A trip to Zhujiajiao (朱家角古镇) which is also sometimes known as “The Venice of Shanghai” had been on my list of places to visit for the longest time but it was also somewhere that I had never got round to visiting. So when I found out that my next trip to Shanghai would be my last trip to China for the foreseeable future, I knew that I had to make an effort to visit so I finally made the trip out to Zhujiajiao in September last year.

Zhujiajiao is an ancient water town located just over thirty miles west of Shanghai in the Qingpu District making it very easy to visit and perfect for a day trip or even a half day trip. The history of Zhujiajiao goes back 1700 years and the town features architecture dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is filled with a network of canals and small cobblestone streets as well as thirty six bridges of different shapes and sizes.

When visiting Zhujiajiao the most important thing to know is that there is absolutely no need to do an organised tour or book a tour guide as it is very easy to visit by yourself (which I did alone) as you can take the cheap and efficient Shanghai Metro straight there. It is also completely free to explore and walk around Zhujiajiao itself unless you want to visit some buildings and attractions which have a small entry fee.

I have written this blog and travel guide and tried to include as much up to date information, directions, advice, tips and tricks to help you make the most of your trip to Zhujiajiao.

When planning your visit to Zhujiajiao, try to avoid visiting at the weekend or during any public holidays such as Chinese New Year, the Mid Autumn Festival and Golden Week as it will be extremely crowded. Whilst Zhujiajiao is a very popular destination to visit all year round, I would recommend visiting on a weekday either early or late in the day as the crowds will be much more manageable during these times. I would also say to avoid visiting in the busy hot and sweaty summer months and to try and visit during Spring or Autumn when both the temperature as well as the crowd levels will be a lot more comfortable.

As already mentioned it is very easy to take the Shanghai Metro to Zhujiajiao – some guides that I read online make it sound a lot more complicated than it actually is – and a ticket from the centre of Shanghai to Zhujiajiao will cost 8 RMB (85p / US$1.10) and there are English signs located throughout. Wherever you are starting your journey in Shanghai you will first need to get to Hongqiao Railway Station and you can use both Line 2 or Line 10 for this part of the trip. I started my journey at People’s Square Station in the centre of Shanghai and once I arrived at Hongqiao Railway Station on Line 2, the transfer was easy as I simply walked straight across the platform to board the Line 17 train.

To get to Zhujiajiao you will need to take Line 17 from Hongqiao Railway Station in the direction of Xicen which runs every ten minutes. This part of the journey should take thirty seven minutes and my total journey time for both trains from my hotel to Zhujiajiao was one hour and ten minutes.

Once you arrive at Zhujiajiao you will need to take Exit 1 to leave the station and there are also toilets available on the platform if you need to use them before you start your exploring. There are also public toilets located throughout the ancient town which are clearly marked on all of the maps in Zhujiajiao.

After leaving from Exit 1 of Zhujiajiao Station, you will need to walk approximately fifteen minutes to the entrance of the ancient water town. You can also take a boat or rickshaw but neither of these options were available on the day that I visited though one man did offer me a ride on the back of his moped for 20 RMB which I turned down.

The walk is very easy (as well as completely flat the entire way) and there are also signs along the way for the “Old Town Scenic Area” – though in reality most people will be walking the exact same direction as well. After leaving the station you will need to walk straight ahead along Zhuxi Road and then turn right onto Xiangningbang Road when you reach the pedestrian crossing and then walk for approximately another five to ten minutes to the junction with Xinfeng Road.

The junction with Xinfeng Road will be difficult to miss and is very noticeable as you will immediately see a KFC on the opposite side of the road. This is the southern entrance to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town and this is where you can also find the Tourist Information Office where you can purchase ticket bundles for all of the attractions although I did not do this as I simply paid individually instead for the two that I wanted to visit at the actual entrance to each location.

Before I started exploring I stopped for a few minutes to sit down with some food as well as a much needed coffee to keep myself awake as I had only landed off an overnight flight from London a few hours beforehand. As well as KFC there are also other western food and drink options in this area such as McDonald’s and Starbucks if you are not feeling adventurous.

I found that the best way to explore Zhujiajiao is on foot as there is nothing like wandering through the narrow streets and allowing yourself to get lost in the small alleyways as you never know what you might find or what views you could see – I truly and honestly think that you would miss so much if you stuck with an organised tour. It is thankfully however very difficult to actually get lost in Zhujiajiao as it is not that big and there are maps and signs (all in English as well as Chinese) everywhere that you go.

