In the mouth of tourists, the Yangtze River Delta is always named "Jiangnan Water Town". There are many ancient towns in Shanghai that deserve this reputation, but their patterns are similar, and there are deliberate traces. Even so, there are still many tourists who praise it. If you have never experienced the ancient water town, Zhujiajiao is a wise choice. Its area is moderate, the waterway is wide and narrow, the buildings are dense and ancient, it has transportation advantages, and it is also the only ancient water town in Shanghai that has been preserved.
Zhujiajiao is not a characteristic town built out of thin air, it has existed in the middle of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 400 years. If the town hadn't thrived in the 1980s, it might have been much quieter now. However, it is the tourism industry that has saved the town, with the acceleration of the urbanization process in the Yangtze River Delta, water transportation has no advantage, the town has declined, the number of shops has been reduced to about 100 during the trough, and the area of dilapidated houses exceeds 5,400 square meters. With the prosperity of tourism, the number of shops has gradually increased, and homestays, hotels, and restaurants have blossomed everywhere; In order to attract visitors, the old house has also been renovated and kept as original as possible.
Inevitably, small shops with literature and art but lack creativity have appeared in the ancient town, and similar goods such as dolls, bracelets, and postcards continue to appear. In terms of dining, however, there are polarizing features, you can try hamburgers on the roof of old houses of the Republic of China, and you can also eat the local "traditional" delicacy - prickly pork. If you have a soft spot for the scenery of the water town, you can also stay overnight to experience it, like other similar towns, there are also bars here, in addition to personalized homestays, there are also chain hotels in the town to settle in, providing standardized services.
Most towns follow the "Three Ones" rule – one waterway, one main street, and one bar street. The Zhujiajiao waterway is in the shape of a "large", with the main channel about 50 meters wide and the narrowest part of the secondary channel less than 5 meters. The water quality of the river is good, not crystal clear, but it is not too turbid and smelly. Where there is water, there are bridges, and the 36 stone bridges in the town still exist in ancient style, with different styles, which are definitely suitable for stopping and souveniring. Among them, the Fangsheng Bridge is located in the main river, which is the largest and the only land passage connecting the north and south scenic spots. In addition, Yongfeng Bridge, Qijia Bridge and Tai'an Bridge were all built in the Ming Dynasty, and their shape is an ancient bridge at a glance, full of charm.
Over the past 30 years, new attractions have emerged in Zhujiajiao, but whether they are worth visiting varies from person to person. The main attractions that need to buy tickets are the Lesson Plantation Garden, Chenghuang Temple, Quanhua Watercolor Art Museum, Yuanjin Zen Temple, Handicraft Exhibition Hall, Daqing Post Office, Tong Tianhe Medicine Number, Humanities and Art Museum, Yanyitang Experience Hall, if you want to visit them all, you may wish to buy a package ticket online in advance, which not only includes cruise items, but also has additional discounts. It should be noted that the attractions of the City God Temple contain induced consumption items.
Zhujiajiao Scenic Area is close to Zhujiajiao Station of Metro Line 17, and you can reach the scenic spot by taking bus No. 1510 according to the guide, and the frequency of departures is 3-4 times/hour. There is a ticket counter near the entrance of the scenic spot, if you are only interested in the ancient town of the water town, you can visit it for free.
