as well ) just north of the KFC. Ask for an English map of Zhujiajiao from the information center. Many people would visit Zhujiajiao free of charge by just walking around the old town.
At the northern tip of Xinfeng Road (新风路) is a T-junction where you will see a direction sign, confused? You just turn right and start your Zhujiaojiao exploration. You may come back on the same route or have a loop tour and return on the other side.
a T-junction where you will see a direction sign, you just turn right.
You will first come across Fangsheng Bridge, the largest 5-arch stone bridge in the Yangte River Delta. It is one of the over-30 stone bridges in Zhujiajiao. Standing on the bridge, you have a beautiful view of the surrounding waterfront houses and rowing boats.
Standing on the bridge, you have a beautiful view of the surrounding waterfront houses and rowing boats.
Walking down the Fangsheng Bridge, you turn left side to explore one of the old alleys in Zhujiajiao.
The narrow lane is rife with snack stalls and souvenirs stores.
At the end of the narrow alley, you will see a canal flanked by two waterfront streets named the same name of Xijing Street (西井街). Three bridges span the canal with the first bridge named, Dragon Head Bridge, Dragon Body Bridge and Dragon Tail Bridge.
You walk through the Dragon Head Bridge, then walk along the other side of the street, continue to come cross the third Dragon Bridge, return on the same Xijing Bridge.
Here is the typical water town views - boats, waterfront houses, and trees, constituting an impressive scroll of Chinese traditional painting. You may take a break drinking coffee or tea in the waterfront bars. The narrow canal is connected to the bigger canal.
The first bridge - Dragon Head Bridge ( Yong'an Bridge ) on Xijing Street.
Walk across the first bridge and stroll on the other side of Xijing Street. You will see the old water town life - rowing boats, local residents chatting,water front house and wharfs.
You may pay RMB 65 to rent a 4-6 people boat to cruise on the canals in Zhujiajiao.
Zhujiajiao Water Town is still inhabited by the local residents doing routine life.
The old stone paved streets and simple stone steps used for wharfs and washing clothes and vegetables.
The second bridge Dragon Body Bridge (Zhonglong Bridge) 中龙桥
The last bridge on the canal by Xijing Street - Dragon Tail Bridge
This is Ao Restaurant & Bar.
More pictures taken from North Street ( Beidajie ) and its side lanes 1
More pictures taken from North Street ( Beidajie ) and its side lanes 5
More pictures taken from North Street ( Beidajie ) and its side lanes 6
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Shanghai:
Share a question or note for this guide. Comments are reviewed before publishing.
Hand-picked routes matched from this article's destination clues, tags, and categories.
Use these attraction notes to connect nearby sights with tours, destination guides, and planning articles.
Continue planning with practical Beijing guides selected from similar places, themes, and travel questions.
Subscribe to receive Beijing travel ideas and tour updates.
