One short day trip to 1700 years old Chinese town
As we had to cancel our trip to Hainan during Chinese New year 2020/2021 we decided to make a short trip to close by the old town. Located in the surroundings of Shanghai it was an “easy” choice. Take Metro Line 17 and get off at Zhujiajiao Station; after arrival, walk north for about 15mins to the town.
This is 1700 years old and has a long history Archaeological findings dating back 5,000 years have also been found. 36 stone bridges and numerous rivers line Zhujiajiao, and many ancient buildings still line the riverbanks today.
Zhujiajiao (Chinese: 朱家角; pinyin: Zhūjiājiǎo; lit. ‘Zhu Family Corner’; Shanghainese: Chukakoq) is an ancient town located in the Qingpu District of Shanghai. The population of Zhujiajiao is 60,000.
Zhujiajiao is a water town on the outskirts of Shanghai and was established about 1,700 years ago. Archaeological findings dating back 5,000 years have also been found. 36 stone bridges and numerous rivers line Zhujiajiao, and many ancient buildings still line the riverbanks today.
The traffic was not as bad as the norm in the Chinese New year. The ticket line moved fast and we were inside within half-hour. That is fast during festivities or holiday time. Safety is still considered very high, and everybody wearing masks and green codes from the health app is needed for entering the town. Distancing was an issue as everybody needed to queue to get inside.
Eating and tasting the whole day
Hand-made sugar candies. yam. Many of the foods here are made locally and it is always a new experience to taste everything. I’m not so picky regarding food and also the girls can eat almost all if it is not spicy. Seafood, all types of meat, local style BBQ, and there is one old flavor ice cream which is just mouth melting, Dong Be Da Ba. We did not plan any lunch as the whole day was a tasting tour and picked whatever looked good. In the early phase, it was clear no lunch was needed, just to pick from all the small shops for different kinds of delicious foods. My personal favorites are the rice triangles Zongzi (粽子) with pork meat inside and the old fashion ice cream which is named Dong Bei Da Ban (popular in China from 1960 to 1980s) is yummy. Sorry for the many pictures of food but needed to share all the delicacies by picture.
The town has kept its historical houses and alleys and wandering in the narrow streets feels like going back in time. Many small shops with “antiques” and handicrafts, mostly made in recent times but with items for bringing back home and have it as memory.
