Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is located in Qingpu District, Shanghai, adjacent to Dianshan Lake Scenic Area. It is a typical water town in Jiangnan, with streets and alleys crisscrossing with waterways, creating an elegant environment. There are scenic spots such as gardens and historical sites in the town, as well as numerous traditional specialty snacks and small business shops, making it the first choice for visiting ancient towns around Shanghai. Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is not large, and it can be visited on foot. It takes about half a day to wander around and explore the scenery.

Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is also one of the four major ancient towns in Shanghai, a famous historical and cultural town in China, a 4A scenic spot, with a great reputation and a large number of tourists. The location is by the Dianshan Lake in Qingpu District, western suburbs of Shanghai, 48 kilometers away from the city center. As early as over 1700 years ago, there was a village market here. The ancient town is characterized by small bridges, flowing water, the Jiangnan water town of the people, and the Ming and Qing dynasties. It has attractions such as North Street (the first street of Ming and Qing architecture), Fangsheng Bridge, and Zhuxi Garden. The delicious food in Zhujiajiao includes: Zharou, Meat Dumpling, Roasted Maodou, Braised Pork Feet Bang, Grandma Zong, Maltose, Stinky tofu, etc. There are inns, bars, cultural and creative parks, etc. in the ancient town, which feel overdeveloped and extremely popular. The streets on both sides of the ancient town are bustling with people doing business, crowded and crowded; There are many foreign tourists. We take the Light Rail Line 17 from Hongqiao Railway Station to Zhujiajiao Station (about 40 minutes) and walk out. You don't need to buy tickets in the ancient town, you have to buy tickets for boats and some scenic spots inside.

This is the Release Bridge. It is an iconic landscape of Zhujiajiao Ancient Town. Standing on the bridge, you can have a panoramic view of the water town, making it a great place for photography.

The Fangsheng Bridge spans across the Caogang River, connecting the north and south parts of the Zhujiajiao Scenic Area. It is the longest, largest, and highest five arch stone bridge in the Shanghai area. Standing at the top of the high bridge arch, you can enjoy the large white walled and black tiled houses, wooden boats passing under the bridge, and the panoramic view of the ancient town. It is an excellent place for framing photography. When the sun sets in the west, enjoying the sunset on the bridge or taking photos of the release bridge under the sunset by the river are both very artistic. The Release Bridge, as the name suggests, encourages people to do good deeds and accumulate virtue. This bridge was first built in the fifth year of the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1571). The stone arch bridge was donated by a monk named Xingchao from Cimen Temple with his savings from fifteen years of begging. Every lunar first and fifteenth day, monks and pilgrims would organize a "aquatic animal" release ceremony under the bridge. This custom has been passed down to this day. However, now there are often vendors selling small fish or turtles at the bridgehead for tourists to "experience" the release, which appears very commercialized. The Fangsheng Bridge that we see today was rebuilt in the 17th year of the Qing Dynasty's Jiaqing reign (1812). The entire stone bridge is majestic, with Longmen stone engraved with eight coiled dragons, creating a realistic image. There are four welcoming stone lions on the top of the bridge, looking up and opening their mouths, with a charming and silly appearance. There is a bamboo pillar in the middle, and a carved stone slab is embedded in the center of the bridge deck. There is a stele pavilion built on the east side of the bridge, where you can take a rest after wandering. There is a stone barge built by the water, which is used for boats to dock.

Cruise terminal, one boat can accommodate approximately 10 people. The price is 180 yuan, and the estimated travel distance is 500 meters.

This is the North Street, also known as the "First Street", known as the "First Street of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Shanghai", which has a history of more than 400 years. It has a total length of more than two miles, starting from Fangsheng Bridge in the east and ending more than 300 meters in Meizhou Lane in the west. It is the most representative essence of Ming and Qing architecture. Here, old style residential houses are arranged in rows, with pink walls and grey tiles arranged in a staggered manner. The narrow streets lead to secluded paths, and the stone paths stretch endlessly. Old and famous shops stand on both sides, presenting a picturesque picture of the ancient charm of the Jiangnan water town.

