Zhujiajiao Ancient Town - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
4
Historic SitesNeighborhoodsPoints of Interest & LandmarksHistoric Walking AreasArchitectural Buildings
About
Zhujiajiao is an ancient water town also known as the "pearl stream." Best known for its bridges, built during Ming and Qing Dynasties, the various spans are built of wood, marble and stone.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Gaurav Agrawal
    Kathmandu, Nepal12 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Beautiful and Crowded Day Trip from Shanghai
    I recently visited the Ancient Town at Zhujiajiao as a solo traveler, and I had a great time! The town is absolutely beautiful, with its narrow streets, traditional Chinese architecture, and canals. I really enjoyed exploring the town and learning about its history. The only downside was that it was quite crowded, especially on weekends. This made it difficult to get around at times, and it was also hard to find a quiet spot to sit and relax. However, the crowds didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the visit. Overall, I would definitely recommend visiting the Ancient Town at Zhujiajiao. It's a great place to spend a day exploring and learning about Chinese culture. Just be sure to go during the week if you want to avoid the crowds. Tips: 1. Visit during the week to avoid the crowds. 2. Wear comfortable shoes, as you'll be doing a lot of walking. 3. Bring a camera to capture all the beautiful sights. 4. Be sure to try some of the local food.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written July 2, 2023
  • UBSJustinni
    Amersfoort, The Netherlands292 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must visit when have time in Shanghai
    It is definitely worth a visit. The metro is just as fast as the taxi so it is recommended to take the metro. That's also much more fun than a long taxi ride. Take line 2 to the west and get on line 17 at the train station. Everything is well signposted in English, so it is easy for a normal traveler and the metro only costs 8 cny per ticket. When you arrive at the Zhujiajiao metro station, you have to leave the station on the left and after a few minutes of walking you will see boats and cycle a little further along the Tuk-Tuk park. We took the Tuk-Tuk bicycle taxi to get to the entrance of Zhujiajiao for 20 CNY, a ride of about 10 minutes. Otherwise you'll have to walk all this or take a DIDI. Admission is free, but you can buy a combination ticket at the ticket office for various sightseeings such as parks, temples and museums. There are various packages and we opted for 4x admission, including a park and 2 temples. This was more than enough for us. The streets are small and very nice to walk through. Because it is small, it gets busy quickly. We went on a Monday during a hot summer day and it was very manageable considering how busy it was. In addition to local restaurants and places to eat, you will also find a McDonalds and a Starbucks here. You couldn't walk all the way around, because a security guard stopped us from walking around the water. So we went back over the bridges the same route. We easily spent 3 to 4 hours here and because of the heat we finished earlier than we could have. I can recommend this to everyone and they maintain everything very well and are constantly improving buildings.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 1, 2023
  • Yanti Liu
    49 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    ordinary place
    Visited it only if u have nothing to do anymore. From Nanjing area it takes almost one hour plus by subway. Plus walking time around 15 minutes or more. Sign of the tourist area also not clear. So please make sure after arrived at the station, cross the road and go left.Actually it very hard to spot. Nothing really interested nor something special to buy.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 27, 2023
  • Kirsty78_11
    Rossendale, United Kingdom251 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful place
    We loved this place, although it is very touristy and really a shopping experience. It was quite busy, I imagine at the weekend it would be unbearable. I loved the narrow lane shopping experience, you could walk past without too much attention paid to you, unlike other markets in China. You are 1 of many tourists here. Lots of places to eat. We didn’t do the gardens, temples or boat. We took the tourist tuk tuk to the entrance at 20 Yuan. The poor driver was struggling with our Western weight!
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 25, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,845 reviews
Excellent
759
Very good
768
Average
250
Poor
50
Terrible
19

JanetteTecha
Bangkok, Thailand116 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Friends
Only 1 hour by car from the Shanghai City center, Zhujiajiao is a great place to visit to see the traditional Chinese water village. With old Chinese building and walking street, you can spend a day trip here, eating xiao long bao (Chinese Dumplings) or shopping for local souvenirs. Modern shops like Starbucks also available. But I recommend Pacific Coffee since they have a clean toilet!

Activities: stroll around or take a boat ride in the canal or you can play dress-up in the tradition Chinese outfits.

No entrance fee for foreigners.

Direction: you can travel here by bus or subway. But i went as a group of 4, so it is more convenient to use Didi (Taxi app). My ride was about 270 CNY. On the way back, we took a bus (1 CNY) to the subway station: Zhujiajiao. This way will take more time around 1.45-2 hr. but of course more affordable.

