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Discover the ancient charm of Shanghai's water towns, Zhujiajiao and Wuzhen. This guide offers a detailed comparison, including dining, transport, and night views, to plan your perfect escape.
Shanghai Water Towns
Zhujiajiao vs. Wuzhen Comparison
❣️Compare Water Town Tours❣️
Hello, fellow travelers!
I'm Nihao Liliri, your go-to blogger for all things Greater China travel! 😆
When you visit Shanghai multiple times,
there comes a moment when you want to step away from the modern skyscrapers
and soak in those authentic, traditional Chinese vibes.
And that is exactly when you should head to a water town!
Today, I'm going to share my personal experience visiting Zhujiajiao (朱家角),
along with a detailed comparison with Wuzhen (乌镇), another highly popular option, to help you choose the right one.
I took the metro to Zhujiajiao for this trip.
While it certainly had its perks,
if I were to visit again with my parents,
I would 100% choose a guided tour to Wuzhen instead! 😆
What You'll Find in This Post ✔️ Shanghai Water Towns: The Basics ✔️ Zhujiajiao vs. Wuzhen: Head-to-Head Comparison ✔️ A Half-Day Review of Zhujiajiao Water Town ✔️ Recommended Water Town Tours |
Shanghai Water Towns: The Basics
Water towns are traditional villages that flourished around the unique waterway networks of the Jiangnan region.
The friend who traveled with me
was wondering why there are so many of these water towns around Shanghai.
So, I pulled up a map to show them!
Can you see the massive network of rivers and canals sprawling around the outskirts of Shanghai?
Shanghai Water Towns
Trust me, that's a lake, not the ocean!
In the past, these rivers and canals served as the main highways.
Boats docked right outside people's front doors,
and bustling markets and shops naturally lined the waterways.
Even today, when you visit,
you can see wooden boats gliding down narrow canals,
with stone bridges and historic architecture stretching out—
it honestly feels like stepping right into a scene from a traditional Chinese drama! 💫
The two most famous water towns near Shanghai
are Zhujiajiao and Wuzhen.
Zhujiajiao vs. Wuzhen: Water Town Comparison
Zhujiajiao (朱家角)
Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
The closest water town to downtown Shanghai
(excluding newly built, artificial ones)
✔️ Accessible by metro
✔️ Perfect for a half-day itinerary
✔️ Relatively smaller in scale
✔️ Ideal for a quick day trip
Wuzhen (乌镇)
Wuzhen Water Town
✔️ One of the most historic and well-preserved water towns
✔️ A massive, iconic water town famous all over China
✔️ Significantly larger in size
✔️ Exceptionally famous for its magical night views
✔️ Popular for overnight stays (2-day, 1-night trip)
✔️ Packed with various activities and scenic spots
❣️Compare Water Town Tours❣️
A Half-Day Review of Zhujiajiao Water Town
You can easily reach Zhujiajiao by metro.
Simply search for "Zhujiajiao Station" on Amap (Gaode Maps) from the city center and follow the suggested route.
However, no matter which metro line you start on, you will have to transfer once
at Hongqiao Railway Station.
(It feels a bit like transferring to a long suburban line heading far out of the city center!)
Just a heads-up: Shanghai Metro stations always start with a security bag check,
so keep that in mind!
Simply set up your transit card inside the Alipay app
and scan the QR code to board!
The best parts? Guaranteed seats and a super budget-friendly ride.
The uncle who briefly pops up in the clip, right before boarding,
was shouting something out loud. I wondered, "Why is he angry?"
But when I actually listened closely,
it turned out since it was the starting train, there was no one getting off, so there was no need to step aside
—it was actually some super friendly advice! ^^;;;;;
How to Ride the Boat to Zhujiajiao
Once you take Exit 1 of Zhujiajiao Station,
you’ll find an information booth where you can buy boat tickets.
You can purchase your tickets right there.
The boat ticket was 40 RMB (approx. $6) one-way, and Alipay is accepted!
The boat operating hours are 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
To get into Zhujiajiao from the station,
you can walk, take a taxi, or ride a boat.
But of course, you absolutely have to take the boat!!!!
It's just so wonderful...
A pure healing moment that automatically makes you take photos
For reference, walking takes 20 minutes, taking a taxi takes 5 minutes,
and the boat was about 15 minutes, I think.
