南翔古镇

Speaking of Nanxiang Ancient Town, the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic Shanghai specialty "Nanxiang Steamed Bun", which is regarded as the local symbol. In fact, Nanxiang Ancient Town is far more famous for its steamed buns, and there are many cultural relics worth exploring. With a history of 1500 years, the ancient town boasts Guyi Garden, a large Jiangnan-style classical garden in Shanghai, Nanxiang Old Street, Yunxiang Temple, Nanxiang Twin Towers and other attractions, presenting a profound ancient cultural charm. Nanxiang Ancient Town enjoys convenient transportation. After exiting from Nanxiang Station of Metro Line 11, the nearest attraction to the subway station is Guyi Garden, which was built in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522-1566 AD), and most tourists choose to visit Guyi Garden first. According to the seasonal blooming flowers, Guyi Garden holds different themed flower exhibitions throughout the year: there are begonias in spring, lotuses in summer, wintersweets and daffodils in winter. The most well-known is the summer lotus, patches of which dot the pavilions and terraces of Guyi Garden, making the garden look more distinctive. Guyi Garden also holds a lantern show during the Lantern Festival. If you arrive at Nanxiang Ancient Town in the morning, it will be almost noon after you finish visiting Guyi Garden. The Shanghai Guyi Garden Restaurant inside the garden is recognized as the originator of Nanxiang steamed buns in Shanghai, and all steamed bun shops in Nanxiang Ancient Town take this restaurant as the benchmark. If you want to enjoy the steamed buns, you have to wait in a long queue for a large number of customers first. If you do not insist on tasting steamed buns at the most famous Nanxiang steamed bun shop, there are steamed bun shops everywhere in Nanxiang Ancient Town. You can walk to Nanxiang Old Street, pick any shop to sit down, and the taste is equally good. Walk 500 meters west from Guyi Garden to the riverside, then walk 200 meters north to reach Nanxiang Old Street. To see the original scenery of Jiangnan water town, you can go to the quiet paths on the side. When you turn a corner inadvertently, you will see old houses with white walls and black tiles by the river, green plants growing in the gaps of walls, unadorned small bridges over the river, cobblestone paved roads, and mops hanging on the steps of old houses extending into the river. Time seems to stay in the 1970s and 1980s of Shanghai. The main section of Nanxiang Old Street is full of shops, with a strong commercial atmosphere. However, there are many delicious foods on both sides of the old street. In addition to steamed buns, the characteristic delicacies also include grass head cakes, stinky tofu and so on. Walk along Nanxiang Old Street to Yunxiang Temple. This ancient temple, first built in the 4th year of Tianjian period of Liang Dynasty (505 AD), was originally named "White Crane Nanxiang Temple", and was renamed "Nanxiang Temple" during the Shaoding period of Song Dynasty. The name of Nanxiang Ancient Town comes from this temple. It was renamed "Yunxiang Temple" again during the Kangxi period (1700 AD), but it was later destroyed. The current Yunxiang Temple is a reconstructed building. Only a pair of brick pagodas of the ancient temple survived the disasters. The Nanxiang Twin Towers next to Yunxiang Temple, built from the Five Dynasties to the early Northern Song Dynasty, are the symbol of Nanxiang Old Street. The ground under the towers is paved with glass, through which you can see the underground ruins of the old street of Song Dynasty. On the old street, you can also visit Nanxiang History and Culture Exhibition Hall, Tan Garden which was the private garden of Li Liufang, a literati in Ming Dynasty, or take a boat tour. Or you can spend a few yuan to sit at Chaxi Storytelling House, listen to the storyteller telling stories in Wu dialect, buy a bag of peanuts, order a pot of tea, and spend the whole afternoon leisurely.