Zhujiajiao, Shanghai: neighborhood guide

Zhujiajiao is a township of about 60,000 people in Qingpu District, on Shanghai's western edge, and its old quarter is one of the best-preserved canal towns near the city. The settlement grew as a rice and cloth market from the Yuan dynasty onward, and the buildings you walk past today are mostly Ming and Qing. Goods once moved house to house by boat, under stone bridges that locals still cross.

The ancient district covers roughly 3 km². North Street (Bei Dajie) runs about a kilometre as the main thoroughfare, from Fansheng bridge in the northeast to the Handicraft Exhibition Hall and the old pharmacy in the southwest. A thorough walk takes about two hours; teahouses, cafes and the boat ride stretch that to half a day.

Expect crowds and souvenir stalls on the main lanes, especially at weekends and on Chinese public holidays. Step one alley off the water and it goes quiet: residents, mostly older people, leave doors ajar and treat the lane as an extension of the house. A small group of younger Shanghai arrivals has opened bars and cafes in the side streets, which is where to go when the main street gets pushy.

Zhujiajiao works as a night or two, not as a Shanghai base. Day-trippers leave by late afternoon, and the canals, bridges and teahouses are at their best in the early morning and after dark. If you want that, book a guesthouse in or beside the old quarter and treat the town as the destination.

If your trip is about the Bund, museums and the French Concession, stay in the city and come out for a day. The metro ride plus the 2 km from the station to the old town eats an hour each way, and the last trains back are early enough to cut an evening short. Travellers with under three nights in Shanghai should skip it entirely.

Practical points: rooms in the old town are small and often in converted houses, so check for a private bathroom and air conditioning. Some guesthouses sit outside the ticketed lanes, which is quieter and cheaper. English is patchy; have your address in Chinese characters for the taxi or driver.

Food here is Shanghai and Jiangnan cooking rather than a cuisine of its own. Look for river shrimp, braised pork, freshwater fish, glutinous rice sweets and zongzi, the leaf-wrapped rice parcels the town is known for. Canal-side restaurants charge for the view; the lanes behind North Street feed locals at lower prices.

Breakfast is the best-value meal: noodle soups, steamed buns and soy milk from small shops near the south gate. Teahouses on the water are for the setting, not the food. Vegetarian dishes are easy to find, but ask about lard and meat stock in vegetable plates and soups.

Tap water is not for drinking anywhere in China; hotels provide kettles and bottled water is sold everywhere. Tipping is not expected.

Metro Line 17 is the fastest route, connecting to the rest of the network at Hongqiao Railway Station. Take a train bound for Xicen and get off at Zhujiajiao; some rush-hour trains terminate earlier at Dianshanhu Avenue, so check the destination board. From the station the old town is still about 2 km: walk north on Zhuxi Road for a block, turn east onto Xiangningbang Road, then walk about 1 km or take Zhujiajiao Bus No. 2 for two stops to the south gate.

Buses from Puanlu near People's Square and from Shanghai Stadium run the Shanghai–Zhujiajiao expressway route in about an hour; slower lines can take two. A taxi from central Shanghai costs roughly ¥150–200. If you come by bus, note the last departure back to Puanlu is around 21:00.

Inside the old town everything is walkable. Hand-rowed boats run on the canals and are included in the top sight ticket; buy the ticket at the main entrance if you want the map and the bundled sights. Most ticketed buildings shut at 16:30, so see them first and save the lanes for the evening.