Which ancient town in China is worth visiting? Behind the single word "ancient" lie completely different realities. They can be divided into three types.
🏗️
New villages
Built from scratch. Perfectly straight walls, correct roofs – everything is designed for the perfect shot. Authentic China — zero. But nobody promised that: it's an amusement park with hot springs, hanfu rentals and restaurants. Entrance is often paid. And it's still very beautiful.
✨ Examples
- Gubei near Simatai (Beijing) – a water town at the foot of the Great Wall
- Wangxian Valley in Shangrao (Jiangxi) – a gorge with the ancient village of Yangxian
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Ancient villages‑attractions
These places are truly hundreds of years old. Either the residents have rented out their houses for commerce, or they have been relocated. The feeling is close to the first type, but there is a difference: people really used to live here. Stilted Miao houses, walls with genuine patina.
✨ Examples
- Furong – "a thousand‑year city hanging on a waterfall"
- Fenghuang – ancient town with stilt houses by the river
- Huizhou villages (Anhui) – 2.5 hours from Shanghai, Ming and Qing houses
🌿
Living ancient villages
The villages are a thousand years old – and people still live in them. Mostly elderly, the young have moved away. Genuine houses, no tourist infrastructure. It's worth coming here with a local guide.
✨ Examples
- Anyi (near Nanchang) – a village with a thousand‑year history
- Aye (near Zigong, Sichuan) – authentic village in the mountains
- Zhujiajiao (near Shanghai) – most of it is still inhabited
💬 What to choose? I like all three. They are just very different – and it's normal to want different things on different trips.
Shanghai is often seen as a city of skyscrapers and hustle. But drive an hour and a half – and you enter a different China. Only narrow streets, stone bridges, local grandmothers drying quilts in the sun, and silence. A selection of places worth visiting.
Lucun (潞村), Huzhou
📍 1.5–2 hours by car / 1 hour by train
A quiet village in white hydrangeas. Here lies the Qianshanyang archaeological site – where the oldest silk was woven 4700 years ago. Four bridges from the Song dynasty.
4700 years of historyliving villagefree entry
📍 Within Shanghai, 1.5 hours
"The first bridge village of Jiangnan": 42 stone bridges from different eras (Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing), including the oldest bridge in Shanghai.
over 1300 years42 bridgesfree entry
Luxu (芦墟), Suzhou
📍 1 hour from Shanghai
The most untouched by commerce ancient village in the region. No trendy tea houses – only local life, cats in the sun and grandpas playing cards.
zero commerceliving villagefree entry
📍 Within Shanghai, 1–1.5 hours
A forgotten ancient town with 1400 years of history. Narrow 2‑meter streets, bridges and Ming‑era houses. Almost no tourists even on weekends.
1400 yearsliving villagefree entry
Ruanxiang (阮巷), Jinshan
📍 Within Shanghai, about 1 hour
One of the rare original ecological water villages of Shanghai. Classic style, ruins of a dyeing workshop. Almost no tourists.
original ecosystemliving villagefree entry
📍 1 hour from Shanghai
Less known but no less beautiful than Zhouzhuang. 36 ancient bridges, 12 waterways. Grandmas rinsing rice in the river.
36 bridges1300 yearsfree entry
📍 Within Shanghai, 70 km
A 1500‑year‑old water town. 52 bridges and a 268‑meter covered gallery. The river separates two provinces: Shanghai and Zhejiang.
1500 years52 bridgesAAAA attraction
Panlong (蟠龙), Qingpu
📍 Within Shanghai, about 1 hour
1400 years of history. The first project in Shanghai to reconstruct a rural area in an ancient style. Preserved 10 bridges, a family temple and a monastery.
1400 yearshistoric districtfree entry
Zhangyan (章堰), Qingpu
📍 Within Shanghai, about 1 hour
A hidden village with over 1000 years of history. It was visited by the poet Su Shi and the calligrapher Mi Fu. Three ancient bridges, very quiet.
over 1000 yearsfew touristsliving village
Dongshe (东社), Qingpu
📍 Within Shanghai, 1–1.5 hours
A village surrounded by bamboo and waterways. The Ruilong Bridge from the Ming dynasty, the Zhuangyan Temple from the Yuan dynasty with ancient ginkgo trees.
Ming bridgeYuan templeliving village
Wufang (吴房), Qingcun
📍 40 km from central Shanghai
The land of yellow peaches. It is more than 300 years old. A showcase rural revitalisation project. In early April the peaches bloom, people even come from the city centre.
over 300 yearsrevitalisation projectliving village
🏮 Ready to travel through the real China?
I will help you choose a route that fits your pace: whether you want a perfect photo spot, authentic village cuisine, or an encounter with history without tourist traps. Write to me on Telegram or WhatsApp — we'll design a programme just for you.