Old city in shanghai how to get there. old shanghai

The photos of Shanghai are coming to an end, but the report would not be complete without one more area - the Old City. True, I have a feeling that there are only a couple of old temples and a park, and everything else is an antique remake.
Old city- This is the area of ​​Shanghai, which is located behind the former walls, built in 1553, as a defense against the attacks of Japanese pirates. So to say, Shanghai before the Europeans came here.
It was not far from our hostel - about a kilometer to the southeast. The nearest subway is People's Square.
1.

First visited the Catholic cathedral of st. Joseph(St. Joseph Cathedral), 1861. It was written on the board that this was a late Romanesque style with Gothic elements. At the cathedral there is a school or a boarding school.
2.

3.

This is, so to speak, the parade-tourist part of the Old City. Everything is clean, beautiful, even somewhat sterile.
4.

5.

6.

In the old city, it immediately becomes clear that there are really a lot of Chinese. There are crowds of them here! :) No, really, there were not so many people in other parts of the city!
7.

As in many others tourist places, there are many shops and shops selling the usual tourist consumer goods, souvenirs, etc. What is most surprising is that the Chinese themselves buy it! :)
8.

Perhaps because of so many people, the Old Town left me with a cool impression, despite the heat.
9.

10. Alleyways

Small chenxiangge temple(Chenxiangge Nunnery), which was once part of a large estate. We did not go inside - and the entrance was paid, and we have already seen enough of these monotonous temples.
11.

12. Roof decoration

A fish swallowing a beam is a very common plot.
13.

One of the main attractions of the Old City is Huxinting tea house(Huxinting Chalou), located on an island in the middle of a pond. The wooden house on stilts was built in 1784 and is now a famous and quite expensive restaurant, which was visited at different times by Jiang Zemin, Queen Elizabeth II and Bill Clinton.
A bridge of nine turns leads to the house. It turns out that Chinese evil spirits are very straightforward, in the truest sense of the word. They only walk in a straight line, so if the road makes a sharp turn, the spirit falls into the lake with a wild cry and drowns. And here as many as 9 turns, not a single chance for the spirits!
14.

15. Pond with green flowering water

16. Straight mermaid

17.

18. The dragon is probably also for intimidating spirits

19. Plants grow on the roof of a tea house

The second main attraction is located next to the pond - this yu yuan garden- Garden of Joy (Yuyuan Shangchang). The garden was built during the Ming Dynasty by the influential Pan family as part of the family estate. Entrance 70RMB.
20

Construction was carried out from 1559 to 1577, although after that it was destroyed several times and completely restored. The garden is surrounded by a massive brick wall and is a typical South Chinese style park.
21.

A characteristic feature of such parks is the creation of a feeling of a large space in a relatively small area. This effect is achieved through the use of winding lines of paths and alleys, all kinds of windows and arched openings, and the competent arrangement of park buildings.
22.

To be honest, after the parks of Suzhou, it looks extremely average. Suzhou will come later.
23.

The huge crowds of people spoil the park very much.
24.

25.

26. Bamboo Grove

27.

28. There are small expositions inside the houses

29. Swimming fish can be fed. As it turned out, they even eat chips quite well :).

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35. Everything, exit

We go to the part where the city was once born - to the Nanshi region. It was here that in 1292 there was an administrative center, then still a county, enclosed by a city wall. Part of this area has now been restored, cultivated, and it is this part that is known to tourists as the "Old Town". Yes, and the Nanshi region itself, which means " Southern City", as a territorial-administrative unit no longer exists, it is attached to the Huangpu region.

In the renovated and restored part of the old city, all the buildings in the old Chinese style are shops and shops selling various souvenirs, jewelry, tea, food, etc. This part is completely focused on tourists.

But the adjacent market is a real Chinese bazaar, where tourists rarely go. But it is there that you feel the flavor of Shanghai itself. In addition, here you can buy interesting souvenirs, and things are cheaper, although you still have to bargain. Even in Nanshi, hutongs survived. In general, hutongs is more of a Mongolian term than a Chinese one. It appeared during the reign of the Yuan Dynasty and means the narrow streets of small apartment houses. To make it easier to understand what we are talking about, here is a photo of Hutong in the center of Beijing (shanghai, alas, no)

As for the tourist part of the Old Town, it is always crowded here - at least during the day, at least in the evening.

And beautiful. Especially when the backlight turns on.

When going for a walk in the Old City, you need to remember that the Yu Yuan Garden is open until 16 (or 17) hours, and the illumination of the old city is turned off at 22-00. Therefore, it is more practical to visit the Garden of Joy first,

and then go for a walk through the streets and shops of the Old Town.

Yu Yuan in Chinese means joy or leisurely pastime (rest). In a large metropolis, which is Shanghai, a place where you can relax from the hustle and bustle is a must. Even tourists who usually want to visit as many attractions as possible slow down their run at Yu Yuan Garden.