Quanhua Watercolor Art Museum is a non-profit private art museum approved and officially registered by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and Television. It is currently the only professional venue in China for collecting and displaying classic contemporary watercolor paintings. More than ten famous contemporary Chinese watercolor painters, including Chen Xidan, Lei Yu, Wang Weixin, Zhou Gang, Gong Yu, Yang Yihui, have held solo exhibitions here, as well as nominated and joint exhibitions of watercolor paintings from Shanghai and Shenzhen Watercolor Painting Associations.

North Street is backed by the Caogang River and adjacent to the Fangsheng Bridge. As early as the early days of the ancient town's formation, it was convenient for both water and land transportation, and merchants gathered here, making it a hub for trade. Tea houses, taverns, north-south grocery stores, rice shops, and meat shops are all well-equipped, making it the oldest thriving commercial center in the past century. It is often referred to as the "three mile long street with a thousand shops". Nowadays, there is still a century old shop called "Han Dalong Sauce Garden" preserved on the street, and the ancient style still exists; The century old hotel "Maosun Pavilion" has just opened; The ancient tea house of the ancient town, the crown of the Shanghai suburbs; Traditional handicraft workshops with a complete range of categories; Antiques, ceramics, flowers and birds, calligraphy and painting, local specialties, handicrafts, and specialty snack shops are all readily available. The streets are filled with store signs fluttering in the wind, with red lanterns hanging high, creating a prosperous scene.

North Street is only three to four meters wide, with a narrowest point of only two meters. On both sides, there are small brick and wood buildings, and the drip eaves are almost connected, forming a unique landscape of "One Line Street". On both sides of the residential buildings, there are flying eaves and upturned corners, the walls of Mashan, and the storefronts are decorated with grid style floor to ceiling long windows. The old-fashioned vermilion painted door panels exude a strong sense of antiquity and elegance. The "Yunqiao Fishing Music" antique architectural complex, one of the ten scenic spots in the original ancient town, has also sprung up at the entrance of North Street and Meizhou Lane, shining again.

The following photo shows the Yuanjin Zen Temple, one of the twelve scenic spots in Tsinghua Pavilion. It was built during the Yuan Dynasty and is located by the Caogang River. The temple is also known as the "Goddess Temple" because it features a statue of the Virgin Mary of Chenzhou. The current Yuanjin Zen Temple was rebuilt later, with a small entrance, but upon entering, there is a unique cave. Although the Zen temple faces the street, it is quiet, simple, and antique. The structure inside the temple is small and there are not many Buddha statues, but they are all finely carved, dazzling and solemn. The Tsinghua Pavilion at the back of the courtyard is even more famous. It is not only a place where celebrities and scholars collect their paintings and calligraphy, but also has a beautiful environment. Climbing up to the top of the building, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Zhuxi River from afar. The Zen Temple has been an important cultural relic storage site in history. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, many literati and scholars have come here to admire its reputation, and the Zen Temple has become a gathering place for literati during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Unfortunately, many precious cultural relics in the temple were partially destroyed during the war and some were stolen and sold by unscrupulous monks and disciples. By the late 1940s, there were not many treasures left, and most of them were received by the Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Management Committee and collected in museums in Jiangsu Province and Suzhou City, with a few preserved in the Qingpu County Museum. In the early 1950s, the Zen temple was demolished, and the only remaining cultural relics of the temple are the "Record of the Reconstruction of Qinghua Pavilion" and "Record of the Zhenhua Elder Pagoda" written by Wang Chang, as well as the "Record of the Reconstruction of the Great Hall" written by Shen Guangying.

Yuanjin Zen Temple is one of the scenic spots in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town. It has an ancient charm and was first built in the Yuan Dynasty. It is a Buddhist Zen temple that enshrines the statue of the Virgin Mary of Chenzhou, hence it is also known as the Niangniang Temple. The Yuanjin Zen Temple does not have a large area, but its design and architecture are quite exquisite. Interested friends can go for a stroll, but they need to buy tickets.

