July 23, 2024

Qibao Ancient Town, Shanghai

Due to time constraints, we opted to visit Qibao Ancient Town, the nearest water village to downtown Shanghai. Located about 20km from The Bund, it is easily accessible by train or taxi.

On our fourth day in Shanghai, we woke up early, took a morning walk at The Bund (though we couldn't see the sunrise, possibly due to haze or mist), and had breakfast at a Michelin Guide restaurant (kopitiam) near our hotel. Then we took a Didi car to Qibao Ancient Town, which cost us RMB 55.44.

Luckily we chose to take a taxi because it started raining on our way. It was raining heavily when we arrived, so we took a 10-minute break at a nearby cafe. Once the rain slowed down, we began exploring the area. The good thing about visiting the village on a rainy day was that there were very few people around, allowing us to get great bargains at the clothing shops. I did quite a bit of shopping and bought a cheongsam, wool scarf, gloves, skirt, and a pair of winter pants. Hubby and the kids also bought waterproof winter shirt and jacket, and 2 sweaters.

About the river, I think there's only one scenic bridge in the area.  Fortunately, there weren't many people around, so we took lots of pictures on that bridge.  Then, we head for our lunch at a restaurant opposite the bridge.

Before reaching the bridge, you will pass by the food alley, which has many interesting things to see and buy. I bought the famous bak chang, but it didn't taste as good as I imagined, possibly because I ate it cold in the chilly weather, making it feel like it had just come out of the fridge. I was too full to eat it right away. I also bought pear tea, which was tasty and warm, and some traditional cookies. I wished I could buy more, but even with two new suitcases, I didn't think we could fit anything more in there.

We headed back to the hotel in a Didi car at 2pm, cost us RMB62.19



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