Self-driving Travel Guide for Water Towns around Shanghai

This article is a guide for expats who are busy with work every day in Shanghai. In a fast-paced city like Shanghai, it’s rare to have a few short vacations. Where should we go to relax? It’s better to travel around the city instead of facing the unreachable distance. Make an appointment with family and friends, drive a car by yourself, and take a break for the body and mind. 

If you want to focus on a tour of the ancient town, we suggest you start from Shanghai, first to Luzhi, then pass Zhouzhuang, Tongli and Xitang all the way south, and there are also post-developed ancient towns such as Qiandeng and Jinxi on the way. The distance between each ancient town is very short, ranging from 20 to 40 kilometers, and the road conditions are good.  

• Reference route: Shanghai-Luzhi-Jinxi-Zhouzhuang-Tongli-Xitang (158 kilometers). 

① Shanghai 

Shanghai almost used the speed of light to teach a big lesson called "Reform and Development" for China's modern history. The tune of old Shanghai is still faintly preserved, but Lujiazui area has already changed dramatically. The blending of East and West, the collision of ancient and modern, are all vividly demonstrated here. 

If you want to feel the real Shanghai, you can take the Bund as your first stop. From the Bund Subway Station, take Line 2 and pass one stop, or walk 2 kilometers from Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, you can reach the People's Square in the city center of Shanghai. Visit the Shanghai Museum, one of China's four major museums at the southern end of the square, to learn about Shanghai's history, culture and development. 

Shikumen, is the most Shanghai-style architecture. Walking in the maze of finely carved alleys to feel the authentic customs of old Shanghai. The famous snack street of Chenghuang Temple can make foodies feast. 

② Luzhi Water Town

The same is to gather water as a town, but Luzhi's reputation is not as good as Zhouzhuang and Tongli. The advantage to visit here is that it will not be overcrowded. The entire ancient town retains 41 ancient bridges of Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties on the 5.6-kilometer river, so it is called the "Ancient Bridge Museum". 

The town is not big, and you can visit it in about two hours. If you arrive in the morning, you might as well have lunch here and try the Fuli hoof and Fuli duck. In addition, local snacks such as dried radish and Qingtuan (a kind of glutinous rice cake) can also be used as souvenirs. 

③ Jinxi Water Town 

Jinxi, known as the "Little Zhouzhuang", was built along the stream. The morning glow and the radiance spread all over the river. The stream is full of gold and Jinxi is named after it. contains a thousand years of history in this small town.

Whether it is the ancient lotus and the long embankment on the Wubao Lake, or the tomb of Concubine Chen floating on the water, the thousand-year history of this small town is buried.

In the opposite of the long embankment, walking along the water plank road to come to Jinxi's iconic landscape - Ten Eyes Bridge. In addition to small bridges, flowing water, corridors and pavilions, there are also museums with rich cultural heritage. There are many folk museums worth checking out, and the most distinctive one is the Chinese Ancient Brick and Tile Museum. 

④ Zhouzhuang Water Town

The alleys are winding with misty rivers, the old stone bridges are full of grass and mottled moss, and the boat girl who occasionally passes under the bridge caves. This ink painting of Zhouzhuang Water Village has never faded for so many years.

Shen Hall is the best-preserved Qing dynasty residence in Zhouzhuang. All rooms in it are connected by corridors and pavilions. This is the legendary building of Zou Ma Guan Hua. Located in the center of Zhouzhuang, the "Shuangqiao" connecting Shide Bridge and Yong'an Bridge is the symbol of Zhouzhuang. Although the ancient bridge here is not as good as Luzhi, Taiping Bridge, Fu'an Bridge and Zhenfeng Bridge also have their own stories. There is also the famous dish "Wan San Ti", all worthy of your stay in Zhouzhuang a little longer. 

⑤ Tongli Ancient Town 

Surrounded by water, the layout of Tongli is more open than the other towns. If you want to see the Tuisi Garden that stands out from the Jiangnan Ancient Town, you need to purchase a full ticket for Tongli Ancient Town. In addition to Tuisi Garden, the ticket also includes eight scenic spots like Gengle Hall, Jiayin Hall, and Pearl Tower, etc. If you are not particularly keen, it is recommended to pick two or three of them to visit.

You can spend more time walking the streets and lanes in the ancient town and feel the atmosphere of the Jiangnan city. 

⑥ Xitang Ancient Town 

In the movie "Mission: Impossible 3", Tom Cruise jumped and shuttled in the rainy corridor, showing this mysterious ancient town to the world. To enter Xitang, you need to purchase a full ticket of all spots in the town, and there has a unified parking lot for tourists to park their vehicles.

The Rain Corridor is the symbol of Xitang, and you can reach it by walking along the entrance for ten minutes. The so-called Rain Corridor is actually a street with a canopy, which can provide shade and shelter from the rain. There are snacks and specialty shops on one side, and some inns and tea houses near the water on the other side. This is a good place to take pictures no matter whether it is day or night. 

Driving on the road

• Shanghai to Luzhi is about 78 kilometers and it takes about 1.5 hours.
• Starting from Luzhi Ancient Town, take Fucheng Road and turn Changshou Road to Jinxi Ancient Town. The journey takes about half an hour and is 15 kilometers.
• The journey from Jinxi to Zhouzhuang is less than 10 kilometers and takes about 15 minutes.
• Depart from Zhouzhuang and enter Yunhai Road for 1 km and then turn to Diannan Road. After about 4 km, enter the Tongzhou Highway.
• Starting from Tongli to Xitang, the total distance is 37 kilometers, about 50 minutes.
• The return journey from Xitang to Shanghai is about 80 kilometers and the driving time is 1.5 hours. 

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