Below is Yongfeng Bridge. Spanning across the river, connecting the East and West Lake streets, it was built in the seventh year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1627) and is also known as Yongfeng Bridge. When the bridge was built, local residents hoped to have enough food and clothing forever, so it was named Yongfeng Bridge. The foundation of Yongfeng Bridge is made of bricks, and the bridge deck is paved with stone strips to form a stone slab bridge with a brick and stone structure. The bridge looks ordinary and old, but it is a witness to the history of Zhujiajiao Ancient Town. A stone slab on the bridge was destroyed in 37 years, becoming a painful memorial. On November 8, 1937, Japanese planes bombed the ancient town for the third time since the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, causing many casualties, destroying many houses, and damaging historical sites. That day, a sulfur incendiary bomb fell on Yongfeng Bridge, but fortunately did not explode. It only shattered a stone slab and bounced into the manure pit next to the bridge, so it did not explode or burn. Otherwise, the surrounding houses would have been set on fire, causing casualties among the people. This bloody historical fact, Yongfeng Bridge, is a living witness and also an iron evidence left by the Japanese invading army. The stone slab on the bridge deck has been broken and repaired with cement, but the shape of the bridge remains unchanged. In order to educate future generations, remember the national humiliation, and leave the truth of history on the shattered stone, the stone was chiseled with characters as a monument and buried vertically on the bridge pier. The three characters "Memorial Stone" were engraved on the monument, so that the ancient town of Zhujiajiao and its people would never forget it.

Behind the boat dock is the Kezhi Garden. Due to not being open today, we are unable to enter. According to the introduction, it is located in the northwest of Zhujiajiao Ancient Town and is the largest garden building in the area. The park has small bridges and flowing water, with one scenery at a time. It is the most worth visiting paid scenic spot in the ancient town, and the environment is quiet and peaceful. The Kezhi Garden was first built in 1912 and took 15 years to complete. It was once the private residence of local tycoon Ma Wenqing. The design structure and decorative building materials used in this garden are often a combination of Chinese and Western styles, which is a characteristic of Kezhi Garden. The entrance of the Kezhi Garden faces the water lane, which looks plain and unremarkable, but inside there is a cave, especially after passing through several halls, you will see a huge garden. The Kezhi Garden is divided into two main parts: Kezhi Garden and Zhizhi Garden. Kezhi Garden was the former living and learning area of the owner's family, while Zhizhi Garden is an entertainment and cultivation area. The two characters "Kezhi" symbolize "not forgetting to cultivate and plant while studying", expressing the peaceful mentality of the garden owner in farming, studying, and managing the household.

Far away is the church. In many streets and alleys, the owner is quite charming: a simple flower stand is specially designed in front of the house, or a narrow and narrow flower bed with mud is directly opened up, planted with various red flowers and green grass. Even if passersby do not enter the house to consume, they feel particularly comfortable looking at these flowers and plants.

Be sure to have meat dumplings once when you come to Zhujiajiao. There are egg yolk meat zongzi and big meat zongzi, etc., priced from 6 yuan, which is acceptable. Although there is a lot of fat in the meat zongzi, which may feel greasy at first glance, it melts in your mouth with just one bite and is very delicious.

This is a century old tea house. Tea houses or coffee shops are usually located at the end of the alley, as the saying goes, 'good tea is not afraid of deep alleys'. Usually privately operated, although mostly transformed from local residents' private homes, they are all creative and innovative. On weekend afternoons, we make plans with three or two friends, pack a table, enjoy a cup of fragrant tea or coffee in front of the lake, chat for a few days or play small cards. It's really a pleasant experience.

In a corner of the waterway, the warm spring sun falls on the shoulders of the boatman, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

The following photo is of Tai'an Bridge. Commonly known as Hejiaqiao, it was first built in the 12th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1584). It is a single arch stone bridge and the steepest stone arch bridge in the town. Two flagpoles and stones are erected on the bridge pier, which are used to hang street lamps and serve as navigational markers for ships passing by. The material used to construct Hejia Bridge is bluestone, and the carved bridge railing relief "Feiyun Stone" resembles a work from the Yuan Dynasty. The Yuanjin Zen Temple in front of the bridge was also built in the Yuan Dynasty, so bridge building experts have different opinions on the history of this bridge. A famous scholar of the Qing Dynasty once wrote a poem: "At sunset, the scorching sun recedes, and the pond is bathed in a faint moon; singing songs in the city, fishing flutes in the east of the stream, Pu Fan gently swaying in the heat, banana clothes short in the wind; walking alone in the cool evening, ancient temples connected by a bridge. The poem depicts the sunset and dusk, with fishing songs sung in the evening. After a hot day, people sway their fans gently, step onto the bridge, and enjoy the coolness of the evening to the fullest. What a vivid ancient painting of cooling off and relieving heat. Here it says' One Bridge to Ancient Temple ',' Ancient Temple 'refers to Yuanjin Zen Temple, and' One Bridge 'refers to Tai'an Bridge.

