The town is arguably the best preserved of the river towns in Shanghai's vicinity, and the main charm of the town lies in strolling its streets. There are however quite a few specific sights. Many of them require you to have a ticket, which can be bought at the main entrance and includes a map and guide pamphlet. About a kilometer long, Bei Dajie North Street is the main thoroughfare in old Zhujiajiao. Lined with old buildings, some many hundred years old, it makes for a nice stroll, from the Fansheng bridge in the northeast to the Handicraft Exhibition Hall and the Tongtianhe Pharmacy in the southwest.In theory there is a nominal 10 yuan charge to even enter the old district, but we have never heard of anyone being asked to pay it - probably because there are numerous ways into the old district, most of them without any formal entrance.Different plans can be bought that include different number of attractions depending on how long you want to stay. The prices range from 35 4 attractions to 80 yuan 12 attractions plus the boat ride. However, monitor your time closely as most of the buildings close at 16:30 sharp, and the tickets are only valid for a day.
At the northern edge of the old district, on Xijing Street, you'll find Kezhi Yuan Kezhi Gardens. The name Kezhi is made up of the characters 课 kè which means "to learn" and æ¤ zhà which means "to plant". It consists of three parts - the main hall, the garden and an artificial hill area. The most iconic landmark of the gardens is a five story building with a pavilion on its roof - the tallest structure in old Zhujiajiao. The history of this garden dates back to 1912, when Ma Wenqing built it, drawing inspiration from a mixture of Chinese and European influences. The construction took 15 years and 300 000 silver taels, equivalent to 12000 kg of silver. The wars and revolutions of the following half century brought much destruction to the garden and its buildings, and in 1956 additional old structures where torn down to make room for teaching buildings of the Zhujiajiao Middle School that had come to occupy Kezhi Gardens. It was not until 1986 that the garden became a protected structure and renovation to return it to its original style was started, and in 2003 the middle school was relocated.
On the southwestern end of Xihu Streed which begins at the south end of Caohe Street you'll find a Qing Dynasty Post Office. It's said to be the best preserved Qing post office in China, and among its exhibits you'll find antique post cards of old Shanghai and letters written on bamboo.
The Yunjin Monastery
on the northern end of Caohe Street is a Buddhist monastery with three main buildings and separate living quarters.The Town God Temple (Chenghuangmiao)
is a Daoist temple dedicated to Guanyin, the goddess of mercy. Authentic worship still goes on, but like most temples in tourist destinations, it's pretty exploited. It's located on the middle of Caohe Street, in front of the Qijin bridge.
bridges
Bridges are something of a star attraction of Zhujiajiao, which sports no less than 36 stone bridges. Most are only a few meters long and broad enough for a pushcart. Many of them are very old, dating back as early as the Ming dynasty.
The most iconic bridge is the 70-meter long Fangsheng bridge. Resting on 5 symmetric arches, the height of the bridge peaks at 5.8 meters. It was originally built by the monk Xingchao of Cimen Temple in 1571, and then rebuilt in 1812. The central arch is decorated with a stone relief of eight dragons surrounding a pearl, and the pillars at the ends are sculpted into lions. It's the largest stone arch bridge in Zhujiajiao and populated by merchants who want to sell you everything from live fish to batteries for your camera. And have some small change ready for the beggars.