Zhujiajiao isn't very large, so you can easily explore it in no time.
With Fangsheng Bridge at the center, there are plenty of great restaurants and cafes,
and since the sunset and night views here are spectacular, just exploring this area is pretty much all you need! (?)
When you travel to Shanghai, it's mostly a city trip,
so you end up seeing a lot of concrete skyscraper forests.
But coming out to the suburbs, the freshness is on a whole different level.
Zhujiajiao Eats & Cafes
In the Zhujiajiao Water Town, along these alleys,
you'll find lots of restaurants, cafes, and snacks.
The most famous one is this Zongzi.
It's similar to sticky rice in a lotus leaf, and it's a local specialty (?) of this region.
Apparently, it's been featured on TV quite a lot.
But honestly, you don't really need to try it, haha.
Zhujiajiao Eats
If anyone is curious, I'll drop the location in the comments! :)
I just ended up popping into a restaurant with a nice view,
and honestly, having just Hongshorou (braised pork belly) and smashed cucumber salad makes for an incredibly delicious meal. Isn't that the true charm of Chinese food...? haha.
I'll make sure to leave the restaurant I visited and the dishes I ordered in the comments below!
I had actually looked up a café known for serving drinks in gorgeous cups,
but it turned out to have absolutely no view whatsoever.........
I mean, we come to Zhujiajiao for the scenic views, right? (?)
So, I ended up going to Starbucks, which had the absolute best view.
Who goes all the way to a historic water town just to visit Starbucks? Yep, that would be me!
But honestly, look at this view—how could I resist?
As the sun starts to set, Zhujiajiao begins to light up and glow.
Catching this magic hour was my main goal,
so leaving around 3 PM was such a great decision.
Though, to make sure you don't miss the last boat, maybe aim to head out by 2:30 PM...
I absolutely loved Zhujiajiao, but it got a little spooky at the end!
There wasn't really a clear map to follow,
and as I slowly wandered around, I suddenly found myself in a pitch-black alleyway.
There was absolutely no one around, and it was seriously so scary.
After wandering in circles, I managed to escape and took a taxi to Zhujiajiao Station... haha.
This was taken right before heading into the dark alleyway...
Once I was in there, I was way too freaked out to take any photos!
Recommended Water Town Tours
To be honest, I've actually visited the Wuzhen Water Town before,
back during my study abroad days.
But after this trip to Zhujiajiao,
I realized that next time, I definitely want to take my parents on a guided tour to Wuzhen Water Town.
Wuzhen is on a much grander scale,
and there is so much more to do besides just riding the boats.
They have activities like traditional fabric dyeing workshops,
and because the East Gate and West Gate areas have such distinct vibes,
it was incredibly fun to just wander around.
Especially at night,
the view of the canals illuminated by the lights is absolutely breathtaking.
But the best part of all
is how easy it is to get there.
Getting to Zhujiajiao took about 1.5 hours by subway,
which involved transferring lines
and constantly paying attention to make sure I didn't take the wrong train.
On the other hand, for Wuzhen,
you can travel comfortably in a tour vehicle,
which saves so much energy!
❣️Compare Water Town Tours❣️
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You can search for Zhujiajiao Station on Amap (Gaode Maps) and transfer once at Hongqiao Railway Station. You can use Alipay's transit card feature when taking the subway, and the total travel time is about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
To get from Zhujiajiao Station to the town, you can walk, take a taxi, or take a boat. Walking takes about 20 minutes, a taxi takes 5 minutes, and a boat ride takes about 15 minutes.
Boat tickets can be purchased for 40 RMB one-way at the information desk near Exit 1 of Zhujiajiao Station, and Alipay is accepted. The boat operates from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Wuzhen is a much larger water town than Zhujiajiao and is divided into the East Scenic Zone (Dongzha) and the West Scenic Zone (Xizha), each offering a different atmosphere. There are many activities to enjoy, such as traditional dyeing experiences, and its night views are famous, so many people visit for a 2-day, 1-night trip.
It is recommended to depart from downtown around 2:30 PM to enjoy the sunset and night views of Zhujiajiao while still catching the boat operating hours. However, please be careful when walking around after dark, as the alleyways can become very dark.
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