Shanghai Old Town Walking Tour Including Yuyuan Garden
Shanghai, China
Rating: 
Trip Type: Walking Tours
Duration: 2 hours
Long before the foreign concessions and skyscrapers, Shanghai was a prosperous Chinese town surrounded by protective walls. This 2-hour guided walking tour of Old Shanghai takes you back in time to the city’s past, including Yuyuan Garden and Chenghuangmiao (Temple of the Town God), a Taoist temple from the Ming Dynasty. For a glimpse of traditional Chinese architecture, walk past residential houses (‘lilongs’), situated along old lanes and alleyways. Numbers are limited to 10 people, ensuring an intimate experience with a small group.
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Long before the foreign concessions and skyscrapers, Shanghai was a prosperous Chinese town surrounded by protective walls. This 2-hour guided walking tour of Old Shanghai takes you back in time to the city’s past, including Yuyuan Garden and Chenghuangmiao (Temple of the Town God), a Taoist temple from the Ming Dynasty. For a glimpse of traditional Chinese architecture, walk past residential houses (‘lilongs’), situated along old lanes and alleyways. Numbers are limited to 10 people, ensuring an intimate experience with a small group.
Step into the pages of history and discover the stories of Old Shanghai! Meet your guide and small group at a central location for your 2-hour walking tour of the old walled city called Nan Shi, or Old Town. At its center are the Yuyuan Garden, dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD).
Follow your guide through the exquisite imperial gardens — renowned for the classical landscape architecture — before walking to Chenghuangmiao, translated as Temple of the Town God. Here, you’ll learn about local tradition and the different gods of Chinese Taoist beliefs. Dating back to 1403, the temple's main courtyard is still active with worshippers and a central shrine offers solace from the bustle of the city.
Finally, wander through Old Town’s lilong neighborhoods, where Western-style row houses and old Chinese courtyard homes line the narrow alleyways. These lanes, where laundry hangs from bamboo poles and neighbors share gossip, are rapidly disappearing along with an essential piece of Shanghai’s history. You’ll get a sense of traditional Chinese architecture and lifestyle as you meander past and view the first grand family's compound.
At the end of your tour, learn about different types of local dumplings, with the opportunity to purchase some for a taste of delicious Chinese food.
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