When it comes to Nanxiang, the first thing that comes to mind is the ‘Nanxiang Xiaolongbao’, a characteristic delicacy of Shanghai. It seems to be a local symbol. In fact, Nanxiang Ancient Town not only has Xiaolongbao, but also many cultural relics worth exploring. Nanxiang Ancient Town has a history of 1500 years. Inside the ancient town, there are the Guyi Garden, which is a relatively large Jiangnan garden in Shanghai, Nanxiang Old Street, Liuyun Temple, Nanxiang Twin Towers, etc., reflecting the profound ancient charm culture. Nanxiang Ancient Town has convenient transportation. Coming out of ‘Nanxiang’ station on Metro Line 11, the scenic spot closer to the subway station is the Guyi Garden built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522 – 1566 AD). Generally, people visit the Guyi Garden first. In different seasons of the Guyi Garden, there are different flower exhibitions according to the flowers blooming in that season. There are begonias in spring, lotus in summer, wintersweet and narcissus in winter. The famous one is the lotus in summer. The成片 of lotus dots the pavilions and towers of the Guyi Garden, making the garden look more unique. During the Lantern Festival, the Guyi Garden will also hold a lantern festival. If you arrive at Nanxiang in the morning, it will be almost noon after visiting the Guyi Garden. The Shanghai Guyi Garden Restaurant in the park is probably the originator of all Nanxiang Xiaolongbao in Shanghai. The Xiaolongbao in Nanxiang Ancient Town also takes this store as the leader. If you want to have a big feast, you have to face a long line of many customers first. If you are not persistent in tasting Xiaolongbao in the ‘leader’ among Nanxiang Xiaolongbao stores, in fact, there are Xiaolongbao stores everywhere in Nanxiang Ancient Town. You can walk to Nanxiang Old Street and find a random one to sit down. The taste is equally good. Walking 500 meters west from the Guyi Garden and then 200 meters north to the river, you can reach Nanxiang Old Street. If you want to see the original scenery of the Jiangnan water town, it is all on the secluded small roads on the side. Casually turning a corner, you can see the old houses with white walls and black tiles by the river. There are green plants growing in the cracks of the walls. There are unadorned small bridges on the river and roads paved with pebbles. There are mops hanging on the steps extending into the river under the old houses. Time seems to stay in the 1970s and 1980s in Shanghai. On Nanxiang Old Street, there are many shops, but instead, the commercial atmosphere is strong. However, there are many delicious foods on both sides of the old street. In addition to Xiaolongbao, the characteristic delicacies also include grass head cakes, stinky tofu, etc. Walking along Nanxiang Old Street to Liuyun Temple. This ancient temple, originally named ‘White Crane Nanxiang Temple’, was built in the fourth year of Tianjian in the Liang Dynasty (505 AD). During the Shaoding period of the Song Dynasty, it was renamed ‘Nanxiang Temple’. The town name of Nanxiang Ancient Town comes from this temple. During the Kangxi period (1700 AD), it was renamed ‘Yunxiang Temple’. Unfortunately, it was later destroyed. The current Liuyun Temple is a reconstruction. Only a pair of brick towers of the ancient temple survived the disaster. Now the Nanxiang Twin Towers built from the Five Dynasties to the early Northern Song Dynasty beside Liuyun Temple are the symbol of Nanxiang Old Street. There is glass flooring under the towers. Through the glass, you can see the ruins of the old street in the Song Dynasty underground.
In the old street, you can also visit the Nanxiang History and Culture Exhibition Hall, the private garden of the Ming Dynasty literati Li Liufang known as Tan Garden, and take a boat tour. Alternatively, for a few yuan, you can sit in the Chaxi Book Field and listen to the storytellers narrating tales in the Wu dialect. Buy a bag of peanuts, order a pot of tea, and your afternoon will pass by leisurely. Open all year round, open 24/7.
Related Content：
Follow Xia Ningbao to the Jiangnan water town – Zhujiajiao Ancient Town.
Jiangnan Song City: Scenic Beauty, Hakka Cradle, and Fun in Ganzhou!
839th Episode: Bustling Eastern Water Capital, Twin Dragons Play Pearls on the Huangpu River Beach
#Self-Drive Tour# Shanghai, the Magic City: Unveiling its Mysteries Upon Arrival!
Autumn Splendor at Jiading Qiuxia Garden and Guyi Garden
Exploring the Roots of Shanghai: The Charm of Songjiang as an Internet Sensation