政府新闻
上海在朱家角举办古镇旅游节 2025-07-13
A show at the launch ceremony of the Ancient Town Intangible Cultural Heritage Season in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, Shanghai's suburban Qingpu District, last Thursday.
As the chorus of cicadas heralds the flavor of summer, ancient water towns and tourist attractions across Shanghai are jointly presenting a cultural and tourism feast as part of the ongoing summer tourism season of the 2025 Shanghai Tourism Festival.
The Ancient Town Intangible Cultural Heritage Season was launched in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, suburban Qingpu District, known as "China's first ancient town for inbound tourists," last Thursday.
The event is themed on five topics, "Explore Ancient Towns", "Discover Nature", "Listen to Opera", "Practice Martial Arts", and "Play with Crafts". Across Shanghai, museums, heritage sites, cultural centers, ancient towns, and parks will host over 100 themed activities, including hands-on workshops, exhibitions, and musical performances.
The glittering night view in Zhujiajiao
Here are some highlights:
Zhujiajiao
Embark on a summer adventure, blending intangible heritage crafts with artistic creativity, in the ancient water town.
Strolling through alleyways this summer, you will unexpectedly encounter pop-up Kunqu Opera performances of "The Peony Pavilion," a classic Kunqu opera written by Tang Xianzu during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Themed salons offer visitors a platform to explore the contemporary relevance of traditional culture through engaging dialogues.
As night falls, the "Han Dynasty Magic Night" will illuminate the town with lanterns, hanfu attire, and night markets, which will weave an irresistible tapestry of ancient charm, transforming Zhujiajiao into a vibrant cultural hub.
The collaboration with BW2025 (Bilibili World Digital Entertainment & Anime Expo) brings anime culture to the Jiangnan (the region to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) water town, a must-visit for young travelers.
Local heritage like Qingpu's intangible heritage art chuanquan, a form of Chinese martial arts called boat boxing, will be showcased.
A cool scenery in Jinze
Jinze
Kick off summer amid blooming lotuses at countryside lakes and parks.
At Dalian Lake, pink-and-white blossoms blanket the water. Just come and enjoy the fun of admiring, farming and picking fresh lotus seeds for a taste of pastoral joy.
For sweet seasonal rewards, people are invited to pick ripened fruits at local orchids, a juicy celebration of nature's bounty.
You can also paddle kayaks through narrow canals or glide on stand-up boards, turning splashes into laughter on Dianshan Lake and Cenbu Village's waterways.
Wandering through Jinze's bridges and lanes and enjoying the melody of pingtan (storytelling and singing in the Suzhou dialect) performances is another delight, while don't miss local heritage snacks like zharou, or straw-wrapped pork, and zhuangyuangao, a kind of rice cake, as well.
Display of handicraft at the launch ceremony
Traditional delicacy of Fengjing hoof
Fengjing
Fengjing Ancient Town, a water town with profound historical and cultural heritage, is exactly the place for art buffs this summer as the Fengjing Comic Art Season has started.
With their unique perspectives and skillful brushes, 12 talented comic artists have created 24 comic works about Fengjing, which are showcased across the town.
Sun Shaobo's work "Welcome to Wunu Wuli!" showcases Fengjing's friendly atmosphere in a humorous style. "Wunu Wuli" means "my home" in Fengjing dialect. The work is placed at the entrance of Ding Cong Art Museum, conveying the hospitality of Fengjing people.
Whether in comics or reality, Ding Cong Art Museum is a bright pearl of Fengjing. It is not only a memorial to Ding Cong (1916-2009), one of China's top illustration artists, but also an important symbol of Fengjing's culture.
Jiang Jianwen's work "Three Bridges of Delicacies" condenses Fengjing Ancient Town's food map with bright colors and appetizing composition. In the painting, there are three protagonists: one holding a tempting pork knuckle, one enjoying the food, and one holding steamed white fish. The background vividly shows the bustling atmosphere and food charm of the ancient town.
In reality, "Sanqiaoli" (the area around the three bridges) is the core area of Fengjing, where one can find not only traditional delicacies such as zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings), stinky tofu and begonia cakes, but also various restaurants, pubs and homestays.
Traditional Chinese opera performance in Sijing
Sijing
Shanghai Jingju Theatre and Sijing Shijin xiluogu (a local traditional percussion ensemble) performers will jointly host traditional music performances, creating new sparks from the collision of traditional Chinese opera and modern stage.
Activities like parent-child practice of tai chi and martial art xingyiquan will revitalize traditional sports.
Sijing is a millennium-old town with a profound cultural heritage in suburban Songjiang District.
Visitors to Sijing should come hungry as a trip to the town must include tasting its signature delicacies.
Sixiaolong soup dumplings, with their thin skin, generous filling and rich juice, are available in popular pork, crab roe and vegetable flavors.
Meanwhile, Shanghai Museum has rolled out exhibitions and courses for teenagers, including "Little Archeologist", "Little Creator" and "Searching for the Cute Big-eyed Patterns on Bronzes" activities, while Shanghai Botanical Garden has launched the "Life Story of Trees" series, which connects ecology through symphony premieres and night nature observation activities.
On Anting Ancient Street, summer night concerts will be held every Friday and weekend through the end of August.
Source: City News Service