The Garden of Joy has two entrances/exits. One of them is located at the Nine Turns Bridge (but more on that later). Entrance costs 30 yuan (120-150 rubles). The area of ​​the Garden is about four hectares. Its construction began in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty, but throughout its history it has been repeatedly remodeled.

There are halls in the Garden where the interior decoration of the premises of that era is shown, the interior and furniture of the Ming Dynasty are recreated.

It acquired its current appearance after a large-scale reconstruction in 1956. Work on the restoration and reconstruction of some sections is ongoing. But this does not reduce the number of people who want to walk along its paths and "meditate" contemplating the expanse of ponds and admiring the landscape design of the Ming Dynasty.

In addition, on the territory of the Garden of Joy there is a souvenir shop selling antiques. Here you can buy ancient Chinese clothes,

various figurines

and other items symbolizing the era of the Ming Dynasty.

In the Nanshi area there is also a temple of the patron god of the Old City. I can’t get there (for various reasons), but the gate

and managed to capture the process of burning the souls of sinners of garbage.

You can walk along the shopping streets of the old city, admiring the architecture, souvenirs and just enjoying the walk for a long time. And if you suddenly get hungry, you can immediately have a bite to eat. The choice of cafes and fast food - for every taste: from McDonald's to din-san dumplings and crabs in batter. And you can also have a barbecue,

or quail

And of course obligatory place visit in the old town is the Tea House on the "lake", built in 1783.

Not even the tea house itself, but the Nine Turns Bridge that leads to it.

This zigzag bridge has 9 right angle turns. According to an ancient Chinese belief, any person is followed by evil spirits that take away his life energy Qi. But, following a person, they cannot make sharp turns and drown in the lake. In such a simple way - by walking along the bridge - you can get rid of the haunting evil spirits. And now, free from this burden, you can go home.

Previous articles about Shanghai:
Walking in Shanghai

Sometime in ancient time, in 1533, protective walls were erected to protect against Japanese pirates. And although nothing remains of these walls (they were destroyed in 1912), it is within their boundaries that the district is located.Old city(Laocheng), along which I invite you to take a walk.

Until some time in the Old City of Shanghai, poor people lived in uncomfortable low houses. But now only a few old houses remain. They have been renovated as examples of the traditional architectural style. The rest of the houses were demolished and modern buildings were built in their place. Some antiquities have been restored. Traveling to China, I want to feel the antiquity of this civilization. It is possible even in such a super modern city, as . The old city is Shanghai's Chinatown, where a traditional Chinese atmosphere reigns.

Old city. Shanghai. Map

So let's take a look

Shanghai Attractions, Old City District

Old city located between People's Street in the north (Renmin Lu) and China Street in the south (Zhonghua Lu). These streets form a kind of rounded square, which is easy to find on the map to the south (Nanjing Dong Lu).

Yu Garden Bazaar

If we go from the north side, we will soon get to the intersection of Fu'yu Lu (Fuyou Lu) and Jiaochang Lu (Jiaochang Lu). This is a popular tourist market, Yu Garden Bazaar. You'll recognize it by its gable-roofed buildings and numerous street vendors. Noisy and narrow streets are filled with various shops and shops. It sells various interesting things: trinkets, antiques; Here you can buy jade chopsticks and silk pajamas, a painting and a fan, Chinese traditional medicines and syrupy pear candies. In general, we walk, stare and buy and be sure to bargain!

Nine Turns Bridge

This famous bridge is always crowded with tourists. This bridge leads to Huxinting tea house standing on stilts in the middle of the lake. The building was built in 1784. It was turned into a tea house in the early 19th century. It is famous for the fact that such celebrities as the English Queen Elizabeth II, the Clintons and others dined there. The walls are decorated with their portraits.

The lower floor is daily from 17.30 to 12.00, from 13.30 to 17.00, the upper floor from 8.30 to 17.00 and from 20.30 to 20.00.

Yuyuan garden. Shanghai. Map

Yuyuan garden

In 1559-1577, a high-ranking official Pan Yongrui planted a garden for his elderly parents. While the garden was being built, Pan's father died and Pan himself went bankrupt. I had to sell the garden. During the Opium War, the garden was destroyed, but then it was restored.

Walking along it, you can imagine how high-ranking officials of China lived in ancient times.

In the garden there are many halls, chambers and pavilions, ponds and bridges, dozens of scenic views. Behind Hall of three spikelets(Sanhui) two-tiered pavilion. Top floor - Pavilion that keeps the rain out. Lower - Hall of the Rising Mountain. From here begins Great rock garden- an artificial stone hill 12 meters high. The hill is considered the main decoration of the garden.

