Zhujiajiao Water Town

朱家角古镇

Rowboats under a five-arch Ming bridge, pork knuckle on every corner

Hours

Town always open; paid sights and boat tickets 8:30am–5pm.

Tickets

Town free. ¥60 combo for Kezhi Garden, Hexin Garden and Helong Art Museum. Rowboats ¥200–300 per boat one way (max six; ¥100 extra to return to the start); electric boat between the metro wharf and Fangsheng Bridge ¥40.

Address

Visitor Centre, 555 Kezhiyuan Road, Zhujiajiao, Qingpu; save 朱家角古镇 in your map app

One metro transfer and you're in a town built on water. Stand on top of Fangsheng Bridge, five stone arches first laid in the Ming dynasty, and watch rowboats slide underneath while steam rises off the zongzi stalls on the bank. The name means 'release life': monks once set fish free here. North Street is a narrow gauntlet of soy-braised pork knuckle, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves and tiny tea shops. Come early on a weekday, or late in the afternoon as the tour buses pull out.