This is an old sauce garden from the Qing Dynasty.

Buy some Pickled vegetables.

If you accidentally wander to the secluded end of the street and the noisy scene disappears without realizing it, then you must have entered the homestay area. It's okay, you won't get lost, but you can patiently stroll around for a while, and maybe you can hear the singing from the old-fashioned radio station in the window where the vines and leaves are flying. Don't be afraid of the big dogs wandering around you in the homestay, they are usually friendly and at least won't bark wildly. Just don't provoke. On the return trip, you can buy some small handicrafts as souvenirs, such as Zhu Jiajiao ink paintings; You can also buy some local specialties, such as sesame butter and puff pastry, to bring back and share with your family.

This is Huimin Bridge. It is the only wooden bridge in the ancient town and also the most unique wooden bridge. Due to the construction of wooden grilles on the bridge deck, covered with bricks, tiles, and upturned corners, it is also known as a covered bridge. The Huimin Bridge provides pedestrians with both shelter from wind and rain, as well as protection from the scorching sun, making it convenient for people to pass through and providing them with a place to rest and avoid wind and rain. Climbing the bridge, one can appreciate the neat stone barges and pink tiled Ming and Qing architecture on both sides, and see the charming Jiangnan water town scenery of people opening windows by the water and shopping by the water, forming a unique water town painting. Huimin Bridge was later called Xinqiao due to damage and construction before the end of the year. In the early 1950s, the Huimin Bridge was demolished because a bridge was built in front of the Chenghuang Temple and the structure of the bridge was dilapidated after a long time. In 1996, Chen Shuchang, a resident of the town, donated 100000 yuan to develop the tourism industry in the ancient town. He believed that the Huimin Bridge should be rebuilt and built a brick and wood structure corridor bridge in its original location. The bridge piers were made of cement and wrapped in wood, and the top of the bridge was covered with tiles and upturned corners. This integrated with the ancient town's architecture and added a scenic line to the tourism industry.

God of Wealth Temple.

This is Ping'an Bridge. Located at the intersection of Daxin Street, built in the Ming Dynasty, it is a mixed structure of brick, stone, and wood. In the past, it was called Ping'an Li, hence the name Ping'an Bridge. The bridge body and foundation are made of granite strips, and the handrails on both sides are built with blue bricks. The middle handrail is made of two natural logs without any decoration, which is natural and simple. It is said that this bridge was built by Qi Jiguang, a famous anti Japanese general in the Ming Dynasty, during his march. In commemoration of the achievements of the Qi family army in building bridges for the people and resisting Japanese aggression, Ping'an Bridge is also known as Qijia Bridge. The Ping'an Bridge was built using local materials by the Qi family army at that time, resulting in a mixed structure of bricks, wood, and stone, which saved time. Moreover, it was impossible to pay attention to materials and craftsmanship during construction while marching, so the bridge stones were uneven. When pedestrians crossed the bridge, the stone slabs on the bridge would make a "card card card" sound, but the bridge is still sturdy and durable, and well preserved.

All residential buildings have been converted into cafes and bars.

