Qibao Ancient Town: A Journey Through Time and Tradition

Name: Qibao Ancient Town
Address: 青年路步行街, Shang Hai Shi, 201101, CN
Rating: 4.1

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Qibao Ancient Town: A Journey Through Time and Tradition

Overview

Located approximately 18km from the vibrant heart of Shanghai, Qibao Ancient Town offers a tranquil escape from the urban hustle. This charming pedestrian-only town, rich in history, was established around 1,000 years ago and flourished during the Song Dynasty (960-1126). The name 'Qibao,' which translates to 'Seven Treasures,' is derived from local legends surrounding the area. Covering roughly 2km², this traditional watertown features picturesque waterways lined with well-preserved historic homes, gardens, and quaint shops. The main thoroughfare, Qibao Old Street, is a delightful showcase of the town's cultural heritage, lined with restaurants serving authentic cuisine, artisanal shops, antique dealers, tea houses, and traditional medicine stores. The enchanting ambiance of stone roads, narrow lanes, pavilions, and gardens invites leisurely exploration. Significant sites include a temple dating back to 907-960, the famed cricket fighting events during Golden Week, and the Cricket House. Visitors can enjoy shadow theatre performances, sample unique local delicacies (like red braised pork), and experience the authentic lifestyle of this ancient town, easily accessible via the Shanghai metro.

Reviews

Linh Tran

Vietnam

Charming ancient town with a wide variety of Chinese street food to enjoy. Conveniently located near the metro station with no entrance fee. Make sure to visit the temple, it's a must-see. Qibao is known for its cricket fighting, but unfortunately, we arrived too late to catch it :(

Maria Garcia

Spain

Very pretty and easy trip to make on the train! Was busy but still enjoyable! Would recommend :)

Hu Chen

China

One of the ancient towns in Shanghai. Used to visit when I was living in Shanghai. Nice alleys filled with all kinds of knick knacks and interesting food from Stinky tofu to Balut type eggs. Today we ate a green glutinous rice cake only available in spring, filled with black sesame, red bean paste or pork floss with salted egg yolk. Delicious. Also ordered a UNESCO World Heritage food called Guan Dan. It’s basically egg yolk filled with a minced meat paste and then boiled. Served with soup that has coriander and seaweed. Yummy!

Liang Li

China

For seniors and first-time visitors to China, it may be a place to visit in Shanghai. You can stroll around the neighborhood and enjoy a lot of street food. However, the buildings here are actually rebuilt after the original ancient buildings were demolished, so if you want to explore real historical cultural monuments, this may not be your first choice. PS Avoid coming on public holidays

Giovanni Rossi

Italy

It is a cute place but very touristic !!!! A lot of shops , a lot of people !!