The Top 9 Ancient Towns Near Shanghai — Which Should I Go To?

Summary: quite small, various local snacks, no boating, entrance free, accessible via subway

Qibao Ancient Town contains the most important two elements of an ancient water town: ancient style architecture and water scenery. There are various snacks sold on Qibao Old Street, all of which are priced clearly.

• The distilled liquor is quite famous. Travelers can learn about the process of brewing distilled liquor in Qibao Winery.
• Cricket fighting is an ancient entertainment in China. In Cricket Manor visitors can learn about the cricket fighting culture and watch a fight. 
• Thousands of miniature engravings (made by  a father and daughter of the Zhou family) are exhibited in Zhou Family Miniature Engravings.

Summary: quaint little town, a little bit spoiled with trashy tourist shops

Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is a nice destination to escape the noisy modern city. It is only 48 kilometers from Shanghai urban area, covering an area of 1.3 square kilometers. The most famous attractions are Cimen Temple (慈门寺) and Zhuxi Garden (珠溪园).

Like the picture shown on the left, the graceful ancient town is well-decorated with water ways, 36 ancient bridges, traditional Chinese-style residences, and a natural lake — Dianshan Lake (11 times  bigger than the West Lake, and visitors can boat on the lake).  

Weekends are not recommended times to travel there, because of the crowded situation. Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is a well-developed water town, so it is unavoidable that some of the ancient style and peace are erased by commercialization.

Recommended: Shanghai to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town Day Trip and Shanghai to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town Half DayTrip

Summary: less crowded, less commercialized, authentic ancient town

In Qiandeng Ancient Town the Ming-and-Qing-style residences along the banks create a nice ancient atmosphere. This tiny town will show you an authentic ancient water town. However, the commercial atmosphere is encroaching on this gradually.

Cultural experience is the most outstanding theme of this ancient town. With a history of more than two thousand years, visitors should linger longer to experience the old atmosphere.

Yawan Pavilion is a souvenir shop selling mini carvings (for example, a carving made of a peach stone), which are really exquisite.

Summary: rich cultural content, less crowded, elegant night scenery, about a 1-hour drive from central Shanghai, less commercial

Most ancient water towns are bustling on weekends, but Fengjing Ancient Town will be better for a short trip from Shanghai during weekends. The less commercial atmosphere makes the town more peaceful than others.

The ancient town is laced by a waterway  network, and lotus flowers are widely planted in the water areas, which make the town more elegant in late summer.

Stepping into this ancient town, you can retrace the old times with the ancient-style buildings, and visit Ding Cong Caricature Art Gallery, Lü Jiren Art Gallery, and the Mao Zedong Badge Hall.

The most popular three snacks are steamed dumplings filled with winter bamboo shoots and fresh pork (冬笋鲜肉烧卖), Zhuangyuan Cake (状元糕, a kind of cake made with sticky rice flour and sesame seeds), and zongzi (粽子, glutinous rice dumplings).

Summary: picturesque ancient water town reflecting old China, bustling on the weekends, boating, relaxing pubs

Xitang Ancient Town is a water town well-known for its numerous bridges, lanes, and "Langpeng" (waterside streets with shelters along the banks — Xitang is the only water town with this unique architecture).

Boating: The area of the ancient town is about one square kilometer. Visitors can enjoy fishing on a boat with the locals, and also can have meal on a floating boat at night.     

There are 11 attractions in the ancient water town. The most unique three are: Xue Family House (the Fastener Museum), Zhang Zheng Root Carving Art Gallery, and West Garden.

Eating: Xitang has plenty of local snacks. The most famous dish is steamed pork with rice flour with lotus leaves (荷叶粉蒸肉).   

Recommended day trip to Xitang Ancient Town from Shanghai

Summary: authentic ancient town, peaceful, canal rides with singing boatwomen, less commercialized

Luzhi Ancient Town is much nearer to Suzhou (only about 25 kilometers), than Shanghai. Surrounded by five lakes, Luzhi is an elegant water town.

In this  one-square-kilometer town, there are 41 quaint ancient bridges, built in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. So Luzhu Ancient Town is known as the museum of Chinese bridges. There are many ancient residences built in the Ming and Qing dynasties (not reconstructed as some other ancient towns).

The old maidenhair trees, with a history of more than one thousand years are another highlight in this ancient town.

Summary: quaint water town with less larger buildings, older-style small village, as ancient China used to be,

Tongli Water Town is a typical ancient water town in regions south of the Yangtze River. Almost every residence of the water town was built by a canal. There are also walking roads and bridges lining the numerous canals, so you can walk and appreciate the canal scenery.

It is really a mini oriental Venice: the town is threaded by the water network of 15 canals, which divide the town into 7 islets, and more than 40 bridges link the islets together. The 33-hectare ancient town is surrounded by five lakes. Hence, Tongli is a real water town.

Recommended Shanghai to Tongli Water Town Day Trip

Summary: China’s number one ancient water town, the most commercialized but the most beautiful ancient town, dreamily beautiful in the morning and at nightfall.

Zhouzhuang is one of the most famous ancient water townships in China, with a profound cultural background, well-preserved ancient-style residences, and elegant water views. Though many people say the water town is full of commercialism, the elegant water views are undisputed.

Taking a ferry boat to travel around this town is the classic way to take it all in. It is very crowded on weekends, and traveling in week days is much better.

The Former Residence of Shen Wansan (the extremely wealthy merchant of the early Ming Dynasty) can introduce you to the legend of this genius of business. Wansan Ti (万三蹄, a steamed pork dish with a light sweet flavor) is the most famous food there.

If you are a shutterbug, the peaceful early morning and the comfortable nightfall are highly recommended... which means you probably need to stay at least one night there.

Check out One- Day Zhouzhuang Village Tour from Shanghai.

Summary: beautiful town for photography, a little bit crowded, restored ancient town, like a traditional Chinese painting

Wuzhen Water Town is one of the most famous ancient water towns in China. Though some people complain about its commercial atmosphere, restored buildings, and the crowds, the charm and the elegance of this ancient water town is undeniable.

Get your camera well-prepared before you  cruise down the canals of the town. You also can walk on the narrow lanes flanked by wooden buildings or the river banks. Thanks to the good management of the town authorities, this ancient town is clean and tidy.

Though the ancient town has been restored, real ancient elements are also easily found there, including the wooded decorative patterns on the windows and doors, and stone carvings.

Recommended day trip Wuzhen Water Town from Shanghai