My first stop of the day was Fangsheng Bridge which was originally built in 1571 and crosses the Dianpu River linking the two sides of Zhujiajiao together. With its five stone arches, it is one of the most popular, busiest as well as recognisable spots in Zhujiajiao and offers amazing views along the river and of the waterfront buildings below.

Once I crossed Fangsheng Bridge, I turned left to start exploring Dongjing Street which is filled with stalls selling various snacks as well as plenty of souvenir shops. At the end of the street when you reach the canal is a great spot where you can look straight across the Dianpu River towards the Yuanjin Monastery.

I then walked the entire length of Xijing Street which lies along both sides of the canal lined with more souvenir shops, tea rooms, restaurants and photography studios where you can find three bridges called Yongan Bridge, Zhonglong Bridge and Yongquan Bridge. It was so serene (it was the definition of “picture perfect”) as well as being peaceful and quiet although I imagine it could get very busy and crowded during peak times.

My next stop was the beautiful Kezhi Garden which can be found at the far end of Xijing Street and which cost me 20 RMB (£2.20 / US$2.75) to enter. It was built in 1912 and is a combination of different western and Chinese elements and has three different sections – the residential area, the rockery area and the garden area – and you can also find a five-story pavilion which is the tallest building in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town.

I then walked back along Xijing Street and down through the various tiny alleyways and onto the waterfront at Xijing Street Caogangtan where there was a great view of the Fangsheng Bridge and the Jiangnan First Teahouse and Shanghai Helong Art Gallery across the water.

After crossing back over the Fangsheng Bridge I turned right onto the narrow and very popular Great North Street (Bei Dajie) which is full of food stalls, teahouses, cafes and restaurants as well the sound of chirping crickets.

I then crossed the Tai’an Bridge onto Caohe Street to see the incredible Yuanjin Monastery up close which was originally built in 1341 before being rebuilt in 1573.

I then walked back along Caohe Street towards the beautiful wooden Lang Bridge. There was so much to see along this street and it was one of my favourite parts of Zhujiajiao to visit.

The beautiful and colourful City God Temple was my next stop which cost me 10 RMB (£1.10 / US$1.35) to enter. It was constructed in 1763 and is a wonderful, spiritual, peaceful and calm retreat in the middle of Zhujiajiao.

I then carried on walking further down Caohe Street which was lined with cosy coffee shops, cat cafes, bars and restaurants. I wish I could have had more time to explore here (as there was so much to see) but my time in Zhujiajiao was quickly coming to an end after four hours of walking around as I was so tired and I still needed to get the train back to Shanghai. I would love to visit Zhujiajiao again at some point in the future to see it all lit up at night as I can only begin to imagine how pretty it must look.

Getting back to Shanghai was just as easy as it was getting to Zhujiajiao and I had no problem getting a seat as the train was completely empty for a lot of the journey until it got much closer to Shanghai.

When visiting Zhujiajiao I would recommend the following:

Make sure to bring some cash with you or have Alipay set up (which you can now easily do with an international credit card) as this will make your time in China so easy and stress free as foreign credit cards rarely work anywhere.

Remember to wear comfortable shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking and some of the pavements are uneven and they could also get very slippery if it rains.

If staying late in Zujiajiao, remember to check the time for the last train back to Shanghai. Also check the opening and closing times for any places that you want to visit as whilst you can walk around Zhujiajiao at any time of the day or night, most things will be closed outside of normal business hours.

Remember to bring a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated especially if visiting in the hot summer months.

If you wish to have unrestricted internet whilst in China to use Google Maps, a translation app or any form of social media – the list of blocked websites and apps is endless – then you will either need to use a VPN (which has no guarantees of working) or purchase an E-Sim before travelling which will bypass the “Great Firewall of China” which I have done on my last few visits to the country.

You can purchase a travel E-Sim through Airalo which will enable you to access unrestricted data on your phone without the need for a VPN when in China. If you would like to use my referral code NIKKI8866 when signing up, you will receive £2.50 / US$3 off your first purchase.

Zhujiajiao was absolutely beautiful and I was so happy to finally visit after waiting a long time and it really made me wish that I had visited so much sooner. It really is such an easy day trip or half-day trip from Shanghai and it is definitely worth the little effort that it takes to visit.

It is the perfect escape from the noisy, bustling and crowded city of Shanghai and once you arrive in Zhujiajiao it almost feels like you have been transported to a different world.

Enjoy Zhujiajiao and have an amazing visit to Shanghai!

I visited Zhujiajiao in 2024 so some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check any official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.

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