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Want to escape the hustle and bustle?
November 10, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THEN it's time to hit the road
Although the sprawling high-speed railway network around Shanghai, already completed or currently under construction, is making the city feel closer to its nearby provinces, urban dwellers wanting more freedom, independence and privacy still prefer to travel in their own cars. Since the Expo is over, it's time to shift our attention from the crowded streets of Shanghai to the quieter, little places nearby where the warm golden sunshine of autumn can be enjoyed. So let's pack our bags, fuel the car and hit the road. Tan Weiyun is our guide. Jiangsu Province
Qiandeng Town in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, is an exquisite ancient watertown lying next to Shanghai's suburban Qingpu District. It is only a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Shanghai.
Qiandeng has for a long time been overshadowed by the province's Suzhou City and as a result it has been ignored by many Shanghai locals.
It is actually a mysterious town that has always kept a low profile.
Nestling by the gentle ripples of the Dianshan Lake in the south and sitting by the magnificent Wusong River, the 2,500-year-old town still remains intact with architecture from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The town is also traversed by the longest, truly old, gray-stone road in the Yangtze River Delta region.
Qiandeng got its name, which literally means thousands of lamps in Chinese, by an interesting mistake as it actually has nothing to do with lamps.
In olden times, there were a total of 999 earth mounds along the Wusong River and the 1,000th was located 15 kilometers away on the southern side of Kunshan City. That place was then called "Qian Dun," or the thousandth mound. But as the name was passed down through the generations, Dun somehow became Deng, which resulted in today's Qian Deng.
Life in Qiandeng goes slowly. Standing on the Ningdai Bridge, one of the ancient bridges in the town, you can see local children dressed in homespun clothes frolicking with small fish along the riverbank, which extends to the Qingfeng Tower in the distance. Wooden boats pass under the bridge, stirring the calm river surface.
Along the more than 5,000-meter canal that meanders through the town, a total of seven big stone bridges were built. What's more interesting is that each bridge was accompanied by a smaller delicate bridge, like the Qiandeng Bridge adorned by the Xianghua Bridge nearby, and the Ningxun Bridge stringing along with the Jiangjing Bridge. The small bridge snuggles up to the big one, like a small child sleeping in the warm arms of their mother.
South Street is dotted with several time-honored stores, such as noodle shops and homespun cloth-weaving boutiques. It is also the birthplace of Gu Jian, the founder of the Kunju Opera. His museum exhibits some of the famous opera scripts. On the first floor, visitors can enjoy some short operas presented everyday on the mini stage while sipping fragrant green tea.
After strolling in the ancient watertown, it would be a good idea to get something to eat. Late autumn and early winter is the best season to enjoy the hairy crab feast.
Shanghai locals love Bacheng Town. Every October and November, the small town is crowded with crab diners, most of them with a Shanghai dialect.
It has been an annual ritual for the Shanghainese to drive more than one hour to eat crabs in the town, which boasts more than 1,000 crab restaurants spreading along the famous Yangcheng Lake. Crabs are growing stronger with more spawn in November than in October, so the town is even more popular in the latter month.
On the eastern side of Yangcheng Lake lies Weiting Town, also known for its hairy crab cuisine, which claims almost one third of the lake area. The most popular place in the town is its Gourmets' Street built by the lakeside. Diners can enjoy the beautiful lake view while tasting tender crab meat.
Yangcheng Lake Town sitting on the other side of the lake provides visitors with another option. Diners can get closer to nature by taking a boat ride across the rippling lake.
It has two islands - Lotus Island and Zhu Island, where restaurants offer various hairy crab dishes. The town's annual crab output accounts for almost half of the entire lake area.
Route:
Take the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway and get off at the Lujia exit. Drive south in the direction of Shipu. After reaching Shipu, turn right at the second traffic light to Jichang Road. Qiandeng Town is 5 kilometers ahead. The whole distance is about 60 kilometers and the highway fee is about 40 yuan (US$6).
Then drive north along Jiangpu Road (Qiandeng section). Turn into Qianjin Road after arriving at Kunshan City. Drive west to Gucheng Road until reaching Bacheng Town.
