Stone bridges
Over the canals.
Esin Üstün from Istanbul, Turkey — CC BY 2.0 · Pete Stewart from Perth, Australia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · KimonBerlin — CC BY-SA 2.0 · KimonBerlin — CC BY-SA 2.0 · KimonBerlin — CC BY-SA 2.0 · KimonBerlin — CC BY-SA 2.0 · ktanaka — CC BY 3.0 · Fayhoo — CC BY-SA 3.0
An old water town in Minhang, south-west Shanghai, with a history of about a thousand years, canals, stone bridges and two old streets of white-walled, black-tiled houses; it is the easiest old town to reach from the centre, by Metro Line 9 to Qibao station. One street is packed with snack stalls selling treats such as rice cakes and dumplings, the other with crafts and souvenirs, and small museums are devoted to shadow puppetry and to the cricket fighting Qibao was known for; boats ply its short canal. The town is free to enter at any time, a few small museums charge about CNY 5, and most shops open from 8 am to 9 pm, per visitor guides. Weekends are crowded, and much of the street food contains pork, so ask before you buy.
Over the canals.
Stalls galore.
A small museum.
Minhang District, south-west Shanghai
Much of the street food contains pork, so ask about ingredients or stick to sweets and vegetable snacks; central Shanghai has Hui Muslim restaurants under the halal sign.