This is Fuxing Bridge. Built in the second year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1774), it is located in the western outskirts of the town. In ancient times, most water towns did not have wooden fences. To ensure safety, the gates were closed every night and foreign ships were prohibited from passing through. Therefore, this place is called the West Gate of Hului Port, also known as the West Gate Bridge or West Stone Bridge. Fuxing Bridge is now well preserved, tall and straight, with mottled cobblestones on the bridge deck and several small trees protruding from the cracks in the bridge foundation, showing a touch of beauty and elegance. The bridge pillars on both sides are engraved with the words: "The tide surges over the water, the dragon lies lying down, the clouds connect to the Wu Mountain hanging moon hook; a water locks in the good energy, and a rainbow hangs around for a thousand years." The bridge couplets have scenery, emotion, and flavor, expressing the elegant and charming charm of the water town by the three peaks and nine peaks. This is a beautiful lyrical poem that accurately describes the important geographical location of the ancient town at the border of Wu and Yue, as well as the beautiful scenery of the water town of Zeguo. Climbing the bridge for a distant view, looking east for a bird's-eye view of the entire town, one can see magnificent buildings arranged in rows. Looking west, one can see a lake with clear water and palladium, which is truly refreshing. It is like a lucky star standing at the door, shining with great fortune.

The Chenghuang Temple is the city god's palace in Qingpu. In the 28th year of Qianlong's reign (1763), a person from Huizhou, Cheng Ruiji, planned to move to this site. In the middle of the temple are the head gate, stage, and main hall, with pavilions on both sides. There is a small Quxi River next to it, and peach, plum, willow, and willow trees can be seen everywhere. The layout is elegant and there are 12 scenic spots. The head part of the stage consists of 160 arch of wooden architecture forming a round spiral roof, which is very rare. On both sides of the stone pillars, there are couplets embedded with the words "Built on the Sitai You for a long time, observed the past and dreamed of the truth" and horizontal banners reading "Chengping Ya Song". In 1986, it was listed as a county-level cultural relic protection unit. The Chenghuang Temple faces west from east. There is a stack of screen wall near the river at the main gate, with east and west gate on both sides. There is a pair of stone lions in front, holding hydrangeas, with soft lines. There are two side halls on either side of the entrance, and in front of them is a stone pillar with a fish spine and a stage with upturned eaves. In front of the stage is a temple paved with stone strips, and passing through the temple leads to the main hall. In the center of the hall, there are statues of the City God and his wife, both of whom have kind eyes and a peaceful expression.

On both sides of the main hall are pavilions. In the past, on the left side, there were Yinqing Hall, Yuzhao Corridor, Yuexiang Room, and Zhaochun Terrace. On the right side, there are Ninghe Bookstore, Hejing Mountain House, Tanying Pavilion, Keyuzhai, Yixiu Pavilion, Hanqing Pavilion, etc. The Ninghe Bookstore was the location of the Chinese Humanities Club at that time. There is a lotus pond in front of Tanying Pavilion, with stones piled on the banks of the pond; There is a small stream by the side of Hanqing Pavilion, with a small stone bridge on top. Hundreds of goldfish are kept in the pond; Surrounding the area are plants such as hibiscus, willow, peach and plum. These pavilions, rockeries and pools were collectively referred to as the "Twelve Wonders of Chenghuang Temple". After repair, it regained its former glory. Chenghuang Temple is also the main activity place of Taoism believers in Zhujiajiao Town. Taoism reveres Li Dan (Laozi) of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty as its leader, known as Taishang Laojun, and has four sects. Zhujiajiao Town is mainly focused on the "Zhengyi Road".

The last attraction today is the Zhujiajiao Post Office in the Qing Dynasty. It was founded in 1903 and is the earliest postal institution in the region. It was one of the thirteen major postal stations in Shanghai at that time and the only preserved site of the Qing Dynasty Post Office in East China. The newly renovated Zhujiajiao Post Office in the Qing Dynasty maintains the original formal layout of the post office, further enhancing the visibility of the scenic spot itself, activating history with modern concepts, reproducing the century old vicissitudes of the ancient town post office, and excavating the long history of China Post. As a result, Zhujiajiao Scenic Area has added a new highlight.

The Zhujiajiao tourism has been completed. On the return trip, you can buy some small handicrafts as souvenirs, such as Zhu Jiajiao ink paintings; You can also buy some local specialties, such as sock sole pastries, sesame oil, crispy candies, white rice cakes, etc., to share with your family. The gentle and misty water atmosphere in the spring scenery of the water town has made people who have lived in the bustling city for a long time feel at ease.