Old city in Shanghai. Old Shanghai

Old town Nanshi is where modern Shanghai originates.

There are ancient buildings dating back to the 15th century, part of a wall protecting against attacks, and many narrow winding alleys.

This place is colorful and bustling, with old Chinese architecture and amazing Chinese New Year celebrations.

Downtown Nansha is home to an old bazaar and traditional Chinese shops selling antiques and collectibles.

There is also a Tea House here, also with pagoda-shaped roofs, standing in the water on stilts - here you will be offered to try dozens of varieties of Chinese tea.

Shanghai Old Town

The Old City is historical quarter Shanghai, one of the most interesting tourist places. The boundaries of the quarter coincide with Renmin Road and Zhonghua Road, and on its territory there is the Yu Garden, the Yu Garden Bazaar and the Shanghai Old City God's Temple in the center. They say that the Old City is the authentic Shanghai and those who live here are real native Shanghainese.

This was once a very poor area; only those who could not afford other housing settled here. The houses here were low, old, not very strong, without any amenities - real huts. If a quarrel broke out in one house, it was heard by the residents of all the houses in the neighborhood. At the same time, the quarter was very densely populated - 20 people often lived in 20 square meters of house.

Now everything is different. Most of the old houses were demolished and modern buildings were built in their place. But to preserve examples of the traditional architectural style, several old houses have been renovated. The Confucian Temple of the Old City God's Temple and other famous relics were restored. It was built Old Street(Shanghai Old Street). The Old City Bazaar has become more crowded, but at the same time cleaner and tidier. Now the Old City is the trademark of the new Shanghai.

Photos of Shanghai are coming to an end, but the report would not be complete without one more area - the Old City. True, I have a feeling that there are only a couple of old churches and a park there, and everything else is an antique remake.
The Old City is an area of ​​Shanghai that lies behind the former walls, built in 1553 as a defense against attacks by Japanese pirates. So to speak, Shanghai before the Europeans came here.
It was very close from our hostel - about a kilometer to the southeast. The nearest metro station is People's Square.
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First we visited the Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph(St. Joseph Cathedral), 1861. On the board it was written that it was late Romanesque with Gothic elements. There is a school or boarding school next to the cathedral.
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This is, so to speak, the ceremonial tourist part of the Old Town. Everything is clean, beautiful, even somewhat sterile.
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In the old city, it immediately becomes clear that there really are a lot of Chinese. There are crowds of them here! :) No, really, there weren’t so many people in other areas of the city!
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As in many others tourist places, there are many shops and stalls selling the usual tourist consumer goods, souvenirs, etc. What’s most surprising is that the Chinese themselves buy it! :)
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Perhaps because of so many people, the Old Town left me with a cool impression, despite the heat.
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10. Lanes

Small Chenxiangge Temple(Chenxiangge Nunnery), which was once part of a large estate. We didn’t go inside - and the entrance was paid, and we had already seen enough of these monotonous temples.
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12. Roof decoration

A fish swallowing a beam is a very common subject.
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One of the main attractions of the Old Town is Huxinting tea house(Huxinting Chalou), located on an island in the middle of a pond. The wooden house on stilts was built in 1784 and is now a famous and quite expensive restaurant, visited at different times by Jiang Zemin, Queen Elizabeth II and Bill Clinton.
A bridge of nine turns leads to the house. It turns out that Chinese evil spirits are very straightforward, in the truest sense of the word. They only walk in a straight line, so if the road makes a sharp turn, the spirit falls into the lake with a wild cry and drowns. And there are as many as 9 turns, not a single chance for the spirits!
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15. Pond with green blooming water

16. Just a mermaid

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18. The dragon is probably also used to intimidate spirits

19. Plants grow on the roof of the tea house

The second main attraction is located next to the pond - this Yu Yuan Garden- Garden of Joy (Yuyuan Shangchang). The garden was built during the Ming Dynasty by the influential Pan family as part of the family estate. Entry 70RMB.
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Construction took place from 1559 to 1577, although after that it was destroyed several times and completely restored. The garden is surrounded by a massive brick wall and is a typical southern Chinese style park.
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A characteristic feature of such parks is the creation of a feeling of large space in a relatively small area. This effect is achieved by using winding lines of paths and alleys, all kinds of windows and arched openings, and the proper location of park buildings.
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To be honest, after the parks of Suzhou it looks extremely average. Suzhou will be later.
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The park is spoiled by huge crowds of people.
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26. Bamboo Grove

