Shanghai – Old Town – Chinese Quarter – Old Town – China

Traditional Chinese Gateway to Old Chinese Quarter – Old Town Shanghai

Old Town (Nanshi) 

Our tour group set of early to walk through the back streets of Shanghai Old Town,  ‘Nanshi’ as it used to be called, the old walled city of Shanghai.The Old Town predates the colonial days in Shanghai. This area is now known as the Southern Town by most Chinese today, bounded by Renmin Lu and Zhonghua Lu (Lu=streets). It follows the boundaries of the old city wall, long since demolished except for one tower and a small section of the old wall. The tower still stands, saved because it was converted into a temple in the medieval period (now Dajing Ge Pavilion Museum). The remaining section of the old wall dates from 1554 during the Ming Dynasty. The Yu Yuan Garden and City God temple in the Old Town also exist from Ming Dynasty period.

Dajing Ge Pavilion Museum –  Chinese Old Quarter-Old Town- Shanghai

Old Chinatown – Shanghai Old Town

This is Old Chinatown, the old Chinese Quarter where the narrow lanes and produce markets are bustling with the locals out shopping, washing hanging overhead on extended lines above the streets, an old Singer treadle sewing machine set up ready for  clothing repairs.

Streets of Old Town (Nanshi) -Old Chinese Quarter-Shanghai Old Town

Breakfast-on-the-run.-Shanghai Old Town

  Breakfast  and a  friendly chat for some. Are they pancakes, look really yummy! A busy area, hardware stores, sake and fresh produce, some very  plump green frogs. Plenty of tea varieties to choose from, eggs,freshly cut meat, freshly plucked chickens.

Chinese Quarter-Old Town Shanghai – Fresh plump green frogs

Sake-Local-Market-Old-Town-Shanghai

Chinatown markets – fresh eggs and freshly cut meat-Old Town Shanghai

Fresh-greens-and-veggies – Markets Chinese Quarter-Old Town-Shanghai

Don’t forget a chicken for dinner – Markets Chinese Quarter-Old Town-Shanghai

A street of old decrepit buildings falling to pieces, further on a ramshackle old house with a classic pigeon loft. Much of the Old Town area being demolished to make way for  new developments. A disappearing way of life?

Ramshackle old house with Pigeon Loft – Chinese Quarter- Old  Town Shanghai

Really enjoyed our walk through the Old Chinese Quarter, it was so interesting to have a look at the traditional way of life in the old town area, the housing, the markets and the people. This way of life which has been so traditional for eons, may be changing all too rapidly for many of its inhabitants.

The Old Town  is easily explored after visiting the Yu Yuan Garden, Bazaar and Huxinting Tea House, by simply ducking up the side streets and exploring the maze of  narrow lanes spreading outwards from this point.

Next a visit to the flower and bird market and fake antique market, more of the Shanghai Old Town ……

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