One trip travel 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. 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.
Google maps Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
Baidu maps 朱家角
The traffic was not so 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 code from health app is needed for entering the town. Distancing was an issue as everybody needed to queue to get inside.
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 it.
The town has kept its historical houses and alleys and wandering in the narrow streets feels like going back in time.
Zhujiajiao is easily accessible by car or metro as the metro station (Zhujiajiao station line 17). Some walking needed to reach the historical town (1.5km).
Crisscrosspoints
In my opinion, this place is worth four points.
Positive
- An overall historical place with feeling, lot of small shops and alleys.
- Plenty of traditional foods and snacks
- Easy accessible by car or metro
- If you don’t fancy traditional foods, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and other western-style coffee/fast food available just outside of the historical center
Negative
Basically, I could not think any negative. Might be crowded when the tourist season is the only thing I can think of.