On the winding paths of the hill we pass to the reservoir - Playing fish pavilion with goldfish. AT Chamber of ten thousand flowers plants are depicted on the windows and doors. AT Hall of Jade Splendor flaunts "Graceful Jade" with a height of more than 3 meters.

Try to find nine dragons in Nine Dragon Pond(hint - four dragons are already visible, four are reflected in the pond, and the pond itself has the shape of a dragon :).

Do not deny yourself the opportunity to stroll through this fabulous garden!

st. Anzhen (AnrenJie), 218, daily from 8.30 to 17.00, admission 30RMB.

old street

East and West of Old Street (Shanghai Laojie) are different architectural styles. Many shops and shops filled the street. You can find old shops that are over 100 years old: Laotongsheng, Tonhanchun, Old Shanghai Tea House.
Daily from 8.00 to 20.00.

Temple of the City Gods. The temple was built in 1403-1424 during the Ming Dynasty. The temple has been rebuilt many times. Previously, fairs were allowed to be held around the temple only on certain days. But over time, they have become a permanent market. It is the market that now attracts many tourists.

Traveler's cheat sheet

A 17th-century painting showing the city wall of the Old City of Shanghai and the river port outside the wall.

old city shanghai(Chinese: 上海老城厢; pinyin: SHANGHAI Laotian Chengxiang ; Shanghainese : Zånhae Loh Senshian), also known earlier as chinese city , is the traditional urban core of Shanghai. Its border was previously defined by a defensive wall. Old City was the county for the old county of Shanghai. With the arrival of foreign concessions in Shanghai, the Old City became only a part of the urban center of Shanghai, but continued for decades to be the seat of Chinese power in Shanghai. Notable features include God Temple City, which is located in the heart of the Old City and is connected to the Yuyuan Garden. With the exception of two short sections, the walls were demolished in 1912, and a wide circular avenue was built on the former wall and ditch: the southern half was named "Zhonghua Road" and the northern half "Minguo Road" (together make up " Zhonghua Minguo" or "Republic of China" on Chinese). (The northern half was renamed "Renmin Road" ("People's Road") in 1950 by the new communist government of Shanghai).

The old city was for many decades basically coterminous with the old Nanshi District, which is now part of the Huangpu District.

fortifications

There may have been some fortifications around Shanghai County from the 11th century. The city wall, which lasted until the 20th century and the parts that remain to this day, however, was built in 1554 during the Ming Dynasty to protect the city from raids by Japanese pirates. It measured 10 meters (33 ft) high and 5 km (3.1 mi) in circumference. In addition to the local garrison, the city was surrounded by Qing army posts at Jiangning (Nanjing), Jinyi (Zhenjiang), Hangzhou, and Zhapu.

There were originally six land gates (by roads) built into the structure and three water gates (through canals):

Shanghai Old City Gate
Old city maps	Gates	images
Shanghai map in Shanghai Xianzhi. Map of Shanghai in 1553 (published 1813). Map of Shanghai (made circa 1860) Map of Shanghai (made circa 1860) Red: Old Gate. Blue: Water gate. Green: New Gates (1909)
	Small North Gate (小北門 or 拱辰門) (built 1909)
	Old North Gate 老北門 See also: 晏海門 "Gate of the Peaceful Sea"
	New North Gate 新北門 (built 1860) See also: 障川門
	New Eastern Gate (新東門, 福佑門) (built 1909)
	Small East Gate 小東門 See also: 宝帯門 "Diamond Belt Gate"
	Small Eastern Water Gate See also: 小東門處跨方浜
	Great Eastern Gate See also: 朝宗門 "Dynastic Ancestral Gate"
	East Water Gate 東門水門
	Small south gate 小 南門 See also: 朝陽門 "Gate of the Rising Sun"
	Great Southern Gate See also: 跨龍門 "Leaping Dragon Gate"
	Small West Gate (小西門 or 尚文門) (built 1909)
	Western Water Gate See also: 西門跨肇嘉浜
	Old West Gate Laoximen 老西門 See also: 儀鳳門 "Gate of the Virtuous Phoenix"

A defensive ditch surrounded the walls, 20 meters (66 ft) wide and 6 meters (20 ft) deep, which was accessed though three "Water Gates" (two in the east, one in the west).

In 1860, a new gate, the "New North Gate" (新北門 or 障川門) was created. In 1909, three new gates were pierced:

• Small Western Gate (小西門 or 尚文門)
• Small North Gate (小北門 or 拱辰門)
• New East Gate (新東門, 福佑門).

The walls of the Old City were pulled down in 1912 by General Chen Qimei, the new governor of Shanghai.