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28. There are small exhibitions inside the houses

29. Swimming fish can be fed. As it turned out, they even eat chips quite well :).

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35. That's it, exit

Going to such a wonderful chinese city like, be sure to take time to visit the famous ancient places. Here you can easily visit Venice, because it is full of ancient cities that stand on the water. And what about the beautiful ancient streets? These places take you back several centuries. You will find yourself in the wonderful world of old China, which is not open to all tourists. Here you can enjoy the beautiful nature, majestic ancient architecture and a unique atmosphere. When you get to such places, you can get acquainted with old Shanghai and observe the life of people who have lived here for centuries.

If you are still not sure how to spend your time in Shanghai. Then just read on and all doubts will disappear on their own.

Yu Garden (豫园)

In the center of old Shanghai, there is this beautiful ancient garden that tells us wonderful story during the Ming Dynasty. The young man specially built this garden for his parents so that they could live out their old age in peace and happiness.

Today, this is one of the most popular areas in Shanghai. This is not just a garden. This is a whole complex in which you can see many halls, temples, wonderful bridges and beautiful water bodies. This garden is surrounded by ancient streets, showing ancient traditional architecture. Here you can find the oldest stalls and shops in Shanghai that sell snacks, souvenirs and other nice trinkets. This is where Shanghai Old Street and the famous City of God Temple are located.

Address:

218 Anren St, Huangpu

黄浦区安仁街218号

Shanghai Old Street (豫园老街)

This ancient street, which dates back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, stretches 825 meters in length. Here is the center of China's tourist life. The road starts from Zhonghua Road to Henan Road South. There are traditional Chinese gates at both ends of the road. This street is the answer to the question: “Where to go in Shanakhai.”

Address:

Fangbang Middle Road

黄浦区方浜中路

Temple "City of God" (Shanghai Temple Of the City God (Chenghung Miao) 上海城隍廟)

This is an ancient Taoist temple that connects to the aforementioned Yuyuan Gardens. Throughout its history, it was often destroyed and restored many times. The current version of the building was erected in 1926. On at the moment There is a shopping area around the temple. More than a hundred ancient buildings that now house shops and stores. Always here large number tourists, but if you want to see old Shanghai, then you need to visit here.

Address:

Corner of Fangbang Middle Road and Anren St

黄浦区方浜中路

Jinze Ancient Town (金泽古镇)

Dzindze is an ancient quiet ancient town. Here you can see seven beautiful bridges that connect the islands with each other. This place has survived more than one dynasty and has stood here for more than one century. There are not many restaurants or shops here. People come here for a quiet and relaxing holiday. If you are looking for a place where there are no huge crowds of tourists and you don't know where to go in Shanghai, then come to Jinza. This place will delight you with its unforgettable flavor.

Address:

Jinze Town, Qingpu District

201700 青浦区金泽镇

Zhaojialou Ancient Town (召稼楼古镇)

An ancient water city with traditional architecture. The flavor of the Ming and Qing dynasties reigns here. More recently, the city was reconstructed, so that it looks just like new. Old buildings can also be found here without problems if you are a lover of antiquity. Want to see a classic Chinese water town? If yes. Then head here.

Address:

Pujiang Town, Minhang District

201112 闵行区浦江镇

Fengjing Ancient Town (枫泾古镇)

Another example of a classic water city. It is quiet and peaceful here, there are not as many tourists as in other similar places. Here you can ride a boat and enjoy traditional Chinese architecture. You can also check out the animation museum and the craft museum. This will help diversify your vacation and learn a lot about this wonderful place.

Address:

No.39 Xinfeng Road, Fengjing Town, Jinshan District

201500 金山区枫泾镇新枫路39号

Water City Nanxiang Water Town, 南翔老街

This place is popular for its delicious steamed buns, which are made in the house of Xiaolongbao. Many people come here to sample delicious snacks and pick up a few trinkets, as this ancient town is crammed with shops and eateries. This place is popular not only for its cuisine. Here you can visit one of the five classical gardens in the city - the Gouyi Garden. If you don't know where to eat in Shanghai, then come here without fail.