Tips: suggest to use cash in smaller bills or Alipay: Tourpass. Small shops don’t accept Visa /Mastercard.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travelphile
Singapore, Singapore273 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
A must visit attraction for all visitors to Shanghai. This is ticketed entrance so plan to reach in the afternoon for boat ride & shopping and dine at the many restaurants along the river.
There are lots of local artisanal products & delicacies not found in Shanghai. The boat ride is a must-do experience.
Nightfall offers fantastic view too!
Written January 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

UBSJustinni
Amersfoort, The Netherlands292 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
It is definitely worth a visit. The metro is just as fast as the taxi so it is recommended to take the metro. That's also much more fun than a long taxi ride. Take line 2 to the west and get on line 17 at the train station. Everything is well signposted in English, so it is easy for a normal traveler and the metro only costs 8 cny per ticket. When you arrive at the Zhujiajiao metro station, you have to leave the station on the left and after a few minutes of walking you will see boats and cycle a little further along the Tuk-Tuk park. We took the Tuk-Tuk bicycle taxi to get to the entrance of Zhujiajiao for 20 CNY, a ride of about 10 minutes. Otherwise you'll have to walk all this or take a DIDI.

Admission is free, but you can buy a combination ticket at the ticket office for various sightseeings such as parks, temples and museums. There are various packages and we opted for 4x admission, including a park and 2 temples. This was more than enough for us. The streets are small and very nice to walk through. Because it is small, it gets busy quickly. We went on a Monday during a hot summer day and it was very manageable considering how busy it was. In addition to local restaurants and places to eat, you will also find a McDonalds and a Starbucks here.

You couldn't walk all the way around, because a security guard stopped us from walking around the water. So we went back over the bridges the same route. We easily spent 3 to 4 hours here and because of the heat we finished earlier than we could have. I can recommend this to everyone and they maintain everything very well and are constantly improving buildings.
Written October 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lance G
Metro Manila, Philippines14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Amazing scenery and environment for a relaxing stroll. There's a lot of interesting local food stalls you can try. Most stalls that serve the same food or snacks generally offer them at the same price, so don't worry about getting a better deal at another shop. Try the zongzi and lamb skewers!

You'll find many interesting shops as well. It's worth exploring the side streets and residential areas for a more quiet experience.
Written April 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Darren M
Perth, Australia150 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
What an amazing place. It was so nice to be able to take a pleasant stroll around the alley ways without the huge crowds that we had recently seen throughout Shanghai. We booked a private driver who escorted us around and was able to give us a lot of insight into the history of Zhujiajiao. A bit of a drive from Shanghai city but definitely worth it.
Written June 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DeobraSolomon
23 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
The trip is about an hour from Shanghai but well worth the traffic. Our guide “Bruce” was very knowledgeable and well worth the time. The town is quaint with lots of stalls to purchase local food and crafts. It is a must see if you visit Shanghai. Bruce was the best part of the trip. His knowledge is excellent.

However, the driver, Mr. Shen, was horrible. He didn’t take time to make sure of a legal pick up location and did not share that knowledge with the guide. He made the bus smell of cigarette smoke in both directions, which is terrible for asthmatics. His driving was erratic and I felt unsafe.
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ailton007
Seattle, WA1,164 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 • Couples
Took the subway 90 min to get there from downtown Shanghai. Easy walk to old town from train station and we are glad we made this trip! Lots of cool shops, cafes, bars and we also took a gondola ride. 10 min and not really worth it but fun nonetheless. Architecture and views were amazing and we spent roughly 6 hours there. Plan one day and enjoy it. While there's crowds, you'll always fine quieter alleys and side streets.
Written December 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PaulSiow
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia2,703 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019
We took the metro to Hongqiao Railway station and sitch to Line 17 to Zhujiajiao station. Then, it's a 15mins walk to the old town. We arrived in the early evening and the crowds have left. It was a pleasure to walk around and we really enjoyed this place. Entry was free unlike Tongli water town and in our opinion, this place was better. The canals were bigger and it was a pleasure to walk around. Not as touristy but sights were beautiful.
Written April 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gaurav Agrawal
Kathmandu, Nepal12 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Solo
I recently visited the Ancient Town at Zhujiajiao as a solo traveler, and I had a great time! The town is absolutely beautiful, with its narrow streets, traditional Chinese architecture, and canals. I really enjoyed exploring the town and learning about its history.

The only downside was that it was quite crowded, especially on weekends. This made it difficult to get around at times, and it was also hard to find a quiet spot to sit and relax. However, the crowds didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the visit.

Overall, I would definitely recommend visiting the Ancient Town at Zhujiajiao. It's a great place to spend a day exploring and learning about Chinese culture. Just be sure to go during the week if you want to avoid the crowds.

Tips:

1. Visit during the week to avoid the crowds.
2. Wear comfortable shoes, as you'll be doing a lot of walking.
3. Bring a camera to capture all the beautiful sights.
4. Be sure to try some of the local food.
Written July 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PBlyth
Tampa, FL250 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Interesting village set on canals with ugly grey/tan water. Most of the buildings have been converted from homes to storefronts selling food and tourist junk. There are a number of stone bridges from which you can take pictures but it lacks the character of a real living area vs a commercialized tourist trap. We much preferred the smaller Xitang where people still live in the buildings along the canals.
Written March 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Zhujiajiao Ancient Town - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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