In addition to two small remaining sections, the walls were demolished in 1912, as well as a wide circular avenue built in place of the wall and the moat. The northern half of the ring road was completed in 1913 to celebrate the founding of the Republic of China in 1912, and because the road formed the border between the Chinese city and the French concession, the road was named Boulevard Deux Republiques(literally "Boulevard of the Two Republics"), or Fa-Hu L Minguo in Chinese (literally "French and Chinese Republic Road"), and often shortened to "Minguo L" (or "Republic Road"). In 1914, the southern part of the ring road was completed and named Zhonghua Lu(literally "China Road"). Together the usual names of the two roads amounted to " Zhonghua Minguo", or "Republic of China" in Chinese. (The northern half was renamed "Renmin Road" ("People's Road") in 1950 by the new communist government of Shanghai.)

Today, only two very small plots remain. The more significant one is one of the towers (pavilions) above the gate, now the Dajing Ge Pavillon Museum.

Old city and foreign concessions

During the Taiping in 1853, the Old City was captured by the forces of the Small Sword Society. Shanghai Governor Wu Jianzhang fled to the British concession and had to hand over control of trade to foreigners in exchange for help in retaking the city. Recognizing that the huge influx of refugees who fled to foreign concessions, not only from the Chinese areas of Shanghai, but also from the surrounding region, from 1854 the Chinese were allowed to move to foreign concessions.

Administrative history

The round shape of the old city is still clearly visible on maps: in this 1933 map, he named "Chinese City" (at the bottom). Immediately to the north, east and west is the French concession, and further north is the international settlement.

The old city of Shanghai stands on the site of a relatively small settlement in ancient times, which began to develop in importance in the 12th and 13th centuries due to siltration waterways upstream, bringing the docks and market activities, the transition from large mining cities in this place. In 1267, in the Song Dynasty, Shanghai was upgraded to the status of a township, with a military garrison, at Huating. In 1277, Shanghai County was chosen as the site of one of the seven customs offices throughout the empire to handle overseas trade; surrounding Huatin was raised to the level of prefectures. The seat of the customs office (which later became the office of the Shanghai District Government) became the center around which the Old City grew.

The importance of this trading function led to Shanghai being elevated to the status of a county in 1292, with the Old City becoming the seat of the new county. Under the Qing, it also became the seat of a local chain and its administration headed by a quartermaster ("taotai"). While the foreign concessions developed into Shanghai's new urban areas, the old city remained the seat of the county, which nominally included the foreign concessions, but in reality the county's authority extended only to the Chinese areas of the city, being the Old City, the western suburbs, which is today the Minhang District. as well as the docks and factory districts in the northeast. (Except for a small port area near the river, today Pudong was a separate district.) In 1912, after the establishment of the Republic of China, the Old City was officially upgraded to city status (Shanghai City), under the county of Shanghai, although the city status was abolished and somewhat restored. times in the coming years due to political changes in the capital Beijing and power struggles among the warlords on the ground.

In 1927, in an attempt to create a tangible Chinese power in Shanghai, the Republic of China government created the Special Municipality of Shanghai. The municipal government was moved from the Old City to nearby Xujiahui. In 1928, the city of Shanghai (Old City) was reduced to county status under the Special Municipality. In 1930, Shanghai County became a separate administrative unit parallel to the Special Municipality, and the county government was moved to Minhang. This was the end of the Old City's role as the seat of Shanghai's government.

Since 1928, the Old City has been Hunan District; "Hunan" literally means "southern Shanghai". In 1937, the collaborationist puppet government under Japanese occupation renamed the area "Nanshi" (literally "southern city"). In 1945, after rebuilding Shanghai at the end of World War II, the Republic of China government split Nanshi District into Yimiao District and Penglai District. In 1959, the People's Republic of China government re-merged the two districts into Nanshi District. (Between 1961 and 1993, the Docklands on the Pudong (east) side of the river was part of Nanshi District.) In 2000, Nanshi District was merged into Huangpu District, thus ending the old city's separate existence as an administrative division.

today

Street just outside the Old City shopping area God Temple, 2018. Although parts of the Old City were not destroyed, the area has been renovated over the last decade; most of it is now commercial premises in gentrified style.

Today, the Old City contains some ancient but renovated features, such as the Yuyuan Garden Complex first established in the 1500s during the Ming Dynasty. pedestrian streets shopping area around the garden and God Temple City. (Tourist materials often refer to it as Nanshi District, although the area is now in Huangpu District.)

Built in 1855, Huxinting Teahouse at Yu Pond Garden remains in use as of 2018

The former French Concession (in Xuhui) has been extensively renovated and now has upscale shops, restaurants and museums.

The round shape of the old city is now imprinted surrounded by large streets that occupy the space of the former walls, now Renmin Road to the north and Zhonghua Road to the south. The Old City has also been cut in the middle north to south of Henan Road. The old town is a combination of ancient winding streets, with some modern high-rise buildings gradually encroaching on the older districts.