Address:

Nanxiang Town, Jiading District

嘉定区南翔镇

Ancient City Xinchang (Shanghai Xinchang Ancient Town, 上海新场古镇)

This city was built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. If you like the architecture of this period, then go to this town. There are also a large number of restaurants and shops, so you can easily have a delicious lunch and buy a couple of interesting things. It’s better not to come here on holidays if you don’t like crowds of tourists. This place is packed with people during the Chinese New Year celebrations. On other days, this place will delight you with its calm atmosphere, beautiful buildings and pleasant locals.

Address:

Xinchang Town, Nanhui District

201314南汇区新场镇

Shanghai Qibao Town (上海七宝古镇)

This city is very easy to get to. You just need to take the metro and you are already here. This is a cute place with authentic architecture. There are many street vendors selling various delicious sweets and unusual snacks. There are not many commercial establishments here, but there are also quite a few tourists. If you are limited on time, but still want to see old Shanghai, then go here.

Address:

Qibao Town, Minhang District

201101 闵行区七宝镇

Anting Old Street (安亭老街)

Another place for lovers of old places. This is a beautiful old street with its own special atmosphere and architecture. You can take great pictures here. You can also see a beautiful temple and a majestic pagoda. Old stonework has been preserved throughout the entire street, which adds atmosphere to the place. There is a car museum nearby that anyone can visit.

We go to the part where the city once originated - to the Nanshi region. It was here in 1292 that the administrative center of what was then still a county, surrounded by a city wall, was located. Part of this area has now been restored, cultivated and it is this part that is known to tourists as the “Old Town”. And the Nanshi district itself, which means " southern city", as a territorial-administrative unit no longer exists, it is annexed to the Huangpu region.

In the renovated and restored part of the old city, all the buildings in the ancient Chinese style are shops and stalls selling various souvenirs, jewelry, tea, food, etc. This part is completely aimed at tourists.

But the adjacent market is a real Chinese bazaar, where tourists rarely go. But it is there that you feel the flavor of Shanghai itself. In addition, you can buy interesting souvenirs here, and things are cheaper, although you still have to bargain. There are still hutongs in Nanshi. In general, hutongs are a Mongolian term rather than a Chinese one. It appeared during the Yuan Dynasty and refers to narrow streets of small apartment houses. To make it easier to understand what we are talking about, here is a photo of a Hutong in the center of Beijing (alas, there are no ones in Shanghai)

As for the tourist part of the Old Town, it is always crowded - be it during the day or in the evening.

And beautiful. Especially when the backlight turns on.

When going for a walk in the Old City, you need to remember that the Yu Yuan Garden is open until 16 (or until 17) hours, and the illumination of the old city is turned off at 22-00. Therefore, it is more practical to visit the Garden of Joy first,

and then go for a walk through the streets and shops of the Old Town.

Yu Yuan in Chinese means joy or leisurely pastime (rest). In a large metropolis such as Shanghai, a place where you can relax from the hustle and bustle is simply necessary. Even tourists, who usually want to see as many attractions as possible, slow down at Yu Yuan Garden.

The Garden of Joy has two entrances/exits. One of them is located at the Nine Turns Bridge (but more on that later). Entrance costs 30 yuan (120-150 rubles). The area of ​​the Garden is about four hectares. Its construction began in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty, but throughout its history it has been remodeled several times.

The Garden has halls where the interior decoration of rooms of that era is shown, the interior and furniture of the Ming Dynasty are recreated.

It acquired its current appearance after a large-scale reconstruction in 1956. Work on restoration and reconstruction of some areas is ongoing. But this does not reduce the number of people who want to walk along its paths and “meditate” while contemplating the surface of the ponds and admiring landscape design Ming Dynasty.

In addition, on the territory of the Garden of Joy there is a souvenir shop selling antiques. Here you can buy ancient Chinese clothes,

various figurines

and other items symbolizing the Ming Dynasty era.

In the Nanshi area there is also a temple of the Patron God of the Old City. I can’t get there (for various reasons), but the gate

and managed to capture the process of burning the souls of sinners.

You can walk along the shopping streets of the old city, admiring the architecture, souvenirs and just enjoying the walk for quite a long time. And if you suddenly get hungry, you can immediately have a snack. The choice of cafes and fast food is for every taste: from McDonald's to din-san dumplings and crabs in batter. You can also have a barbecue,

or quails

And of course, a must-visit place in the old town is the Tea House on the “lake”, built in 1783.

Not so much the tea house itself, but the Nine Turns Bridge that leads to it.

