Exploring Zhujiajiao in Shanghai

Hey everyone, at the beginning I would like to welcome you all to my new contribution and hope you have a week so far which is full of interesting experiences! In my new post I would like to share some wonderful moments I made on my trip in China and hope you like my post.

On my last day when I was in the city of Shanghai, I decided to visit the historic district of Zhujiajiao which is rather away from the center and has taken a slightly longer drive. It was a very good decision to get a completely different view of the culture and on the same evening there was even the opportunity to visit a traditional Chinese opera in this area, which definitely sweetened the evening again. Zhujiajiao is about 50 km from Shanghai and is also known as the water city, which is sometimes even referred to as a second Venice and has numerous similarities due to the canals or boats. I have decided to take the metro but there is also the possibility to take the bus or taxi and once someone is in the city, there is a lot to explore like traditional markets or museums and who wants to have insights into the diversity of culture is definitely in the right hands here.

It's best to ask for a map right at the beginning at the Tourist Center to better find your way around and even if it's a bit more expensive it can be very worthwhile to take a boat trip which ends in a different place than it started, making the area even easier to explore. Many buildings are in very good condition and were built together with all the bridges already a few centuries ago under different dynasties and a large part of it was built under the Ming dynasty. Some streets are full of traditional markets or restaurants that sell various things like street food, tea, vegetables or other things and as usual at Asian markets, it's difficult to walk through some paths without being addressed more often. I have found the sellers to be rather open and not intrusive and it was an amazing experience to visit a more traditional market. It's in any case also recommended to visit one of the restaurants which are located directly on the canal and offer a perfect view.

A unique highlight is also the Buddhist temple which can be visited here and also the visit to the various museums should not be missed and here there is either the possibility to purchase a combined ticket or all individually. Shortly before I wanted to leave, I met someone who invited me to the opera and I was very lucky that at this time one took place nearby and this experience was unforgettable and also the mood or atmosphere simply fabulous. It's the legendary Kunqu opera that was performed there and the performance started in the early evening and went into the darkness and no matter if it was the actors or the effects, it was a unique experience to see this opera.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you could learn something new and like my post! I captured these pictures with my Sony Alpha 6000 plus 55-210 mm lens and iPhone 16.