Although the sprawling high-speed railway network around Shanghai, already completed or currently under construction, is making the city feel closer to its nearby provinces, urban dwellers wanting more freedom, independence and privacy still prefer to travel in their own cars. Since the Expo is over, it's time to shift our attention from the crowded streets of Shanghai to the quieter, little places nearby where the warm golden sunshine of autumn can be enjoyed. So let's pack our bags, fuel the car and hit the road. Tan Weiyun is our guide. Jiangsu Province
Qiandeng Town in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, is an exquisite ancient watertown lying next to Shanghai's suburban Qingpu District. It is only a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Shanghai.
Qiandeng has for a long time been overshadowed by the province's Suzhou City and as a result it has been ignored by many Shanghai locals.
It is actually a mysterious town that has always kept a low profile.
Nestling by the gentle ripples of the Dianshan Lake in the south and sitting by the magnificent Wusong River, the 2,500-year-old town still remains intact with architecture from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The town is also traversed by the longest, truly old, gray-stone road in the Yangtze River Delta region.
Qiandeng got its name, which literally means thousands of lamps in Chinese, by an interesting mistake as it actually has nothing to do with lamps.
In olden times, there were a total of 999 earth mounds along the Wusong River and the 1,000th was located 15 kilometers away on the southern side of Kunshan City. That place was then called "Qian Dun," or the thousandth mound. But as the name was passed down through the generations, Dun somehow became Deng, which resulted in today's Qian Deng.
Life in Qiandeng goes slowly. Standing on the Ningdai Bridge, one of the ancient bridges in the town, you can see local children dressed in homespun clothes frolicking with small fish along the riverbank, which extends to the Qingfeng Tower in the distance. Wooden boats pass under the bridge, stirring the calm river surface.
Along the more than 5,000-meter canal that meanders through the town, a total of seven big stone bridges were built. What's more interesting is that each bridge was accompanied by a smaller delicate bridge, like the Qiandeng Bridge adorned by the Xianghua Bridge nearby, and the Ningxun Bridge stringing along with the Jiangjing Bridge. The small bridge snuggles up to the big one, like a small child sleeping in the warm arms of their mother.
South Street is dotted with several time-honored stores, such as noodle shops and homespun cloth-weaving boutiques. It is also the birthplace of Gu Jian, the founder of the Kunju Opera. His museum exhibits some of the famous opera scripts. On the first floor, visitors can enjoy some short operas presented everyday on the mini stage while sipping fragrant green tea.
After strolling in the ancient watertown, it would be a good idea to get something to eat. Late autumn and early winter is the best season to enjoy the hairy crab feast.
Shanghai locals love Bacheng Town. Every October and November, the small town is crowded with crab diners, most of them with a Shanghai dialect.
It has been an annual ritual for the Shanghainese to drive more than one hour to eat crabs in the town, which boasts more than 1,000 crab restaurants spreading along the famous Yangcheng Lake. Crabs are growing stronger with more spawn in November than in October, so the town is even more popular in the latter month.
On the eastern side of Yangcheng Lake lies Weiting Town, also known for its hairy crab cuisine, which claims almost one third of the lake area. The most popular place in the town is its Gourmets' Street built by the lakeside. Diners can enjoy the beautiful lake view while tasting tender crab meat.
Yangcheng Lake Town sitting on the other side of the lake provides visitors with another option. Diners can get closer to nature by taking a boat ride across the rippling lake.
It has two islands - Lotus Island and Zhu Island, where restaurants offer various hairy crab dishes. The town's annual crab output accounts for almost half of the entire lake area.
Route:
Take the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway and get off at the Lujia exit. Drive south in the direction of Shipu. After reaching Shipu, turn right at the second traffic light to Jichang Road. Qiandeng Town is 5 kilometers ahead. The whole distance is about 60 kilometers and the highway fee is about 40 yuan (US$6).
Then drive north along Jiangpu Road (Qiandeng section). Turn into Qianjin Road after arriving at Kunshan City. Drive west to Gucheng Road until reaching Bacheng Town.
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