This zigzag bridge has 9 right angle turns. According to ancient Chinese belief, every person is followed by evil spirits who take away his vital energy Qi. But, following a person, they cannot make sharp turns and drown in the lake. In this simple way - by walking along the bridge - you can get rid of the haunting evil spirits. And now, free from this burden, you can go home.

Previous materials about Shanghai:
Walking around Shanghai

A 17th-century painting shows the city wall of Shanghai's Old City and the river port outside the wall.

Shanghai Old Town(Chinese: 上海老城厢; pinyin: SHANGHAI Laotian Chengxiang ; Shanghainese: Zånhae Luo Senshian), also formerly known as chinese city, is the traditional urban core of Shanghai. Its border was previously defined by a defensive wall. The old city was the district for the old district of Shanghai. With the arrival of foreign concessions in Shanghai, the Old City became only a part of Shanghai's urban center, but continued for decades to be the seat of Chinese power in Shanghai. Notable features include God Temple City, which is located in the heart of the Old City and connected to Yuyuan Garden. With the exception of two short sections, the walls were demolished in 1912, and a wide circular avenue was built on the former wall and moat: the southern half was named "Zhonghua Road" and the northern half "Minguo Road" (together made up " Zhonghua Minguo" or "Republic of China" in Chinese). (The northern half was renamed "Renmin Road" ("People's Road") in 1950 by the new Communist government of Shanghai.)

The old city was for many decades largely coterminous with the old Nanshi District, which is now part of the Huangpu District.

fortifications

There may have been some kind of defensive structures around the Shanghai district since the 11th century. The city wall, which lasted until the 20th century and parts that remain to this day, however, was built in 1554 during the Ming Dynasty to protect the city from raids by Japanese pirates. It measures 10 meters (33 ft) high and has a circumference of 5 km (3.1 mi). In addition to the local garrison, the city was surrounded by Qing army posts at Jiangning (Nanjing), Jiang (Zhenjiang), Hangzhou and Zhapu.

There were originally six land gates (via roads) built into the structure, and three water gates (via canals):

Shanghai Old City Gate
Old city maps	Gates	Images
Shanghai Map in Shanghai Xianzhi. Map of Shanghai in 1553 (published 1813). Map of Shanghai (made around 1860) Map of Shanghai (made around 1860) Red: Old Gate. Blue: Water gate. Green: New Gate (1909)
	Small North Gate (小北門 or 拱辰門) (built 1909)
	Old North Gate 老北門 also: 晏海門 "Gate of the Peaceful Sea"
	New North Gate 新北門 (built 1860) also: 障川門
	New Eastern Gate (新東門, 福佑門) (built 1909)
	Small East Gate 小東門 also: 宝帯門 "Diamond Belt Gate"
	Small Eastern Water Gate also: 小東門處跨方浜
	Great Eastern Gate also: 朝宗門 "Gate of Dynastic Ancestors"
	East Water Gate 東門水門
	Small South Gate 小南門 also: 朝陽門 "Gate of the Rising Sun"
	Great Southern Gate also: 跨龍門 "Leaping Dragon Gate"
	Small West Gate (小西門 or 尚文門) (built 1909)
	Western Water Gate also: 西門跨肇嘉浜
	Old West Gate Laoximen 老西門 also: 儀鳳門 "Gate of the Virtuous Phoenix"

A defensive ditch surrounded the walls, 20 meters (66 ft) wide and 6 meters (20 ft) deep, which was accessible though three "Water Gates" (two in the east, one in the west).

In 1860, a new gate, the "New North Gate" (新北門 or 障川門), was created. In 1909 three new gates were pierced:

• Small Western Gate (小西門 or 尚文門)
• Small North Gate (小北門 or 拱辰門)
• New East Gate (新東門, 福佑門).

The walls of the Old City were dismantled in 1912 by General Chen Qimei, then the new governor of Shanghai.

Apart from two small sections that remain, the walls were demolished in 1912, as well as a wide circular avenue built in place of the wall and moat. The northern half of the ring road was completed in 1913 to celebrate the founding of the Republic of China in 1912, and because the road formed the border between the Chinese city and the French Concession, the road was named Boulevard Deux Republiques(literally "Boulevard of the Two Republics"), or Fa-Hu L Minguo in Chinese (literally "French and Chinese Republic Road"), and is often shortened to "Minguo L" (or "Republic Road"). In 1914 the southern part of the ring road was completed and named Zhonghua Lu(literally "China Road"). Together the usual names of the two roads amounted to " Zhonghua Minguo", or "Republic of China" in Chinese. (The northern half was renamed "Renmin Road" ("People's Road") in 1950 by Shanghai's new communist government.)

Today only two very small areas remain. The more significant of these is one of the towers (pavilions) above the gate, now the Dajing Ge Pavillon Museum.

Old City and Foreign Concessions

During the Taiping invasion in 1853, the Old City was captured by the forces of the Small Swords Society. The governor of Shanghai, Wu Jianzhang, fled the British concession and had to hand over control of trade to foreigners in exchange for help in retaking the city. Recognizing that there was a huge influx of refugees fleeing to foreign concessions, not only from the Chinese areas of Shanghai but also from the surrounding region, from 1854 the Chinese were allowed to move to foreign concessions.

Administrative history

The circular shape of the old city is still clearly visible on maps: in this 1933 map, it is called "Chinese town" (at the bottom). Immediately to the north, east and west is the French concession, and further north is the international settlement.

The old city of Shanghai stands on the site of a relatively small settlement in ancient times, which began to develop in importance in the 12th and 13th centuries due to siltration waterways upstream, bringing docks and market activity, a transition from large mining towns to this location. In 1267, during the Song Dynasty, Shanghai was raised to the status of a township, with a military garrison, at Huating. In 1277, Shanghai District was chosen as the site of one of seven customs offices throughout the empire to handle overseas trade; surrounding Huating was raised to prefectural level. The location of the customs office (which later became the office of the Shanghai district government), became the center around which the Old City grew.

The importance of this trading function led to Shanghai being raised to county status in 1292, with the Old City becoming the seat of the new county. Under the Qing, it also became the seat of a local chain and its administration headed by an intendant ("daotai"). While the foreign concessions developed into new urban areas of Shanghai, the old city remained the seat of the county, which nominally included the foreign concessions, but in reality the county's authority extended only to the Chinese areas of the city, being the Old City, the western suburbs, which is today's Minhang District. as well as the docks and factory areas in the northeast. (With the exception of a small port district near the river, today Pudong was a separate district.) In 1912, after the establishment of the Republic of China, the Old City was officially elevated to city status (Shanghai City), under Shanghai County, although city status was revoked and restored somewhat times in the coming years due to political changes in the capital Beijing and power struggles among local warlords.

In 1927, in an attempt to create a tangible Chinese power In Shanghai, Republic of China, the government created the Special Municipality of Shanghai. The municipal government was moved from the Old City to nearby Xujiahui. In 1928, the city of Shanghai (Old City) was reduced to district status within the Special Municipality. In 1930, Shanghai County became a separate administrative unit parallel to the special municipality, and the county government was moved to Minhang. This was the end of the Old City's role as the seat of Shanghai's government.

Since 1928, the Old Town has been a Hunan district; "Hunan" literally means "southern Shanghai". In 1937, the collaborationist puppet government under Japanese occupation renamed the area "Nanshi" (literally "southern city"). In 1945, after the reconstruction of Shanghai at the end of World War II, the Republic of China government split Nanshi District into Yimiao District and Penlight District. In 1959, the People's Republic of China government again merged the two districts into Nanshi District. (Between 1961 and 1993, Docklands on the Pudong (eastern) side of the river was part of Nanshi District.) In 2000, Nanshi District was merged into Huangpu District, thus ending the old city's separate existence as an administrative division.

Today

A street just outside the Old City's shopping district God Temple, 2018. Although parts of the Old City were not destroyed, the area has been renovated over the past decade; most of it now consists of retail premises in a gentrified style.

Today, the Old City contains some ancient but renovated features, such as the Yuyuan Garden complex first established in the 1500s during the Ming Dynasty, the pedestrian streets of the shopping district around the garden, and the God Temple City. (Tourist materials often refer to it as Nanshi District, although the area is now Huangpu District.)

Built in 1855, the Huxinting Teahouse on the Yu pond garden remains in use in 2018

The former French Concession (in Xuhui) has been extensively renovated and now features upscale shops, restaurants and museums.

The round shape of the old city is now imprinted surrounded big streets, which occupy the space of the former walls, are now Renmin Road to the north and Zhonghua Road to the south. The Old City has also been cut in the middle of the north to south Henan Road. The old town is a combination of ancient winding streets, with some modern high-rise buildings gradually encroaching on the older areas.